Wilson takes center stage on every gridiron
By Terry Troy
It’s always the same this time of year: “When the first leaf of autumn falls forlornly to the ground below, many a young Buckeye’s feelings turn to thoughts of football!” No time is more appropriate for a shout out to Robin Williams in the 1986 football classic The Best of Times.
Whether you root for the Browns, Bengals, Buckeyes or Bearcats, the football on the field will carry the Wilson name. And it will for a very long time.
This past summer, Wilson celebrated the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art football factory in Ada in Hardin County, southwest of Toledo, a facility that not only celebrates the company’s dedication to innovation and quality but is also indicative of the brand’s commitment to what has become our nation’s favorite game.
With a history dating back to 1929, the Ada factory has been a cornerstone of Wilson’s football production. The new facility, replacing the one in use since 1955, addresses the challenges of the old structure and provides modern space for growth, customization and innovation.
This is where they make the Wilson NFL game football known as “The Duke.” Footballs are handcrafted through a meticulous 20-step process to ensure that each meets the rigorous standard required in both professional and collegiate play.
The new factory allows Wilson to innovate with agility and respond to the evolving needs of the sports industry. Perhaps even more importantly, it gives the dedicated craftsmen and craftswomen more space to continue their game-changing work and allows us to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in sports equipment manufacturing.
Wilson’s older operation in Ada was the world’s oldest facility dedicated to producing only game-ready genuine leather footballs. The new plant in Ada, takes that to a whole new level.
The $15 million, 80,000-square-foot plant employs more than 150 people and by all accounts Wilson is looking to add more. Roughly the size of six football fields, the factory can kick out about 2,200 footballs each day, nearly doubling the capacity of the former plant. And Wilson will certainly need all that new production capacity.
Just after opening the new Ada plant, Wilson and the NFL announced the renewal of their historic partnership, once again naming Wilson as the official football of the league. Since 1941, every point in the NFL has been scored with a Wilson football, making the relationship one of the longest in sports history.
“Wilson and the NFL are one of the most iconic relationships in sports, dating back over 80 years,” says Kevin Murphy, global general manager of Team Sports at Wilson. “Since then, Wilson has been part of every snap, pass and touchdown in NFL history. We are thrilled to build upon this partnership as we continue to work with the league on growing the game globally and open opportunities for everyone to be part of the sport.”
“The NFL’s time-honored partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is integral to our past, present and future, with ‘The Duke’ at the forefront of every NFL game played since 1941,” says Ryan Samuelson, vice president of consumer products at the NFL. “Renewing and expanding our relationship with a partner so ingrained into our culture is paramount for the league to continue to grow the game and the opening of the new football factory is a testament to Wilson’s commitment to NFL football.”
The factory creates footballs, from flag football to professional, from youth to pro. It makes game footballs for the NFL season, including every Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, as well as youth, high school and college play.