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25-478: Fila Holdings owns golf equipment maker Acushnet Company . Fila Holdings' largest shareholders include Piemonte Co., Ltd at around 20%, Fila Holdings at 20%, and South Korea 's National Pension Service at around 13%. Gene Yoon (Yoon Yoon-su), who owns a 75% stake in Piemonte, serves as the chairman of Fila Holdings. The chief executive officer is Yoon Keun-chang. In 1906, brothers Ettore and Giansevero Fila joined

50-455: A ball that retained the same soft feel of the Pro V1 while reducing spin and increasing distance. In December 2007, Acushnet lost a patent infringement suit brought by Callaway . The following November, Callaway won an injunction in a Delaware court, ruling that sales of the Pro V1 golf balls must be stopped from January 1, 2009, with professionals being able to continue with their use until

75-566: A custom paint fill, engraving, shaft band and grip along with other options. Players can also bring in their older Scotty Cameron Putter and have them repaired. Cameron's putters, the most storied of which are inspired by Karsten Solheim's (PING) original designs (Anser, Zing, B60) are named after popular California beach towns (Newport Beach, Laguna Beach) and Northern California counties renowned for their golf, wine, and leisure tourism (Sonoma, Napa, Monterey). His original designs, usually mallet putters, are often named using ad hoc wordplay. Cameron

100-464: A golf ball and accessory brand marketed to casual players; and Pinnacle, a brand of distance ball. Founded in Acushnet, Massachusetts by Philip E. "Skipper" Young in 1910, the "Acushnet Process Company" focused on deresinating latex and supplying rubber to industry, and over time began to make their own rubber-based products including water bottles and bathing caps. Eventually, Acushnet Process became

125-531: A machine that could uniformly wind rubber string around a rubber core, making a "dead center" golf ball. He named the ball "Titleist," noting it was the "winner" of the quest to create the best for the game. The golf division of the Acushnet Process Company produced the Titleist golf ball in 1935, which became the company's most successful product. In 1948, Titleist introduced "Dynamite Thread" to increase

150-518: A manufacturer of golf equipment, principally, golf balls. In 1932, the company sectioned into two divisions: Rubber and Golf, both of which became quite successful. Three years later, the Golf division produced the Titleist golf ball, which has consistently been the company's most successful product. In 1976, the company was purchased by American Brands (now known as Fortune Brands ). In 1995, Fortune sold off

175-504: A round of golf with his dentist, Young missed a sure putt that seemed to be caused by the weight of the ball. He then asked his dentist friend to X-ray the ball and the film showed that the rubber core was off-center. After this initial discovery, Young took X-rays of more golf balls and found that most were poorly constructed with off-center cores and prone to erratic shots. This inspired Young to produce his own line of golf balls, which would become known as Titleist. In 1930, Young developed

200-474: Is a golf club designer who specializes in high-end putters . Cameron currently resides and has based his company, Scotty Cameron, in California. Cameron made his first putters using his mother-in-law's garage as his factory. After working with several golf companies, Scotty would accept a deal with Titleist. Later, Cameron created a "Custom Shop" where users and collectors can customize their putter by ordering

225-628: Is a golf clothing company based in Massachusetts and founded in 1857. Footjoy was acquired by the Acushnet Company in 1985 from General Mills . Currently, FootJoy is the number one seller of golf shoes and gloves in the United States. FootJoy products include athletic shoes , golf gloves , clothing ( shirts , shorts , pants , socks , sweater , jackets , hoodies ,), and accessories ( bags , gloves , caps , umbrellas ). Scotty Cameron

250-507: Is a master of prestige branding, going so far as to trademark (under the Acushnet name) the acronym "G.S.S." or German stainless steel. "G.S.S." is simply 303 stainless imported from Germany and used in Cameron's more exclusive releases. It is molecularly identical to other 303 steels. Established by Phillip E. "Skipper" Young, a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1932, the brand

275-547: Is an American brand of golf equipment produced by the Acushnet Company , headquartered in Fairhaven, Massachusetts , United States . Established in 1932 by Philip E. Young , it focuses on golf balls , clubs and golf bags . The name Titleist is derived from the word " titlist ", which means "title holder". Philip E. Young , a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology , founded Titleist in 1932. When playing

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300-421: Is an American company focused on the golf market. The company operates a series of brands that manufacture golf equipment , clothing and accessories. The principal brands operated by Acushnet are Titleist , best known for balls and clubs ; FootJoy , an apparel brand with particular focus on shoes and gloves; Scotty Cameron , a leading putter brand; Vokey Design, a leading brand of wedge ; Union Green,

325-487: Is focused on golf balls and golf clubs . The Titleist balls have been produced by Acushnet since 1935. Titleist's balls were also the most used balls at the 1949 U.S. Open . The Vokey brand was established by Bob Vokey (b. 1939), a Canadian craftsman who left his home country to establish in the U.S. As his attempts as a golfer failed, Vokey started manufacturing golf clubs . Titleist Titleist (pronounced / ˈ t aɪ t ə l ɪ s t / "title-ist")

350-485: The Korea Exchange . In May 2011, it acquired global golf equipment maker Acushnet Company , becoming the new owner of golf brands such as Titleist and FootJoy , for $ 1.23 billion. In March 2021, Fila China stated that it would continue to source cotton from Xinjiang despite public criticism that such cotton had been produced with forced Uyghur labor in the region. Acushnet Company The Acushnet Company

375-424: The Acushnet Company's Acushnet Rubber division, which was Acushnet's original business (circa early 1900s). Fortune Brands announced on December 8, 2010, that it planned to focus on its liquor business, and would spin off or sell other parts of the company — including home furnishings and hardware, and Acushnet (which includes Titleist , FootJoy, Scotty Cameron, and other golf product brands). On May 20, 2011, it

400-629: The Giuseppe Regis and Figli di Coggiola wool mill in Biella , Piedmont , Italy. In 1911, the Regis brothers withdrew from the company and the wool mill took the name Fratelli Fila S.p.A. Fila was officially established in 1923. It originally made clothing for the people of the Italian Alps , primarily underwear . In the 1970s it moved into sportswear , with an endorsement deal with tennis player Björn Borg , and

425-451: The brand and all its international subsidiaries were acquired by Fila Korea. In 2009, Anta Sports acquired the rights to the brand in China, Hong Kong, and Macao from then Fila company's Chinese joint venture partner Belle International . Fila Korea still owned 15% shares of the joint venture company "Full Prospect". In September 2010, Fila Korea Ltd. launched its initial public offering on

450-638: The brand became more popular after the transition. In 1988, Fila changed ownership from Italian chemical company SNIA S.p.A. to Fiat -controlled holding company Gemina, later restructured as Holding di Partecipazioni. In 1991, Fila shifted focus from clothing in Europe to footwear in the US, and completed a buyout of its US license. High-profile sponsorships, including basketball players Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse , helped make Fila America's fastest-growing footwear brand by 1995. In 2003, Holding di Partecipazioni sold

475-437: The company to Cerberus Capital Management , a US-based hedge fund, after the company over-committed itself to expensive athletic endorsements at a time when margins were under pressure. Cerberus owned Fila through holding company Sports Brands International, which owned and operated all Fila businesses around the world with the exception of Fila Korea, which was a separate company operating the brand under license. In January 2007,

500-712: The largest employers in the region. It is headquartered in Fairhaven, Massachusetts alongside its Packing and Distribution Center about three miles (five kilometers) south of its original location. They also have two golf ball manufacturing plants and an R&D Technology Center located in the New Bedford Industrial Park, as well as a Custom Golf Ball plant located in New Bedford. Acushnet currently operates several facilities, many of which are in Massachusetts, as follows: Acushnet Company's primary brands are FootJoy , Scotty Cameron , Titleist and Vokey. FootJoy

525-451: The most worldwide wins from both direct brand ambassadors (meaning they play Titleist equipment) and players who are not directly under contract and considered brand ambassadors from Titleist. Three years after Titleist's initial breakthrough with the Pro V1 came the Pro V1x, a ball with 60 fewer dimples. The combination of a larger firmer core, a thinner cover, and 60 fewer dimples resulted in

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550-461: The yardage of their balls. A year later, Titleist became the most used ball at the U.S. Open Tournament. Titleist was purchased by American Brands (later renamed to Fortune Brands) in 1976. In 1985, American Brands sold off the Acushnet Company's Acushnet Rubber division, which was Acushnet's original business (circa early 1900s). On December 8, 2010, Fortune Brands announced that it would soon sell or spin off Titleist and some other brands. It

575-631: Was announced that a Korean group associated with Fila Korea, Ltd. and Mirae Asset Private Equity would purchase Acushnet for $ 1.23 billion in cash. The deal was completed on July 29, 2011. On October 28, 2016, Acushnet was listed on the New York Stock Exchange via an initial public offering . In August 2018, Fila Korea acquired a controlling stake with the purchase of an additional 20% from several other investors, including Mirae Asset, to take their holdings to 53.1%. Acushnet employs roughly 3000 people in Massachusetts, making it one of

600-522: Was available to the public by December. The Pro V1 was a dramatic change in innovation for the golf ball market as a whole and for the brand, which had traditionally used a wound-ball construction (with a liquid-filled core center) for its top-of-the-line golf balls. Shortly after its introduction the Titleist Pro V1 became the most played ball on the PGA Tour and has been for the past 20 years, picking up

625-412: Was then announced on May 20, 2011, that a Korean group associated with Fila Korea, Ltd. and Mirae Asset Private Equity would purchase Acushnet for $ 1.23 billion in cash. The Pro V1 ball made its debut on the PGA Tour at Las Vegas on October 11, 2000, the first week it was available to the pros. A longtime Titleist user, Billy Andrade , won that first tournament with the new ball. The Pro V1

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