TaylorMade-Adidas
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| Subsidiary | |
| Genre | Golf |
| Founded | 1979 (McHenry, Illinois) |
| Founder | Gary Adams |
| Headquarters | Carlsbad, California, U.S. |
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Key people
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David Abeles (CEO) |
| Products | Golf products |
| Parent | Adidas |
| Website | www.taylormadegolf.com |
TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company (TMaG or TMaGC) is a manufacturer of golf clubs, bags and accessories based in Carlsbad, California, United States. It is a subsidiary of the German company Adidas Group. The company is currently the largest golf equipment and apparel company in the world with sales estimated EUR $1.3 billion in 2012.
TaylorMade's initial success came with the innovation of metal drivers, which debuted in 1979 and have subsequently dominated the golf market. TaylorMade continued to grow throughout the 1990s, largely due to the introduction of the successful Burner Bubble franchise. In September 2012, Outside Magazine named TaylorMade one of America's "Best Places to Work", ranking sixth out of 10 selected large companies and 32nd overall.
TaylorMade incorporated in 1979 after Gary Adams borrowed $24,000 on his house and leased a 6,000 square foot building in McHenry, Illinois. He originally had three employees and sold only one item, his newly invented 12-degree loft metalwood. The metalwood was unique in its steel construction - replacing persimmon as the primary material from which modern drivers are manufactured - and adopted the nickname "Pittsburgh Persimmon".
Starting with $47,000 in sales in 1979, the company eventually reached its first billion dollars in revenue in 2006, marking only the second time in history that a golf brand had achieved this milestone. TaylorMade was independently owned until 1984, when Salomon S.A. acquired the company. At the time, the union was strategically compatible for both companies which were innovators in their industries: Salomon wanted to diversify and made the decision to enter a "three-season" market, and TaylorMade benefited from the worldwide resources of Salomon. This ownership maintained until Adidas bought Salomon in 1997.
Shortly after the Adidas acquisition, the image and focus of TaylorMade were redirected to take over the driver market; the company succeeded in achieving this goal in late 2005, when it officially became the top driver in golf.
Currently, the company markets TaylorMade drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, golf balls and accessories. It is claimed that PGA Tour Professionals play more TaylorMade drivers than Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Nike and Ping combined. The company's major equipment claims, promoted in marketing materials with small "No. 1" shields, include: No. 1 Driver in Golf, No. 1 Fairway in Golf and No. 1 Irons in Golf.
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