Dunlop Slazenger was a sports equipment manufacturing company formed by now-defunct BTR plc by consolidating the various sports brands acquired as part their take-over of Dunlop Holdings in 1985.[1]
The company is most recognised for its involvement in golf, tennis, squash, and badminton through the Dunlop Sport, Slazenger, Maxfli and Carlton Sports brands.[2]
In 1996, the company was sold in a management buyout backed by private equity firm Cinven.[3] This arrangement did not have a successful existence, and Dunlop Slazenger soon found itself being run by the banks, led by The Royal Bank of Scotland.[4] Under the banks' management, TaylorMade-adidas Golf took up their option to purchase the Maxfli golf brand in 2004, following a previous licensing arrangement,[5] and the rights to Slazenger Golf in North America were sold to the Slazenger Golf Products Company.[6]
The remainder of Dunlop Slazenger was eventually sold to Sports Direct for £40 million in 2004. Since then Dunlop, Slazenger and other brands have been licensed or sold to other companies, notably Dunlop Sport being sold to Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), a company of Sumitomo Group, for US$ 137.5 million in 2016–17.[7]