Destroyed by fire last year, Nokona factory strong again

Founded in 1926, Nokona Athletic Goods Company, the only U.S. company that continues to manufacture high-end baseball gloves on American soil, burned to the ground one year ago after a fire destroyed the 70-year-old building. With nothing left standing but the casts to build the baseball gloves and the spirit of its employees, Nokona has rebuilt the factory and is now rebuilding the brand to re-establish the company once again as a major contender in the baseball equipment manufacturing industry.

It did not take long for the company to get back on track – the employees worked hard at putting all the pieces together to continue to manufacture baseball gloves in the U.S., and management did the same by recruiting some of the best players in baseball to rebuild the company. One year later, Nokona has signed David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Cabrera, three of the top hitters in the major leagues today, to endorse the new line of bats, “Nokona Wrecking Crew”, and position the company as a big-leaguer. In addition, the Nokona baseball factory is operational 100 percent and is making more baseball gloves, bats and equipment than it did the previous years.

“Nokona is a big part of the baseball tradition and culture in this country; our employees are ecstatic. We are a small company which has been producing top quality handmade baseball gloves in Nocona, Texas, for over 75 years,” said Buddy Lewis, managing partner. “This year, we introduced a new line of bats which are endorsed by David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Cabrera; and for Vladimir to win the Home Run Derby competition with a Nokona bat is an amazing achievement.”

Nocona Leather Goods Company was founded in 1926, later becoming Nocona Athletic Goods Company. The Nokona baseball glove was trademarked in 1934 (spelled with a “k” when the U.S. Patent Office would not allow the name of an incorporated town to be registered). The company has continued the tradition of handmade, American-made baseball gloves to this day, with the addition of a few sewing and die-cutting machines.