Louisville Slugger - Still Hitting Home Runs

It’s a story that started in 1842 when J. Frederick Hillerich emigrated with his family from Germany to America, in hopes to start a woodworking shop. Hillerich’s eldest son, John Andrew “Bud” Hillerich, would spend hours watching the “Louisville Eclipse” baseball team play. American baseball player and megastar, Pete Browning, was on Louisville’s major league team but struggling with his game. One afternoon, Bud saw Browning break his bat and offered to make a new one at the woodworking shop. According to legend, in the next game Browning got three hits with the bat, and thus Louisville Slugger was born.
“When you put those two words together - Louisville Slugger - it’s iconic. Everyone knows what Louisville Slugger is - it’s the greatest baseball bat company that’s ever existed,” said Rick Redman, Louisville Slugger spokesperson. “Success in life and success in business is all about relationships, and we have those relationships with the Major League Baseball players and the equipment managers who order our bats. On the other end of it, we have our wonderful relationship with UPS that helps make sure we are able to deliver that product to those players and equipment managers.”
UPS package car driver Shawn Bratcher has been picking up and dropping off from Louisville Slugger for more than a decade and says the work is important. “Recently, I picked up several Next Day Air packages headed to the playoff games because someone broke a bat in practice and needed one for the playoffs,” he said. “These players need these bats and it’s up to us to get them there on time.”
Redman believes part of Louisville Slugger’s 135-year success is having the right shipping company come up to bat. “Having the same UPS driver on our account for years brings a certain comfort level to us. It’s something we’ve all really come to rely on,” said Redman.