- Mizuno Corp.
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Mizuno Corporation 
Type Public Industry Textile Founded April 1, 1906 [1] Founder(s) Rihachi & Rizo Mizzuno Headquarters Osaka, Japan Key people Masato Mizuno (Chairman) [1] Products Clothing, Sportswear,
Footwear, Sports equipmentRevenue JPY 148,703,000,000 (2010)[2] Net income JPY 1,406,000,000 (2010)[2] Employees 5,808 [1] Website www.mizuno.com Mizuno Corporation (ミズノ株式会社 Mizuno Kabushiki-gaisha) (TYO: 8022) is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, for golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, football, running, rugby, skiing, cycling, judo, table tennis, badminton and athletics.
Contents
History
Mizuno was founded in 1906 as Mizuno Brothers Ltd by Rihachi Mizuno and his younger brother Rizo, in Osaka. The shop sold western sundries, including baseballs, and then in 1907 began to sell order-made athletic wear. In 1910 the shop moved to Umeda Shinmichi and its name was changed to Mizuno Shop. In 1913 the firm began to manufacture baseballs and gloves. In 1933 Mizuno presented Star Line, the first Japanese made golf clubs. By 1935 its golf club showroom was the world's largest. In 1941 the company name was changed to Mizuno Co., Ltd, and has remained the same since. The first American factory was established in Los Angeles, under the denomination American Mizuno in 1961.
During the following years, Mizuno signed sponsorship deals with some of the most prominent personalities in sports, such as track and field athlete Carl Lewis, the All Blacks rugby team, the Manu Samoa rugby team, Czech tennis player Ivan Lendl, and golf player Nick Faldo.
The company also expanded its operation centres opening new factories in Germany, France, China PR, Scotland and Hong Kong.
In 1992 Mizuno signed another important deal with the Sydney Olympic Committee to be the exclusive supplier for the 2000 Olympic Games held in Sydney. [3]
Golf
Mizuno Crista, the Osaka head office
Mizuno is a leading manufacturer of golf clubs and accessories, being particularly noted for their Grain Flow Forged irons which have been, and continue to be, used by many of the world top professional golfers. For example, Tiger Woods used Mizuno golf clubs while he was in college and continued to use them after he turned professional in 1996, including for his first Masters Tournament victory in 1997, despite being contracted to Titleist at the time. Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Tommy Nakajima, Luke Donald and Sandy Lyle are other high profile players to have played Mizuno equipment during their careers.[4]
Sponsorship
Main article: Mizuno sponsorshipsSee also
- List of swimwear brands
References
- ^ a b c Corporate Data, 2010 Fact Book
- ^ a b Corporate Data, 2010 Fact Book, financial section
- ^ Our History, from Mizuno official website
- ^ "Tiger Woods to switch to Nike irons soon". Golf Today. May 2002. http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news02/woods19.html. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
External links
Categories:- Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
- Companies based in Osaka Prefecture
- Golf equipment manufacturers
- Sportswear brands
- Sporting goods manufacturers of Japan
- Swimwear manufacturers
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