World’s best selling cleat brand and #1 cleat on tour establishes first-of-its-kind facility for in-depth product development, research, testing and design of golf cleats, outsoles and footwear innovations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., March 4, 2010…To officially unveil the new Softspikes Advanced Research Center (ARC) located on the grounds of the prestigious Raven Golf Club, in Phoenix, Ariz., Softspikes®, the world’s best selling golf cleat brand & the #1 Cleat on Tour, hosted a grand opening and golf outing on February 23, attended by area golf professionals, media, special guests and Softspikes executives.
With acres of natural surface testing, along with the extensive testing lab, the Softspikes ARC is the only facility of its kind developed by a golf cleat manufacturer. The facility was established to conduct in-depth product development, research, testing and design of golf cleats, field sports cleats, outsoles, tees and other golf and sports footwear innovations.
The golf outing began with a tour of the ARC where guests received a first-hand look at the high-tech R&D equipment that will be used to conduct extensive research including:
• Proprietary testing equipment which measures traction forces in thousands of a second;
• Abrasion/durability equipment to provide product life cycle information;
• Tensile testing equipment designed to provide cleat to receptacle maximum failure mode analysis;
• Compression/deflection equipment providing the dynamic profile of each cleat in determining the suspension characteristics of each design.
As part of the management of the new facility, Softspikes will be working closely with leading OEM footwear partners in both the golf and sporting goods industries who will utilize the facility to develop next-generation, game improving equipment. Softspikes will also utilize the ARC for specific R&D efforts related to the Company’s new line of Black Widow® Tour™ golf grips.
“We were extremely excited to host this event to give media, golf professionals and community VIPs a chance to see the type of advanced engineering technologies we have at the ARC, which will help us innovate golf cleats and outsoles, and provide industry leading products for our OEM partners, like adidas, Callaway, FootJoy, Puma and others,” said Bob Burt, Vice President, Engineering and OEM Development, Softspikes. “On behalf of the whole Company, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our event and would also like to thank the staff at the Raven Golf Club for helping to make the day such a success.”
About PrideSports
PrideSports was formed in January 2003 following Pride Manufacturing Company’s purchase of Softspikes, Inc., and its sister company Trisport, Ltd. of England. This acquisition essentially formed the world’s premier golf accessories company, as Pride and Softspikes are the world’s leading golf tee and golf cleat lines, respectively. Today, PrideSports is the world leader in the design and manufacture of cleats, spikes and receptacles for the entire golf footwear industry.
Contact:
Stefanie Schiavello
stefanie@mastrocomm.com
Mastro Communications, Inc.
732-469-5700
