Home » TIMag.com news » Business/Marketing » Bälle De Mätch moves to Chicago

Bälle De Mätch moves to Chicago

CHICAGO, IL — Bälle de Mätch, the tennis apparel brand favored for its style and comfort, has outgrown its Southern California roots and moved to Chicago in order to better service its increasing customer base.

The 15-year-old company has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the industry, nearly quadrupling sales numbers in the last three years. With a majority of its business east of the Mississippi, the new locale gives the company better proximity and delivery times to more customers.

Customer service remains a priority and Bälle de Mätch is determined to continue its reign as the #1 customer service company in the industry, as ranked by dealers across the country. According to the 2007 TIA Dealer Survey, Bälle de Mätch was #1 in Customer Service and #3 in Speed of Shipment. The company expects to raise the bar in customer service by offering the exact same efficiency and expertise it is known for but from its new location.

While sales representatives will all remain the same, Bälle de Mätch has named Paul Zalatoris the new CFO effective January 2, 2008. Zalatoris, an industry veteran with nearly 20 years in the tennis business, spent a majority of his career at Wilson Sporting Goods, Inc. ending his tenure there as Global Business Director of Tennis Balls. He also worked in corporate finance as well as controller for the Racquet Sports Division. Most recently, Zalatoris acted as General Manager for Tecnifibre USA, where he was responsible for string distribution globally, as well as introducing all other hard goods, such as tennis and squash rackets. During the last four years, that company more than tripled its sales.

“Paul is a real asset to Bälle de Mätch because of his industry experience and his strong financial and operational background,” said Bälle de Mätch co-owner and partner John Embree. “I am delighted to have my former colleague on our team as we relocate our operations and implement our aggressive growth plans for the future.”

“This is a great opportunity to be a part of a young, progressive company that’s willing to make the investment in order to grow,” said Zalatoris, who will work from the new headquarters.

Bälle de Mätch corporate offices will be located in downtown Chicago and the transition to Illinois is to be complete by the end of January. The distribution center is in Naperville, Ill. and is already operational.

To see the latest product offerings from Bälle de Mätch, visit balledematch.com.

Posted on January 18, 2008
Permalink