Our beginnings take place with the love story between Walter and Sophia Holdstein, who met in the early 1920's. Often they would travel back to London aboard the Queen Mary to visit Sophia's family in England.
On one of those trips, Walter, a successful balloon/novelty salesman, noticed families enjoying traditional English games, such as croquet and badminton. He recognized an opportunity. Soon he began importing these games to the U.S. where a burgeoning middle class was beginning to shape main street USA. These family-oriented, backyard games were a big hit.
In 1926, the General Sportcraft Company was founded and immediately secured a unique niche in the marketplace. In these times, most department stores did not carry sporting goods, so General Sportcraft helped pioneer the concept of "Family-fun" departments within the store. Soon, the popularity of these departments spawned stand-alone sporting goods stores, and Sportcraft's legacy was secured.
Through the years, Sportcraft has remained a leader in the home recreation industry by consistently being first to market with value-driven products that the whole family can enjoy together. In the 1940's and 1950's, Sportcraft continued to introduce new outdoor games to America, such as Bocce, Horseshoes and Volleyball. In time, Sportcraft's focus moved to family activities indoors. Table Tennis, Billiards, Foosball and Darts, became the backbone of the company, and Sportcraft achieved significant financial growth.
By the turn of the century, Walter Holdstein's little import business had distribution centers in three different countries and thousands of associates spread out across the globe. Today, more than 13 million customers a year will choose Sportcraft products, and the Sportcraft brand has become ubiquitous with family fun.
"Our mission today is not a lot different than it was 80 years ago when Walter was bringing over those games from Europe," said CEO Mike Nally, a Sportcraft associate for 32 years. "Our games bring people together. Our games allow people to have fun. There are few pursuits more fulfilling." |
