Word: mizuno
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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When Masato Mizuno succeeded his father as president of Mizuno Corp. in 1988, the largest sporting-goods maker in Japan was a stumbling giant. But the new boss swiftly installed automation equipment and used marketing savvy to get the family firm back on track. The revitalized company (1989 sales: $1 billion) last year captured a dominant 30% share of Japan's $1.3 billion market for golf and baseball equipment. Now it is launching a major drive into the U.S. and other countries. "Grandfather founded the company, and father introduced technological innovations," Masato says. "Now it's my turn to expand...
...Louis-based Rawlings, which supplies more than half of all big-league mitts, believes it has beaten such rivals as Wilson and Mizuno to home plate. "We were in a much better position to respond quickly. We had new designs and new cutting dies within a month," claims Scott Smith, spokesman for Rawlings, the only glovemaker with a factory in the U.S. "There was a lot of initial resistance to the announcement from our competition. If they haven't satisfied the new requirements, we'll get more of the business." Glovemakers give big leaguers the mitts for free, but sandlot...