It is very interesting to trace the history of this company.

In 1913 the Wilson & Co. meat company spun off a subsidiary to manufacture athletic gear. This Chicago- based manufacturer of athletic gear was named Ashland Manufacturing. In time, this subsidiary came to be known as the Thomas E. Wilson Co., after one of the earliest chief executives of the parent company. In 1931, the company again changed name to Wilson Sports Goods Co., more in keeping with its activities.

During the mid-1930s, the company's plant on Powell Avenue in Chicago employed about 800 people. By the middle of the century, Wilson had become the leading sporting goods manufacturer in the United States. The company's headquarters moved from Chicago to the suburb of River Grove in 1957. After LTV purchased Wilson & Co. in 1967, Wilson Sporting Goods was incorporated as a separate company and grossed about $100 million in annual sales.

In 1970, PepsiCo, the New York-based beverage giant, acquired Wilson Sporting Goods. In 1985 the company reemerged as an independent entity, Wilson Sporting Goods Inc., which had its headquarters in River Grove and employed about 400 Chicago-area residents among its 4,200 workers nationwide.

At the end of the 1980s, the Amer Group of Finland purchased Wilson Sporting Goods. By then annual sales were in excess of $400 million. In the early 1990s, the executive offices were moved back to Chicago from River Grove. By the early 2000s, Wilson was still headquartered in Chicago and had annual sales over $600 million.

Today Wilson Sporting Goods is a company that specializes in sports goods and accessories. It is owned by the Finland- based parent company Amer Sports which also owns the brands Atomic Austria GmbH, Suunto Oy and Precor.

The Wilson Sporting Goods Co. brand is more commonly known simply as Wilson. The key products produced under the Wilson brand are equipment for the sports of Tennis, badminton, baseball, basketball, softball, football, golf, racquetball, soccer, squash and volleyball.

Wilson rackets and accessories come in different ranges to suit the needs of players of different styles. In the U.S., Wilson rackets are marketed with the n series, N1, N2, N3, N5 and N6. The N2 series rackets are specially designed for the aggressive player who relies heavily on his powerful smashes. The N3 series is for the attacking and all court player, the N5 for counter attacking and all court player and N6 for the all round player.

Dynapower and dynasmash are the other series of rackets marketed in the U.S. Dynapower 8500 and 9500, dynasmash 300 and 500 are the different models available. Both are hot melt, pre-preg for better playability and durability.

In Europe the N code series N1, N3 and N5 with similar properties are available. Vision series V2 for the attacking player, V4 for all court player and attacker, V6 and V8 for all court players are also marketed.

In Australia, the racket ranges available are similar to those available in the US. The Wilson Sporting Goods Co. also manufactures badminton accessories. The Wilson Grips come in two varieties, toweling red and toweling white. Toweling red is a super sweat absorbing replacement grip.

The company also manufactures racket strings. The Dynasmash strings are reputed to be great performance strings with dynamic energy return and maximum feel. Tennis legends Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are two of the greats who use the Wilson tennis rackets.

Wilson sporting Goods Co. has also been involved in humanitarian services. They remain the official sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research foundation.