[ad_1]
TR PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Dobie and Lane Williams are the founders, owners and operators of Battle Paddles USA, headquartered at 405 S. Center St. in Marshalltown and focused on pickleball paddles, apparel and accessories. I am a person.
Dobie and Lane Williams remember the days before pickleball became a national phenomenon and one of the fastest-growing activities in the country. At the time, it was just a group of eager players gathering in the gymnasium of East Marshall High School in Grand Le He to test their skills.
Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, they accepted an invitation to join their friends to learn the ins and outs of the game.
“It looked interesting and it looked like fun, so I think we showed up again, borrowed paddles from them and just started playing,” Lane said. “The guys that play at Le Grand have won multiple state championships. I think there’s some guys over there that have won 10 or 20 state championships. They’re really good guys, really good. The players… it was like a mecca for good players to play at Le Grand.”
The Toledo couple, who both grew up in the area and graduated from the former LDF High School (Lane in 1979, Doby in 1980), reunited later in life and married nearly 11 years ago, after Lane moved back to Iowa from Kansas. And like millions of other Americans, they eventually caught the pickleball bug and recently moved the world headquarters of Battle Paddles USA, a paddle and pickleball apparel company, to Marshalltown. It has officially opened at 405 S. Center St. in Marshalltown, just to the south. Oldtimer Izakaya.
Doby is a former geologist who worked in Iowa, and the couple ran an ice business together in Ames for several years, but they eventually decided it would take too long, especially given the distance between their home and work. The decision was made.
“Instead of working harder, we decided to work smarter. The ice business was tough. We were living on about four to five hours of sleep each night, and because of that we had to work smarter in the summer. was stolen,” Doby said. “We have a total of eight children and eight grandchildren, so our summer was pretty tough in terms of getting together with family.”
Nevertheless, they didn’t just want to settle down and ride off into the sunset. They were already exploring other entrepreneurial endeavors.
“At the same time we sold the ice business, we were already playing pickleball, but I think it just kind of flowed from one thing to the next,” Lane said.
It all started about four years ago with a paddle named “The Berkey” in honor of legendary Le Grand player and friend Mike Berkey, and now in its fifth and sixth generation of paddles, several Tweaks and tweaks have been made. Method.
“The materials have changed. We had stickers put on the top front. It became even heavier, and we switched to having them printed and cut out. It’s just evolved,” Lane said. “(Now) they’re better than they used to be, but that doesn’t mean the paddles we made were bad. But they just evolved and are even better today.”
Berkey, one of the aforementioned state champions Lane mentioned, was something of a godfather to the area pickleball scene, both to the popularity of pickleball and the fact that Williams named his first paddle after Berkey. Is pleased.
“That was interesting,” he said. “We got a few of them. They seem to have been discontinued (since), but they’re great paddles.”
Dobie joked that one of the reasons they started making their own was because her husband, an offensive player, would often hit his foot with the paddle after missing a shot. It won’t break, but it will eventually weaken it to the point where it will crack or fall apart at some point.
“He wasn’t the only one who broke them, so we realized, you know, let’s Frankenstein these a little bit and start thinking about ways to support (them),” Dobie said. Told. “So we worked on the grip a lot to get it where we wanted it, and I think we’re happy with the grip in the sense that it doesn’t break anymore.”
There are currently three pricing tiers. Ricochet starts at $119, Drago at $149, and “El Toro” at $199, and comes in a variety of color options. All of these are currently 25% off list price. The paddle is made from high quality carbon fiber, thermoformed and foam injection molded.
“It’s carbon. It’s as good as any paddle out there,” Barkey said. “[I used to]use Engagement Paddles because they were made in The Villages in Florida. Now, these people are just crazy millionaires. A while back the lady who owns it and I and Lane and I… We talked about it, and I can’t believe how many we sell in a day. But they’re all more expensive than (Dobie and Lane’s) paddles, and their paddles are just as good.”
Gary Edwards, a fellow pickleball enthusiast from Marshalltown, said he bought a fiberglass Wilson paddle at Walmart before upgrading to Selkirk. He then met Lane Williams at his Y, heard about his battle paddles and bought some to support his friend.
“So, I bought them. I said, ‘Wow, these products are just as good as anything I’ve been using for much less money. So I bought them, and I’ve since upgraded to the following features: ,” Edwards said. “I don’t think I’ll ever use another paddle. A lot of players I know who are much better than me go to them and have a lot of fun. I might be out of support a little bit. But the better players want that edge.”
Additionally, Edwards feels that the customer service and genuine care the couple provides sets them apart from other couples.
After sensing demand about a year and a half ago, the couple moved beyond prototypes to mass production, but sourcing the technology to create them at an industry level quickly became another hurdle.
“Once you get really into it, you end up going to Michigan and getting 4×8 carbon fiber material, taking it to Des Moines and cutting it out exactly like what you saw there.” Lane said. “And you’re getting pretty well off financially. At some point you say, ‘Okay, I’m done, I’m not going to do this anymore,’ or you just take the next step and start doing big things.” . So we took that step and bought a building. ”
The deciding factor was that Iowa’s industry could not keep up with the quality standards they were demanding, so they decided to have large-scale production overseas about six months ago. As we’ve built the Battle Paddles brand, our apparel has naturally evolved, and now ranges from t-shirts to bags, covers and mugs, with the message, “It may look like we’re listening to you, but in our hearts…” I’m playing pickleball.”
“We didn’t want to be just a paddle company…We want people who want to buy a paddle to buy something more. We want them to wear our T-shirts. We want them to carry bags with our names on them. We want them to wear T-shirts and things that say who we are,” Lane said. he said.
The building with the Battle Paddles logo on the front isn’t necessarily a store — Dobby and Lane believe it’s a warehouse and distribution center — but if anyone was there, they might be able to see the products that piqued their interest. If so, I would be happy to sell it. their interests. The best way to purchase is through the website: https://battlepaddlesusa.com/.
And although they could have kept the real estate they already owned in Ames and operated their business there, both Mr. Doby and Mr. Lane moved from an old automobile garage in Marshalltown to a new warehouse in just a few months. I wondered what it was. It felt like a homecoming because it was close to their current home in Toledo and the area where they were born and raised. Dobie’s mother, Doris Luop, was also a writer and editor at TR from 1966 to 1988.
“We consider ourselves Marshalltown kids, always have been, and it feels like we’re coming home,” Lane said.
It also makes it easy to connect with friends who have the game on and get feedback and opinions about the products they’re selling.
“It was important for us to maintain a cultural connection with the people we are supported by. Even some of the expertise that they have is quite (amazing),” Doby said.
And, as Lane points out, the evidence is in the facts. Two of Le Grand’s high-level players he previously mentioned have switched from the national brand and started using El Toro.
“They’re not using that paddle because they’re trying to do us a favor and lose the game and they know they’re using an inferior paddle. We use that paddle because it’s the best paddle we’ve ever had, and that’s why we love Battle Paddles,” he said. “They haven’t invested anything.”
Pickleball’s popularity continues to soar, from the average Joe to professional athletes and celebrities, with more places to play throughout the area, including several locations within the city of Marshalltown. The sky’s the limit with Battle Paddles and Dobby and Lane pairs. People who call themselves workaholics plan to do everything they can to take it to the highest level possible.
“We’re passionate about gaming. We’re passionate about this product, and we think the culture itself surrounding it is key to what we want to be a part of,” Dobie said. . “We also know that millions of people play pickleball. We feel like we have struggled to find the right paddle and price, but we are proud to offer a product that we can stand behind.” We want to provide that for people who play pickleball in the.”
Although they don’t plan to hire more than a few employees to help with storage and shipping in the future, the couple has added a dedicated outdoor court on the west end of the facility so anyone interested in purchasing a paddle can test it out. I am planning to make it. Please take it outside before bringing it home.
——
Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or
rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.
[ad_2]
Source link
