Chinese group to buy company that owns Louisville Slugger for 5.2 Billion

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Louisville Slugger, the iconic American baseball bat brand dating to the 19^th century, could soon be owned by a Chinese company.

Amer Sports, the Finnish company that bought Louisville Slugger in 2015, has agreed to a $5.2 billion acquisition by a consortium of investors led by Chinese sports retailer Anta Sports Products Ltd.

The consortium also includes tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Chip Wilson, the Canadian billionaire founder of athletic-apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Family-owned Hillerich & Bradsby Co. of Louisville announced in 2015 that it would sell the Louisville Slugger brand to Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods for $70 million. Wilson is a division of Amer Sports, based in Helsinki, Finland.

www.wdrb.com/story/39606866/chinese-group-to-buy-company-that-owns-louisville-slugger-reports-say