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ProKennex

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ProKennex
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustrySporting goods
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978) [1]
HeadquartersTaichung, Taiwan[2]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Lo Kunnan
ProductsRacquet sports equipment and accessories
ParentKunnan Enterprise Ltd.
Websiteprokennex.com

ProKennex is a Taiwanese manufacturer of racquet sports equipment for tennis, squash, badminton, racquetball, and pickleball. The company enjoyed wide global distribution in the 1980s, when manufacturing in Taiwan was booming due to domestic economic conditions. Parent company Kunnan Enterprise Ltd. has faced financial difficulties since the mid 1990s, leading to a contraction of the ProKennex name globally.[3] Today, the company focuses on a niche set of consumers interested in technology advancements in racquet sports. The company focuses on this aspect of its products by promoting itself as a "science and design company", rather than a standard racket manufacturer.[4]

History

The origins of the company began in 1965 when Lo Kunnan, the son of a plastic toy gun manufacturer, began producing wooden badminton racquets in the backyard of his father's house.[5] In 1968, Lo moved on to producing wooden tennis racquets, followed by aluminum racquets in 1973.

In 1969, Lo launched sporting goods company Kunnan Enterprises Ltd.; it quickly became the world's biggest badminton producer. [6] The company began branding their rackets in 1978. [7] The brand was originally called "Kennedy", named after the President of the United States John F. Kennedy. Later, because the presidential brand was deemed too political, it was renamed to "Kennex"; then to "ProKennex" (Chinese: 「肯尼士し」) to avoid conflict with tennis ball maker "Tennex". [8]

They made the world's first mid-size graphite tennis racquet in 1980, followed by the world's first graphite squash racquet in 1983.[9] ProKennex also began using carbon fiber technology and exporting to other countries via a U.S. company.[7] By 1980, it grew to be the world's largest tennis racket manufacturer; its rackets were sold in more than 60 countries, accounting for 1/4 of the global market.[6] [10] At that time, ProKennex owned the world's largest tennis racket factory, and it also made rackets for other global brands such as Prince, Dunlop, Fischer, and Adidas. [11] [12] Professional tennis players sponsored by ProKennex included Li Na and Peng Shuai. [13] The company became known as the "Taiwan miracle". [14]

During this heyday period, ProKennex began to make other sporting goods such as golf clubs, fishing rods, sneakers, and sportswear.[6] Its parent company Kunnan Enterprises also expanded into unfamiliar ventures including computer, securities, and construction companies, and tried to start up a commercial bank. [15] ProKennex even owned a large hotel (Chinese: 「肯尼士し太ふとし飯店はんてん」) in Taichung, now called "Grand City Hotel" (Chinese: 「五ご都と大飯おおい店てん」). [16] [17] But the expansion and diversification proved too ambitious and complex; mounting financial liabilities forced Kunnan Enterprises into bankruptcy in 2000.[6]

In 2002, ProKennex reorganized to focus on racket sports and Lo Kunnan retired from the business he founded.[13]

  • Kennex is a separate entity from the reorganization and uses a similar company logo; it markets household items.[18]
  • 拓つぶせ凱實業ぎょう is the global leader in carbon fiber tennis racket manufacturing; its founder 沈文振ふ is a former vice president at Kunnan.[19]

References

  1. ^ About Pro Kennex
  2. ^ Taiwantrade
  3. ^ Getting Back Into The Swing of Things: Sports Rackets
  4. ^ ProKennex Official Website
  5. ^ About Pro Kennex
  6. ^ a b c d "現身うつせみ說法せっぽう1〉前ぜん光男みつお企業きぎょう董ただし事こと長ちょう 羅ら光男みつお 過去かこ的てき成功せいこう經驗けいけん，導しるべ致對未來みらい太ふとし樂觀らっかん". 遠見とおみ. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  7. ^ a b "About Pro Kennex". Pro Kennex. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  8. ^ "Pro-Kennex -- 被ひ遗忘的てき品ひん牌ぱい奋斗史し". 財ざい訊月刊かん. March 22, 2008. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  9. ^ About Us
  10. ^ "Charging the most because we make the best". Taiwan Today. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). 1982-09-01. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  11. ^ 李り, 瑟 (1982-06-01). "網もう球だま拍はく出で的てき天下てんか". 天下てんか雜誌ざっし. No. 13.
  12. ^ 楊, 小しょう萍 (March 1983). "講こう求もとめ方法ほうほう或ある堅持けんじ理想りそう——肯尼士し與あずか赫芝皆みな不ふ願ねがい做無「名な」英雄えいゆう". 台灣たいわん光こう華はな雜誌ざっし. Taiwan Panorama.
  13. ^ a b "肯尼士しPROKENNEX". 品しな牌ぱい之の家いえ. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  14. ^ 夏なつ, 幼よう文ぶん (2010-01-04). "光男みつお肯尼士し敗はい在ざい急きゅう躁". 工こう商しょう時報じほう. China Times Group. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  15. ^ 蘇そ, 育いく琪 (1987-11-01). "羅ら光男みつお的てき二に十じゅう億おく豪ごう賭と". 天下てんか雜誌ざっし. No. 78.
  16. ^ 莊そう, 明あきら勳くん (2014-06-15). "五ご都と大飯おおい店てん開幕かいまく 胡志強こしきょう細ほそ數すう歷史れきし". 中國時報ちゅうごくじほう. China Times Group. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  17. ^ 湯ゆ, 智さとし斌あきら; 陳ちん, 秋あき雲くも; 林はやし佩均, 佩均 (2014-03-18). "4星ほし級きゅう飯店はんてん進駐しんちゅう 盼找回かい豐原とよはら繁華はんか". 中なか彰あきら投とう新聞しんぶん報ほう. 聯合れんごう報ほう. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  18. ^ "關せき於我們". Kennex. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  19. ^ "把わ關せき鍵かぎ技術ぎじゅつ賣うり給きゅう對たい手て，竟反而救回かい公司こうし！他た做網球だま拍はく衝到世界せかい第だい一いち，證明しょうめい和氣わき真しん的てき也能生せい大財おおたから". 哈佛商業しょうぎょう管理かんり評論ひょうろん. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
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