Prince is one of the world’s oldest and most respected tennis and squash brands and will relocate from corporate offices in New Jersey.
Chief Executive Officer Mike Ballardie said Prince has been an iconic brand in the tennis industry more than 40 years and feels Atlanta is a natural location for Prince Tennis’ headquarters.
“As we continue our growth as a global company, we see Atlanta and its vast resources as a perfect fit for our management, sales and marketing teams,” Ballardie said. “Atlanta has a thriving tennis community with more men, women and children playing tennis than any other U.S. city, making it a great home base for Prince. As a global brand we are involved at all levels of the sport from juniors to supporting key professionals in tennis and squash tournaments all over the world. Leveraging our assets with Atlanta’s location, talented workforce and the travel options offered by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be a tremendous benefit to the company.”
“I am thrilled that Prince Global Sports has chosen Atlanta for their corporate headquarters and pleased to welcome them to Buckhead,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “Atlanta is a natural home for Prince given the city’s love of tennis and our position as a leading distribution and logistics hub.”
Dan Corso, senior vice president of sports at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and executive director of the Atlanta Sports Council, sees tremendous potential in Prince’s move to the region.
“We are pleased to welcome Prince Global Sports, one of the best-known brands in tennis, to Atlanta,” Corso said. “Sports is a large economic driver for our region, both through company operations and hosting ongoing events like the BB&T Atlanta Open, and it serves as a tremendous quality of life attribute for our five million-plus residents and visitors.”
Atlanta boasts the largest city tennis league in the world with more than 80,000 members of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA), which was established in 1934. The sport’s profile in Atlanta gained tremendous global exposure during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Ballardie said the company is relocating its product research, development and player servicing activities to the IMG Academy in Florida, alongside the recently opened Prince Innovation Center.
Prince, which is owned by Waitt Company of Omaha, Neb., has several of the world’s top players promoting the Prince brand. In tennis they include David Ferrer, John Isner, doubles team Bob & Mike Bryan, Daniela Hantuchova and reigning Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli.
In the sport of squash Prince boasts both the world number one players – Ramy Ashour and Nicol David. Ballardie anticipates several of their top tennis players will be in town for the BB&T Atlanta Open this July, which draws tremendous crowds to the Atlantic Station. He noted the company looks to host special events in conjunction with this summer’s tournament.
By press reelase
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