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Our Story

1926 The nocona leather goods company is founded

Nocona Leather Goods is founded by local banker Cad McCall and local, T.B. Wilkes. Ladies’ purses and men’s wallets are the company’s main products.

1932 nocona shifts focus to sports equipment

Management decides to manufacture sporting goods equipment made of leather. W.T. Hartman, retired manager from Stall & Dean Sporting Goods of Chicago, is coaxed out of retirement to assist Nocona Leather Goods in making ball gloves.

1934 The first ballglove produced in Nocona, TX is made!

President and Chairman Bob Storey applies for trademark of “Nocona,” as a stand-alone word. The U.S. Trademark Office denies the application. Storey chooses “Nokona” as the company’s brand name, and says, “That’s how the Indians spelled it.”

1942 Nokona answers the call

Nokona is notified by the government’s Office of Procurement that they would receive a contract to produce ball gloves, to be issued to servicemen. Aided by government assistance and contracts, the factory at Walnut and Baylor expands to a 60,000 square foot facility with a second floor.

1960 Commitment to American manufacturing

The 1960’s and 1970’s would be an era of increased competition and marketing struggles. Nokona faces an unforeseen obstacle to competition: cheap foreign labor. Baseball gloves from Okinawa, Japan begin to enter the market. In a few short years, nearly all of Nokona’s competitors in the ball glove business would flee the country for lower costs of first Japan, then Korea.

1989 Competitors & hollywood

Competitors Spaulding and Worth contact Nokona to build private brand gloves for them – this is ironic, as these companies were responding to a demand for American-made gloves to sell in Japan. Replica vintage Nokonas are worn in the movie Field of Dreams, and later A League of Their Own.

2006 The company is not the building, but the people

On July 16th, the Nokona factory at Walnut and Baylor Streets catches fire and burns for two days. Presidentof the company, Rob Storey, reassures employees that, “the company is not the building, but the people.” All employees are paid throughout the interruption in business. After 51 days, Nokona employees get back to making gloves, produced at 901 E. Hwy 82 in the former factory of the Nocona Boot Company. Nokona operates from this location for two years.

2014 A new look for a new generation

Nokona introduces a new logo – a modern mark to represent the focus on technology, quality, and innovation, with continued pride for Nokona’s rich heritage.

2018 Custom ballgloves for all

Nokona develops an online “custom glove builder,” to allow customers to design their own personalized gloves. Nokona returns to the Nocona Boot Company building, and constructs a state-of-the-art production facility, retail store, and museum.

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