Stack Athletics, Chaifetz Group Acquire Vulcan Pickleball in Business Power Play
Stack Athletics, a subsidiary of The Picklr, and the Chaifetz Group have announced their acquisition of Vulcan Sporting Good’s Pickleball product lines of business (Vulcan Pickleball) and rebrand it as Stack Vulcan.
Stack Athletics is one of several well-known pickleball apparel brands in the world, while Vulcan is known around pickleball circles as among the first equipment manufacturers of high-quality paddles and balls. The Chaifetz Group, meanwhile, is an established private equity firm with a growing pickleball portfolio that includes the St. Louis Shock of the MLP, shares of UPA and DUPR, and investments in both The Picklr and Pickletile.
“We are bringing onboard a great, long-standing business in the sport in Vulcan into the fold. The Picklr and Stack’s ability to build brands is crucial here. Vulcan has a brand, but it’s a legacy brand and it could use a refresh,” Ross Chaifetz, Managing Director of the Chaifetz Group, told Todd Boss, a contributor for Forbes.
The Chaifetz Group will primarily assist on the corporate side of things by providing Stack Vulcan proven experience in e-commerce, selling, and distribution. The Group, Chaifetz noted, has 8–10 businesses “that can provide an end-to-end strategy” to make the new company an omni-channel brand.
As part of the deal, the Vulcan VPRO Flight ball will become the official ball of Major League Pickleball, DUPR, and affiliated events, including High School Pickleball, Minor League Pickleball, Collegiate Pickleball and the indoor pickleball franchise The Picklr.
“The Picklr, Stack, and now Vulcan are among the best brand builders in the sport. Now you have a legacy brand in Vulcan that can be refreshed. We have a massive vision to breathe new life into a legacy brand that many know but which could benefit from more resources, more support, and a fresh new visions,” said Jeremy Nef, President of Stack Athletics.
Indeed, Vulcan is a “legacy” brand, having been at the forefront of pickleball’s initial wave with their original manufacturing made possible by its partnership with Memphis-based Statera Paddles and Randy Stafford, who has long been in the racquetball court manufacturing business. Vulcan’s first sponsorship deals, in fact, were with pickleball OGs Jay Devilliers and Tyler Loong, underscoring its early involvement with the sport.
Now, with Stack Athletics and Chafeitz Group onboard, Vulcan Pickleball will have a refresh and a new direction—right in time for pickleball’s next wave of growth.
