Lamkin Grips: 97 Years and Counting

The Lamkin Grips story is acquainted. We’ve achieved household tales earlier than. There’s Bob and Sam Bettinardi and, in fact, final week’s take a look at the Solheims and the PING Anser.

However the story of Lamkin Grips is somewhat totally different, somewhat extra private. Positive, there are some similarities to each Bettinardi and PING, however if you speak about a 97-year-old household enterprise that spans three generations, as third-generation CEO Bob Lamkin says, “you could possibly undoubtedly write a guide about us.”

Navigating the Household Enterprise

If you happen to’ve by no means been a member of the family in a household enterprise, it’s exhausting to understand the dynamics at play. It will probably both be the perfect of all potential conditions or the worst of all potential conditions. And typically it’s each.

“I applaud primarily the second technology,” Bob Lamkin tells MyGolfSpy. “As a result of to get to that third technology, that’s the superb half. What goes on from technology to technology, between the members of the family concerned and the totally different dynamics, it’s simply superb.”

If you already know your golf tools, you already know Lamkin. Whereas not as dominant as Golf Pleasure, it’s a strong quantity two within the golf grip market with a powerful presence with OEMs and retail. Lamkin was the very first firm to fabricate golf grips within the US. Its lengthy historical past begins in Chicago, travels southwest to San Diego and throughout the border into Tijuana. It additionally crosses the Pacific to Asia, and never for the explanations you would possibly count on.

And, just like the PING story, it begins in a storage.

Lamkin Grips: The Chicago Stockyards

“My grandfather began Lamkin in 1925,” says Lamkin. “He was such a pleasant man, and he labored for an organization referred to as Chicago Rawhide.”

Chicago Rawhide was based in 1878 to benefit from the uncooked leather-based from Chicago’s stockyards. The corporate tanned and handled that leather-based for industrial belts and seals. By the ‘20s, the corporate was making varied leather-based merchandise for the rising automotive business when it was approached by one other Chicago producer.

“Wilson Sporting Items got here to Chicago Rawhide and requested if they might assist develop a leather-based wrap on a golf membership,” says Lamkin. “My grandfather, a golfer, was in on the assembly. The corporate advised Wilson no, however Papa raised his hand and mentioned, ‘Let me give this a shot.’”

In 1925, Elver Lamkin turned the primary leather-based grip producer within the US, making wraps in his storage on Chicago’s South Facet. “It began as an experimental mission for Wilson Sporting Items,” says Bob.

Lamkin remained dedicated to the leather-based grips into the ‘50s and ’60s. Nevertheless, a competitor that might finally turn into Golf Pleasure compelled Lamkin’s hand. Reluctantly.

“The Fawick Rubber Firm out of Akron got here into the class with a slip-on rubber grip,” says Lamkin. “And that modified the entire dynamic of the leather-based grip market.”

By then, Elver’s son Robert was working within the enterprise, however the transition from first to second technology could be greater than somewhat bumpy.

“Your Father Misplaced His Job In the present day”

The rubber grip revolution was on, however Elver was having no a part of that individual bandwagon.

“Papa, God bless his soul, advised my father nobody would play something however a leather-based grip,” says Bob. “My father stored going to his father and saying, ‘Dad, we’ve to start out making rubber grips, Dad.’ And my grandfather stored saying, ‘No, it’s only a fad. Nobody’s going to play that stuff.’”

So what does Robert Lamkin do when his dad tells him no? He does what any son would do when his dad tells him no. He does it anyway. And he does it in his storage.

“Dad purchased two injection molding machines and secretly began making rubber grips.”

Gramps, as you would possibly count on, wasn’t happy. In any respect.

“I used to be like six or seven years outdated after I got here house and my mother says to me, ‘properly, your father misplaced his job right now,’” remembers Bob. “She mentioned we had been actually going to must buckle down. We had six youngsters in our household.”

The firing didn’t take. Two days later, Robert Lamkin returned to work and ironed issues out together with his outdated man. By 1963, Lamkin totally joined the rubber grip revolution and the second technology took over.

“We turned the Lamkin Leather-based and Rubber Firm,” says Bob. “We provided leather-based grips for Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and others. However the business was clearly transferring to the extra economical -and a lot simpler to use – rubber grip.”

Lamkin Grips Leaves Chicago

Quick ahead to the Eighties. Lamkin was dealing with one other problem – low-cost, imported Asian grips. On the time, Lamkin loved a strong enterprise with OEM prospects who dual-sourced grips from each Lamkin and Golf Pleasure. It wasn’t desirous about establishing itself as a client model.

The pricing stress, nonetheless, was taking its toll, and Robert Lamkin had no selection however to maneuver out of Chicago, its house for 63 years. The selection was both El Paso, Texas or Tijuana, Mexico.

“At the moment, the youngsters had been nonetheless fairly younger,” says Bob. “My mother checked out El Paso after which checked out San Diego and advised Dad, ‘If I’m transferring wherever, I’m transferring to San Diego.’”

The plan was to arrange manufacturing in Tijuana and have firm headquarters in San Diego.

“Dad thought he may get that manufacturing facility up in three months. It took 14 months,” Bob remembers. “He misplaced 50 % of his gross sales. Issues had been robust.”

At the moment, Bob had been engaged on a profession in legislation enforcement however determined it was time to affix his father and three brothers within the grip enterprise.

“My brother Jack was accountable for manufacturing, and my brother Mike was in tooling and engineering,” Bob says. “My brother Tim and I had been in operations. I used to be the final sibling to get entangled. My brothers by no means labored exterior of the enterprise.”

By 1993, Bob was put accountable for gross sales. Two years later, Lamkin launched the Crossline, the preferred grip in its historical past. And two years after that, the corporate formalized its long-standing relationship with Arnold Palmer.

There was, nonetheless, a sea change taking on the golf business. And this alteration compelled Lamkin to as soon as once more look west.

To the Far East.

Increasing to Asia

The 90s could have been the most enjoyable period ever for golf tools. New expertise created new methods to hit the bejeezus out of the ball, and OEMs may convey that new expertise to golfers quicker and extra profitably than ever.

OEMs found China. And their transfer throughout the Pacific threw a monkey wrench at Lamkin – each the corporate and the Lamkin household.

“Our key prospects – TaylorMade, Callaway, the others – moved to China,” says Bob. “They mentioned, ‘Look, we’re assembling over right here. We’re going to make use of a neighborhood provide chain. If you happen to’re not concerned, we are able to’t purchase from you.’”

Logistically and financially, it made zero sense to make grips in Mexico and ship them to China, solely to be shipped again to North America as a part of a completed golf membership. So, somewhat than lose all that OEM enterprise, Lamkin had no selection however to arrange operations in China.

Not that everybody noticed it that means.

“My first journey to mainland China was in 1994,” says Bob. “After I got here house, I gave my dad an 18-page typewritten report. I believe he appeared on the final two paragraphs.”

The elder Lamkin wished no a part of China. Lastly, within the late ’90s, Bob satisfied his dad to take a better look. He confirmed his father an meeting operation and defined the imaginative and prescient.

“It was a defining second for this firm and the third technology,” he says. “Once we acquired again to the resort in Hong Kong, we met on the bar. Dad had been there some time already and he checked out me and mentioned, ‘That is your name.’”

“At the moment, he was in his late ‘60s and he mentioned, ‘You’ve acquired a deal with on this, and I’m going to belief you to make the suitable choice.’”

Technology Three Takes Over

“I believe with my dad, the toughest factor he needed to do was select one of many boys to run the enterprise,” admits Bob. “I do know he struggled with it for a very long time.”

In 2000, Robert did make the choice and turned over the reigns to Bob, the final Lamkin brother to affix the corporate and the one one who had ever labored exterior of the corporate.

Like my father, I had two of my brothers go away in the course of the course of their careers,” says Bob. “One other one determined to maneuver on to different issues.”

So it was amidst a little bit of household turmoil and the problem of beginning up operations in China whereas nonetheless maintaining the Mexican plant operating that Bob took over the household enterprise.

“I used to be very cognizant of what the repercussions could be if the China transfer failed,” admits Bob. “It not solely impacts your mother and father, but it surely additionally impacts your siblings and their households. And the those that be just right for you and their households. I had no expertise doing this, however I had some assist alongside the way in which. And I had a really benevolent banker who believed in Lamkin.”

Reflecting on the previous 22 years, Bob acknowledges the transition was exhausting on the household.

“It’s one factor to take route out of your dad, it’s one other factor to take route out of your brother,” he says. “And I’ll inform you, after I look again on a few of the choices that had been made, I undoubtedly would have dealt with them in another way.”

Time Passes

Robert Lamkin handed away this previous February on the age of 94.

“Dad got here into the workplace every single day till he was 88,” remembers Bob. “He’d come up the steps together with his espresso and his paper. We had turn into a lot part of one another’s lives, and it was all blurred between household dynamics and enterprise.”

And although Arnie’s association with Lamkin had solely been official for the reason that late 90s, his relationship with the corporate goes again to 1960. And it’s one other relationship that Bob cherishes.

“Between my father and Mr. Palmer, it was like residing a dream,” he says. “What I used to be ready to remove by way of operating your enterprise, your character as an individual, find out how to deal with individuals – to be mentored by two individuals you’re keen on and respect was a very nice a part of my profession and my life.”

And to not be forgotten is Bob’s mom, Joan. The 93-year-old household matriarch is each bit part of the Lamkin story as her husband and son.

“We had six in our household, and all of us had been 18 months aside,” says Bob. “My mom was such the muse of this household. She’s a really robust Norwegian lady. Mother didn’t say a lot, however when she did discuss, you listened.”

The Way forward for Lamkin Grips

Sadly, there doesn’t seem like a fourth Lamkin technology ready within the wings. So in some unspecified time in the future, Bob should come to grips with being the final Lamkin standing.

“My spouse and I’ve a blended household of six kids and 4 grandchildren,” he says. “And none of them have expressed an curiosity within the firm. So, there can be a time when a choice must be made about what occurs.”

That point, nonetheless, doesn’t seem like quickly. Despite the fact that he’s in his early sixties, Bob stays an brisk power of nature with no plans to retire. He’s merely having an excessive amount of enjoyable.

“We’re creating,” he says. “We have now an entire new putter grip expertise and a swinging grip expertise that’s developing. It’s actually enjoyable working with the engineering group and the chemistry group to create merchandise we predict will assist golfers benefit from the sport extra.

“I’m actually pleased with our three generations of household – from my grandfather and my dad and my brothers, and actually everybody who has touched this enterprise over 97 years. And, in fact, an enormous shout out to my mother. It’s essential to me that they’re all acknowledged. It’s actually been a collaborative effort over 97 years.”

And, as anybody who owns a 98-year-old household enterprise will inform you: the primary 97 are the exhausting ones.

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