Carlton Sports is a British sports equipment brand, focused on badminton and table tennis. Originally established in 1946, Carlton is currently part of the Frasers Group (formerly, "Sports Direct International").[1]
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary (?–85) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports equipment, textile, footwear |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Fate | Acquired by BTR plc in 1985, becoming a brand |
| Headquarters | England |
| Products | Badminton rackets, shuttlecocks, sportswear, athletic shoes, table tennis equipment |
| Owner | Dunlop Slazenger (1985–96) Cinven (1996–2004) Frasers Group (2004–present) |
| Website | carltonsports.com |
Badminton equipment by Carlton include rackets, shuttlecocks, sportswear, athletic shoes, and bags. For table tennis, Carlton offers rackets, balls, nets and post sets.[2]
Overview
The former Carlton company became a subsidiary group of Dunlop Slazenger International, located in Greenville, South Carolina.[3] When DS was acquired by Sports International, Carlton was part of the group of brands traded.[4][5]
Throughout its history the company has introduced a number of advances to the manufacture of badminton equipment, which ranked its as the first in innovations such as to make an injection molded shuttle, to design and make all-metal racquets, to use stainless steel in the manufacture of racquets, todesign a flex system between shaft and handle, and to make a one-shot injection molded shuttle skirt.[3]
The company claims to have sold more nylon shuttlecocks than any other company around the globe.[citation needed] English player and Olympic medalist Nathan Robertson was one of the players using Carlton equipment.[6]
