Pretty much all kinds of things tennis: Nets of all kinds, Ball Hoppers, "single's net sticks", fence-screens, teaching carts, ball machines, umpire chairs, posts... you name it!

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Permalink Reply by Mark / The Mayor on February 4, 2010 at 9:13am

Hey, thanks for posting this James. Do you sell directly to the public, or only to clubs and tournaments?
On that note, since the BNP Paribas Open has changed hands to Larry Ellison, do you anticipate more sales in any way? (I guess it is still the same sponsor, so you won't get to change out everything with a logo on it.)

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Permalink Reply by James on February 4, 2010 at 11:44am

Hey Mark -
Thanks for the great questions! I'm glad my posting here is welcome.. I'm happy to answer any questions and obviously I don't want to 'spam'...! I 'll try to answer your questions one by one.

First, NJPSports, then Indian Wells/BNP
Do you sell directly to the public, or only to clubs and tournaments?
Re: Screens, NJPSports, etc... Ok so we make a lot of products like net sticks or custom posts for combo-courts, etc... and obviously 'wind-screens' for fences.
Screens we manufacture to spec or order - also we install tons of screen in the SoCal area: obviously we guarantee the fit if we install the screens.
We screen Stanford and a few outside venues, and ship screen to sites that other people install. Also we we sell screens to anyone who is buying (honestly) - contractors, home-owners, etc. Pads, custom weird things, and some covers for machines/trucks, etc, things I would call "Private Label" or are silk-screened or whatever, we can do that.

Graphics:
We even have an old-fashioned 'sign-painter' for non-digital graphics (who can say that?). Also we use computer driven vinyl cut. Also, silk-screen. Whatever is appropriate. Few individuals, obviously, need that.

We both manufacture and wholesale, and we also distribute for major companies like Edwards (who make classic posts for high-end courts) and Tennis Tutor (who make an incredible ball machine). Teaching carts and ball machines are good examples of products that we sell to pros... I should mention that we sell the Tennis Tutor ball machines, on average $100 below list: we have wholesale deals with a lot of manufacturers.


Now for the gossip/good/juicy stuff...
You ask: Since the BNP Paribas Open has changed hands to Larry Ellison, do you anticipate more sales in any way? (I guess it is still the same sponsor, so you won't get to change out everything with a logo on it.)

As for our new Boss Larry Ellison, yes he just bought Indian Wells, the tournament site, the tournament itself, and some surrounding land. The Indian Wells/BNP tournament site itself will still be run by Charles "Charlie" Pasarell, who is a consummate and ambitious professional: We are happy about this. Nothing of note has changed at the site itself.

The big change is that the tournament itself will FOR SURE stay at Indian Wells (there was talk of separating it from the site, Read: China). The major investors (Samparas, etc) get their money back and more, and the site will continue to be developed, if a bit more ambitiously. The 'talk' is there will be room for more development on the site for a luxury hotel or condos or both. Which is great! I guess Larry has pretty good credit (!) so where projects that previously fell flat will now have the financing they need, plus the Larry Ellison 'touch'. As for us, the only extra wind-screen they have ordered from us are a few shade-overhead-awning type things that will run between light posts on the side of the courts. These are enhancements for the player's/coach area. I believe that not all the decisions have been made on this (which outside-courts, if the clay courts get the treatment, etc).


You ask:
"On that note, since the BNP Paribas Open has changed hands to Larry Ellison, do you anticipate more sales in any way? (I guess it is still the same sponsor, so you won't get to change out everything with a logo on it.)"

While some of our fabrics last 8-10 years, every year Indian Wells gets a new set of tournament screens. What we can salvage, we do, as the screens are only in the sun for a few weeks anyway. However we offer a lot of old screen to charities of various types, schools, boy's and girl's clubs, etc. Technically (if it's interesting), on some fences, the tournament screens go over the existing screens, and on some fences we removes the old screens and either replace them or put them up again at the end of the tournament. In a large project like Indian Wells, we try to start a rotation so they don't have to replace all the screens all at once. There are lots of details (like how our screens cover some equipment or pedestrian walkways) that carry-over year to year or have to be altered or re-made yearly. So.,.. That's how it works!

Mark - I'm very excited that you are coming out this year, for sure we will have to do something.

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