Head

HEAD HISTORY

Founded in Baltimore in 1950 by Howard Head, who was an aerospace engineer for Glenn L. Martin Company and proposed new materials used in aviation to innovate the production and quality of skis and tennis rackets.

Howard Head's big idea came during a skiing trip in 1947. His skis were made of wood, even though metal and plastic were readily available. As an aerospace engineer, Head saw the opportunity to use aluminum and plastic laminate on skis in the same way they were used on airplanes. The materials are durable yet flexible. After a few years of research and development, Head and his team had a product by 1950.

When the ski hit the market, the HEAD brand grew quickly. In the 1960s, HEAD was the leading ski manufacturer in the United States and the United Kingdom and produced more than 26,000 pairs per year. In 1969, Howard Head sold the company to American Machine Foundry (AMF) and retired to play tennis, one of his favorite hobbies.

But before Howard Head officially left, he began exploring ways to strengthen a tennis racket frame by incorporating aluminum into it. This idea was an immediate success, first introduced and used at the US Open in 1969. Additionally, he researched and developed a wider oversized racket for a broader audience, which was presented by Prince Sports in 1975.

In 1985, HEAD was acquired by Minstar Inc. due to a takeover of AMF. Two years later, Head began producing sports shoes and introduced Radial Tennis Shoes. In 1989, management succeeded in buying HEAD, Tyrolia, and Mares, which were two other companies HEAD purchased in the 1970s, to form HTM. The acquisition was backed by private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co. Four years later, in 1993, HTM was sold to the tobacco conglomerate Austria Tabak.

In 1997, HEAD created the first titanium and graphite tennis racket. Today, HEAD is one of the most used and recognized brands in skiing and tennis, and it all started in Baltimore City.