Worldwide sales up 16 percent

Amer Group, the parent company of Wilson Sporting Goods, reported Wilson Golf returned to profitability in the first quarter with earnings of $4 million compared to a loss of $1.3 million the same period a year ago. Wilson Golf’s worldwide sales in the first quarter of 2004 climbed 16 percent versus the same period a year ago to $60.7 million.

Without breaking down the numbers, Amer said Wilson’s golf club sales in the quarter increased 23 percent while its ball sales grew 14 percent compared to the first quarter of ’03. The Americas, according to Amer, posted the largest sales jump with a 32-percent increase compared to the first quarter of last year.

"We are pleased the division has taken steps in the right direction and performed better than expected in the first quarter of 2004,’’ said Roger Talermo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Helsinki-based Amer. "We are also optimistic about Wilson Golf’s future, but we recognize that due to the seasonality of the golf market, the second quarter will be critical for the year as a whole."

The first-quarter numbers were the first financials under the watch of Angus Moir, whom Amer named Global Business Director of its struggling golf division this past fall.

"Our first goal was to stabilize the ship and for the first three months we’re certainly done that and hopefully a little more,’’ Moir told PGA.com. "Last year we weren’t delivering our product on time and our business internally needed some improvements. We’ve been working hard on those the last seven or eight months.

"We’ve also been looking forward -- trying to get our branding in line and get our product range together for the summer. The long-term goal here is to re-energize the Wilson Golf brand with the angle of getting our brand back to being a more premium, more aspirational golf brand in 2005 and 2006.’’

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