Owensboro Living Magazine published our first feature on Dinger Bats back in October 2014. For those of you who still may not have heard of the company, Dinger is a family-run baseball bat manufacturer whose business operations are headquartered in downtown Owensboro.
Major Leaguers like Pittsburg Pirate Starling Marte and Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals swing Dinger bats in the pros, and All-Stars like Bryce Harper and Evan Longoria have used Dinger bats during the MLB season.
We recently caught up with Dinger’s Director of Business Development, Shane Shepherd, to hear how the local company has grown over the past year.
OL: You were projecting a big step up in production in 2015. Did your growth reach the levels you had predicted?
SS: It has been a banner year for us! Internet sales have doubled each month from last year. We exceed our projected increased production goals by 25% as a result of large team orders from the LA Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.
OL: Who are some of the major leaguers that have signed with Dinger since last year?
SS: Kyle Schwarber, Matt Adams, Kolten Wong, Giovanny Urshela, Nevin Ashley were new big league players. (OL Editor’s Note: Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs just finished a massive rookie postseason run, breaking an all-time Cubs franchise record by hammering five home runs in only eight postseason games. That puts him atop the Cubs record book for postseason homers, and he hit them all with a Dinger bat!)
OL: What’s the process like to get a MLB player to swing a Dinger bat?
SS: The process is long and begins, for the most part, when they are in the minor leagues. I rack up the miles by car and plane getting in front of minor league players and getting our product into their hands. Once there, it is up to me to provide a level of customer service that is as superior as the wood we provide. It is our business model to have that service and brand support for the player that keeps our players swinging our bats.
OL: Tell us about your plans for the Dinger Experience here in Owensboro.
SS: Dinger, Inc. is a concept that we have been working on for a couple years, and with our growing brand recognition on the big league stage, we feel like the time is now to make Dinger, Inc. a reality. Dinger, Inc. will be a three-part venture, consisting of a retail element that will showcase our pro players and their Dinger product, an event management division that will incorporate our resources for all types of sports and fundraising events, along with a sports player agency, teaming up with a current sports agency and creating a branch locally to scout, advise and mange sports talent. We are looking for Dinger, Inc. to create 8-10 jobs locally and bring an amazing MLB presence to Owensboro.
For more information, visit their website at dingerbats.com, and follow them on Twitter @DINGERBATS.
