Tony Wilkinson, who has been running the Greg Norman Collection in Europe for the past six years, has formed a new U.K.-based company that has become the European licensee for the line as well as the MacGregor Golf brand of equipment. He plans to invest in the Greg Norman brand to bank on its growing reputation and is looking for new sub-licensees and distributors for both brands in many different countries, including for example France and Germany.
The new company plans to retain existing contractual arrangements with distributors and agents who have been covering Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. It will continue to run a direct sales force in the U.K. and Ireland.
MacGregor Golf and Greg Norman currently generate sales of about €4 million each in Europe. MacGregor Golf, a U.S.-based company that is said to be making an annual turnover of about $150 million worldwide, acquired the Greg Norman apparel line in 2006 from Adidas. The Greg Norman line previously belonged to Reebok International. In connection with the acquisition, Greg Norman himself acquired a major stake in MacGregor Golf and became its chairman.
The 53-year-old Australian billionaire, who recently married Chris Evert, the equally famous American tennis star, has remained a major shareholder after a recapitalization of MacGregor conducted a year ago. Noted for the numerous golf courses named after him, he has been very active lately in product development and marketing for the brand that bears his name. He has also scored some good games lately.
Michael J. Setola, the new president and chief executive of MacGregor Golf, appointed Wilkinson in early August as general manager of MacGregor Golf Europe with full operational responsibility for the distribution of the Greg Norman Collection and MacGregor equipment in Europe.
Setola replaced Barry Schneider some months ago when he left as chief executive of MacGregor Golf after nine years in the post following last year’s recapitalization. John Ennis, who has been running MacGregor Europe for almost 20 years, based in Ireland, is no longer with the company.
