A Major League Operation at Louisville Slugger

The first Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat was created in 1884 by the legendary Bud Hillerich. For more than 100 years, in Louisville, Kentucky, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., one of the longest running, family owned and operated sporting goods manufacturer thrives on "the crack of the bat". Hillerich & Bradsby Co. is the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger baseball bat, PowerBilt golf, and Louisville Hockey equipment. Like any other supplier that sells to the retail industry, retail compliance labeling on packaged sporting goods is a must.

Louisville Slugger initially selected the Datamax E-4203 label printer for a beta test in conjunction with a unique, mobile, RF, cart system designed by Rosemary Rogge and Larry Grubbs of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., and engineered by Jerrold Sherrold and Thomas Comey of Walker Technologies, a Datamax dealer located in Cincinnati, Ohio. "The RF system was designed to add efficiency to the picking process and to streamline compliance labeling and carrier labeling for Louisville Slugger products going to retail department stores," said Thomas Comey, President of Walker Technologies.

The battery powered, "BatMobile", as the computer cart has been nicknamed, supports the Datamax label printer, and an RF Glacier Computer, with touch-screen monitor. The cart hooks up to a second, stock cart for product picking and labeling. In recent months, the Datamax I-4208 was integrated into their existing shipping system at their largest distribution center for shipping labels. "The I-Class was selected for durability and high volume printing, and the computer cart was redesigned to accommodate the Datamax I-Class Printer," adds Thomas Comey.

While it is important for each product to be labeled with specific customer UPC barcodes, it is also vital for shipping carriers to have their unique Maxicode on the Louisville Slugger packages. "It was the need to add more efficiency to the supply chain flow that prompted our design of the mobile cart and printer combination, and our customer's label requirements that initiated the selection of the Datamax. The Datamax I-Class printer has been successful at meeting our barcode labeling needs and the needs of our retail customers," said Larry Grubbs, VP of Information Systems at Louisville Slugger.