Georgia and Social Distancing Tee Up Golf Boom for Bridgestone Golf USA
The “official sport of social distance” during the COVID-19 pandemic is golf, according to the Washington Post. A variety of factors, including a homebound population’s desire to exercise, the flexibility of the work-from-home environment, and streamlined tee time procedures, combined with CDC recommendations for safe play, enabled the golf industry to flourish during 2020. Industry sources document record-breaking surges in new players, rounds of play, and equipment sales.
It’s little wonder, then, that Bridgestone Golf USA, based in Covington, Georgia, for the past 30 years, experienced record production and sales in 2020. The increased popularity of the sport, in addition to the company’s leadership in the industry and its innovative products, recently compelled Bridgestone to increase its production capacity to 30% and workforce by 20% to satisfy strong consumer demand.
Bridgestone makes premium golf balls, clubs, bags, and other accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. The company is a division of Japan-based Bridgestone Corporation, formerly Bridgestone Tire. Tire technology developments contributed to Bridgestone’s breakthroughs in golf ball technology, and today the company holds 800 golf ball design patents. The company’s brand recognition stems from its leadership in developing a system to customize a golf ball, complete with a fitting process, to an individual golfer’s swing.
The Covington facility is Bridgestone’s only operation in the U.S. and its North American headquarters.
“Georgia is an ideal location,” says Dan Murphy, CEO of Bridgestone Golf USA. “There are so many positives: the climate, the reasonable cost of living, a local workforce that’s ready to go, and logistical elements that give us access to the biggest markets in the U.S. Most golf companies are located on the West Coast, but we find it more convenient and affordable to be in Georgia.”
Murphy also appreciates Bridgestone’s proximity to the Masters tournament, calling it “an honor to be neighbors to the best golf event of the year.” Bridgestone promotes its brand around the Masters and is represented by world-class players like Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Georgia’s own Matt Kuchar, Lexi Thompson, and Bryson DeChambeau.
“Another advantage of being in a productive business environment was being allowed to re-open in just a few weeks when COVID-19 hit the state,” adds Murphy. “Most of our competitors were in states that kept them closed a lot longer, so we credit Governor Kemp and the state of Georgia for allowing us to meet the unexpected boom in demand for golf products. We’ve set one record after another in business volume.”
Golf’s re-emergence in May 2020 was also due to a state-by-state push by influential organizations in the sport, who developed a Back2Golf operations playbook, which included CDC recommendations for a safe return to play.
Murphy expects that golf’s reinvigorated popularity will outlast the pandemic and continue to benefit the company. He also believes the state’s Georgia Made™ program, which supports Georgia products with logistics, manufacturing, and marketing through the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), will provide ongoing advantages by appealing to Bridgestone’s consumers and by reinforcing its relationships in the golf industry.
“Lots of golf is played in the Southeast and being able to say our golf balls are ‘made here and played here’ is a big point of pride for us. The program supports our goal of being considered Georgia’s hometown golf company and will tell that story in our retail store displays,” he states. “We believe it will help us be successful as well as promote our brand.”
Golf products like Bridgestone’s are heavily used to promote many kinds of businesses, and Murphy sees great cross-promotional potential for Bridgestone with other manufacturers in the Georgia Made program as well as with sponsorships through the company’s tire division.
“Last November, we were honored to host Gov. Kemp as he celebrated Site Selection magazine’s announcement that Georgia was named the country’s No. 1 state for business for the 8th consecutive time. It raised our profile as a valuable contributor to the economy and helped us make more connections in the community. It was also a great source of pride for our workers,” he says.
Bridgestone’s roots in the community run deep. Murphy says workforce resources are good and include the state’s universities as well as Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC), a part of the Technical College System of Georgia, which offers curriculum relevant to Bridgestone’s needs. Company officials are active with the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce and local nonprofits. And thanks to the extensive film industry infrastructure in Georgia, especially in Covington, Bridgestone is able to film consumer ads in its hometown.
“I came to Georgia 15 years ago and my three children have since graduated from Georgia Tech,” says Murphy. “Georgia’s state education system is great. From raising a family and finding top-ranked colleges right down the road, to building success for a thriving business, you can’t find a better place than Georgia.”
In the second half of 2020 alone—July 1 through December 31—companies invested $6 billion in Georgia and created 16,000 jobs throughout the state despite a global pandemic. These economic development totals represented a 40% increase in new jobs and 47% increase in new investments during the same period of the previous year. Over half the jobs were outside metro Atlanta. Foreign direct investment increased 46% over July through December 2019.
Consistently ranked the “#1 State for Business,” Georgia’s skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, low taxes, high state credit ratings, and development resources are here to help you start and grow your business. Visit Georgia Made™ to take the next step in expanding your success.