Know Your Brands

Ashaway

ASHAWAY is a World Leader in the Production of Bulk - Non-Sterile & Non-Absorbable Medical Threads
& Custom Braided Products (Which includes ranges from 25-Micron Nylon MONOFILAMENT for Delicate
NEUROSURGERY to SILICONIZED & BRAIDED POLYESTER for Critical OPEN HEART SURGERY).
Each Year ASHAWAY Produces over 75 Million YARDS of Medical Threads in their Rhode Island, USA
facility.
The same STRINGENT Quality Control System (QCS) that is required for Medical Thread Production is
used in all ASHAWAY produces - majorly BADMINTON, TENNIS & SQUASH Racquets & Strings.
ASHAWAY is best known for manufacturing the world class Racquets STRINGS used by many of the
world's leading professional players.
As the only United States (US) Manufacturer of Racquet strings - ASHAWAY stands ALONE in meeting
the Stringing needs of many badminton, tennis, squash, Racquetball Players.
Source :: Ashaway

 

Yonex

In 1946, just after the end of World War II, Yonex marked its beginnings as Yoneyama Company, Ltd. founded by Minoru Yoneyama, a producer of wooden floats for fishing nets. Yoneyama’s wood-crafting business thrived until modern advancements - namely plastic floats - forced the company out of the business. Frustrated by being pushed aside by advancing technology, he vowed to never be technologically left behind and committed to constant innovation in future endeavors.

Relying on strengths in wood crafting, the Yoneyama Company evolved into manufacturing badminton racquets in 1957 as an OEM for the Sanbata racquet brand. Today, Yonex manufactures its own tennis racquets, golf clubs, snowboards, road bikes, tennis and badminton string, and more. Throughout the years, Yonex has learned that “the toughest situations create the greatest chances” - and this spirit carries through in its mission to enrich the world with sports through high quality products.

• With Sanbata’s bankruptcy in 1961 and Yoneyama’s Manufacturing Headquarters burning down in 1963, the 1960s truly tested the spirit of creating chances within tough situations. Despite these set-backs, Yoneyama established Yoneyama Sports Co., Ltd. to manufacture Yoneyama-branded racquets, rebuilt the factory in three days, and expanded its business to the United States and Europe during this pivotal decade.
• In 1965, the Tokyo Factory opened its doors to manufacture shuttlecocks -- now, Yonex is the official tournament shuttle of all Badminton World Federation (BWF) Major Events, as well as the Olympic Games since 1992 in Barcelona.
• In 1968, Yonex developed the world’s first “T-Joint,” which led to Japan’s first aluminum badminton racquet. The “T-Joint” was inspired by a gas tap design that connected the frame and shaft.
• In 1969, Yonex expanded into the tennis industry with the aluminum T-7000 racquet.
• To improve upon the widely popular T-7000, Yonex developed the Oval Pressed Shaft (OPS), which created a stronger, more stable racquet and was implemented in the T-7500.
• In 1973, the “YY Yoneyama” logo is introduced and eight-time (seven consecutive) All England Open Badminton Champion and badminton icon Rudy Hartono began competing with Yonex.
• The following year, Yonex began manufacturing wooden tennis racquets and signed Tony Roche, the fourteen-time major champion from Australia.
• In 1978, the first badminton racquets weighing under 100g launched as B-8500 and CARBONEX 8.
• Yonex’s iconic square-shaped ISOMETRIC™ racquet was first introduced in 1980 with the launch of the R-1, R-2, and R-3. The same year, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova began competing with Yonex.
• The company was renamed to Yonex Co., Ltd. Utilizing Yonex’s graphite technology, the company entered the golf business in 1980’s.
• In 1983, Navratilova won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in both singles and doubles with the best-selling R-22 racquet.
• In 1984, Yonex becomes the title sponsor of the sport’s oldest and most prestigious tournament, the All England Open Badminton Championships.
• In 1989, Yonex introduced the ADX 200 in the United States, the widebody graphite driver that changed the game of golf. The ADX 200 was recorded in the Guinness World Records with the longest drive at 412 yards.
• In 1990, Navratilova claimed her 9th Wimbledon title with the widebody RQ-180 and in 1991, Monica Seles became the youngest female player to achieve a World No.1 Ranking.
• Borrowing from Yonex’s own signature square-shaped tennis racquet frame, the first ISOMETRIC™ badminton racquet in history launched in 1992.
• In 1995, to further push the limits of graphite innovation, Yonex began manufacturing snowboards.
• In 1998, Yonex revamped its logo to the current YY Yonex logo.
• In 2009, Yonex became the longest title sponsor of the All England Open Badminton Championships.

At the 2016 Australian Open, Yonex becomes the first Japanese brand to provide stringing services for a major tennis tournament through the Yonex Stringing Team.

Today Yonex enters two new businesses, sport bikes and wind turbine blades in Japan, further expanding on its carbon graphite technology.

Source :: https://www.yonex.com/our-history