 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports equipment,textile,footwear |
| Founded | 1946; 79 years ago (1946) |
| Defunct | 1985; 40 years ago (1985) |
| Fate | Acquired byBTR plc in 1985, becoming abrand |
| Headquarters | England |
| Products | Badminton rackets,shuttlecocks,sportswear,athletic shoes,table tennis equipment |
| Owner | Dunlop Slazenger (1985–96) Cinven (1996–2004) Frasers Group (2004–present) |
| Website | carltonsports.com |
Carlton Sports is a Britishsports equipmentbrand, focused onbadminton andtable tennis. Originally established in 1946, Carlton is currently part of theFrasers Group (formerly, "Sports Direct International").[1]
Badminton equipment by Carlton includerackets,shuttlecocks,sportswear,athletic shoes, andbags. For table tennis, Carlton offersrackets, balls, nets and post sets.[2]
The former Carlton company became a subsidiary group ofDunlop Slazenger International, located inGreenville, South Carolina.[3] When DS was acquired by Sports International, Carlton was part of the group of brands traded.[4][5]
Throughout its history the company has introduced a number of advances to the manufacture of badminton equipment, which ranked its as the first in innovations such as to make an injection molded shuttle, to design and make all-metal racquets, to use stainless steel in the manufacture of racquets, todesign a flex system between shaft and handle, and to make a one-shot injection molded shuttle skirt.[3]
The company claims to have sold morenylon shuttlecocks than any other company around the globe.[citation needed]English player andOlympic medalistNathan Robertson was one of the players using Carlton equipment.[6]
