“We’re trying to bang heads against the international
behemoths like Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, so we have to pick our spots,” he said of Antigua, which has 320 employees and a team of independent sales people. “The reason why we’re still relevant in this industry is the way our business model still works. It’s getting harder because of labor costs, but we have inventory here, it’s on trend, and we can deliver it very quickly with a logo.” McPherson has seen plenty of styles and materials come and go over the past four decades. “In 1979, when you
played golf you wore clothing that was specific to golf,” he said. “If you wore that in other parts of your life, it didn’t necessarily fit in. Things like Sansabelt pants with a two-piece, non-fused collar shirt that had saddle shoulders and a chest pocket was the golf uniform of the day.” Cotton blends were the
fabric du jour of the 1980s and 1990s. Then in the early 2000s performance fabrics — improved polyester blends featuring spandex and nylon — made their mark. “The biggest thing that changed the golf business from a fabric perspective was watching the great athletes in cycling,” said McPherson, who was inducted into the Arizona Golf Hall
of Fame in 2011 and the Southwest PGA Hall of Fame last year. “They wore cotton which held moisture. But then they started wearing the very sleek polyester products with wicking capability. That moved into golf and all kinds of markets.” Signing a licensing agreement with the NFL in 1989 was
a critical step in the company’s evolution. “That was a really big deal,” said McPherson. “It continues to have reverberations today, because we are still an NFL licensee. While we were known a little bit because of the green grass sector, that deal got us out there where people started saying, ‘Who are these guys and where did they come from?’” The deal came about because of a need to diversify beyond just golf. “We could see based on the general sales trend in golf, where you have a peak in March and April, a little bit of a drop off in the summer, and then a slight peak in September, that we had lulls of getting
product on our machinery,” he said. “So we needed to
find other compatible businesses to fit those gaps. The sports business was the biggest target because of the back-to-school scenario in June, July and August that fit in perfectly for our production cycle. Our colors and ability to decorate really fit in with sports. And fans want products with their team logos.”
Mark Brooks wins the PGA Championship at Valhalla wearing Antigua apparel.
1996 1997
www.azgolf.org
Antigua named for the fourth time a Ryder Cup preferred partner by the PGA of America.
Antigua.com goes interactive.
1999 2000
Antigua moves its operation to a new 110,000-square-foot building in Peoria, AZ.
2001
Antigua honored with International Platinum Partner Award in Corporate apparel industry.
2003
Antigua receives Outstanding Partner Award from Delaware North Companies for Licensed Sports product sales and service.
2004
Antigua majority interest purchased by Ashley NA a subsidiary of Sports Direct in the United Kingdom.
2006
Antigua extends its presenting partnership in GOLF RETIREMENT PLUSTM
with the PREVIEW 2019 | AZ GOLF Insider | 25 PGA of America.
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