Sam Bat - The Canadian Business Journal

Sam Bat
www.sambat.com
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Sam B
Bat
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MANUFACTURING
Original Maple Bat
Sam Bat is the classic story of passion and
innovation coming together to solve a
problem and serve a market niche. In 1996,
Sam Holman developed the first prototype
and solution to broken baseball bats.
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MANUFACTURING • Sam Bat
Sam Holman, founder of Sam Bat
Based in Ottawa, Holman began developing a
the traditional ash wood used for baseball bats,
bat that was tougher and more durable than
Holman discovered that maple was the ideal
traditional ash bats. It was an all-encompassing
material to bring his idea to life. Maple manu-
study of legal patents, the physics of base-
facturing of a would-be railing soon became the
ball, and the dynamics of different wood spe-
first Sam Bat.
cies. From this careful, thorough, and tedious
“I was lucky, Fernando Seguignol took that
research came the Sam Bat. As it happened,
bat and hit the first home run out of Lynx Sta-
Holman, a carpentry stagehand by trade, hap-
dium,” Holman told The Canadian Business
pened to be carving a staircase railing made
Journal. “The world of baseball knew there was
from maple wood. With a greater density than
something different in town.”
MAY 2013 • The Canadian Business Journal
5
Arlene Anderson, President of Sam Bat
Best in the Field
Italy, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.
Sam Bat is about performance, a key reason
Sam Bat supplies top quality products to top
why it is today used by dozens of Major League
quality players worldwide.
Baseball players, easily identifiable from the
“Sixty per cent of the bats now used in the
stands or from the television screen with its
game are maple, which tells you that we have re-
slick Sam Bat logo visible on the bat handle.
ally done something,” Holman detailed. “We’re a
Sam Bat is also the official supplier to the
benefactor of technology. Before that, our grand-
Australian Baseball League. Aside from Austra-
fathers didn’t have [this technology] and it’s one
lia and the MLB markets, Sam Bat supplies to
of the reasons why maple was never really used
countries across the globe, including Mexico,
as a wood before I introduced it into the game.
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MANUFACTURING • Sam Bat
MAY 2013 • The Canadian Business Journal
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Some of it is timing, some of it is luck, but all of
always sources the best maple to provide the
it is researched.”
market with the best available product. It is this
Arlene Anderson, President of Sam Bat,
commitment to quality that continues to draw
added, “Our product gets a wonderful reception.
the best in baseball to Sam Bat. High perfor-
Players know that when they hold it and use it,
mance players desire high performance equip-
they know the quality that goes into the Sam
ment that meets their needs, a market niche
Bat, and that’s a function of our expert staff.”
which Sam Bat has deftly served.
From controlled wood cutting to a detailed
“We’ve solidified our spot in the market-
kiln drying process, Sam Bat manufacturing is
place,” Anderson explained. “The object now
far more advanced than simply operating auto-
is [to pursue] brand recognition and to expand
mated production. Rather, the team at Sam Bat
the general base. There is a lot of competition.
carefully selects and evaluates each piece of
Sam created a bit of a monster because he was
maple that goes into its finished product as its
very successful in infiltrating into the MLB in
way of guaranteeing the best customized result.
the early 2000s. As a result, we now have more
“Our quality is absolutely paramount to what
we do. If we let up in the slightest, we would
be rejected overnight,” Holman explained. “We
than 30 competitors selling into MLB. We’re one
of the Top 5 and we’re very proud of that.”
As Holman concluded, “It’s an instrument.
learned long ago that we are our own best sup-
It’s very important that you become a doctor of
plier. It’s hard work and it’s a real challenge, but
your profession. The education and the re-
it gives us an edge over our competitors.”
search that we have developed made us that.
We’re recognized around the world for mak-
Road Ahead
ing one of the best baseball bats in the world.
Passion and dedication led to the development
That’s dedication.” CB
of Sam Bat, and pushed the company to where
it is today. Moving forward, the same passion
steers it ahead. Always with an eye on improvement, Sam Bat wants to continue refining its
product, researching and fine tuning its work,
its processes, and wood treatment. Sam Bat
www.sambat.com
GEORGE MEDIA
NETWORK
AS SEEN IN THE MAY 2013 ISSUE OF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL
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