Origins & Leadership Established in 1926 as the Nocona Leather Goods company by the Storey family in
Nocona, Texas. The company first began selling
wallets,
purses, and
belts. In 1934, The Nokona
baseball glove was trademarked (spelled with a "k" when the
United States Patent and Trademark Office would not allow the name of an incorporated town to be registered). Nocona Leather Goods entered the sporting goods industry in 1932, after Robert E. (Bob) Storey took over the operations. Storey had played
baseball for
Rice University before becoming President of the Nocona Leather Goods Company in the 1930s. With that decision, Nocona introduced their new leather footballs, helmets, and baseball gloves. He held that post until he retired in 1976, and his son Bobby Storey took over the role. Seven years later, his younger son J.W. (Jim) became President of the company, until his sudden death in 1991. Following that tragedy, Rob Storey (son of Bobby and grandson of R.E.) was appointed President of the company. In 2010, Jeff Beraznik became President of Nokona. Rob Storey and continues to serve as the company’s Executive Vice-President. As such, the Storey family maintains an integral role at Nokona.
Major Developments at Nokona In 1942, Nokona received a government contract to produce gloves for the United States Military during the War. Production soared to 1,000 gloves per day (up from 50 to 100), requiring the factory to expand. Expansions were added to the production facility in 1944 and again in 1947. Nokona entered the golden age of sports after World War II. Starting in 1946, people participated in athletics like never before, with fast-pitch softball booming in popularity, as well as amateur baseball. With the increase in popularity, Nokona diversified its baseball and football lines. By the end of the 1940’s, the company also produced
volleyballs,
soccer balls,
basketballs, striking bags, and
boxing gloves, all made of leather. The first Nokona ballglove with Kangaroo leather was produced in 1957. Nokona was the first company to use this leather in a baseball glove; continuing it as a popular part of its lineup today. During the 1960s, many sports manufacturers moved from the United States to Asia, where materials and labor are cheaper. However, Storey would not move. He has reportedly said that he would rather quit and go fishing than closeup his factory and move. The company moved to an old boot factory after the fire, before moving to a permanent location in 2008. In 2017, the boot factory became the new permanent location: including a Nokona retail store, museum, and factory tours. == Showbelts ==