Marucci draws new investment as it continues expansion plans

As Baton Rouge-based Marucci Sports continues to chart a course of ambitious expansion, the baseball bat and sports equipment maker has landed a new investor. The exact financial details of the investment from Envisage Equity LLC—a California-based private equity described as a partner to “middle market entrepreneurs who are looking to significantly expand their businesses”—were not disclosed. R2F Investmentment Bankers LLC, which serves as a strategic advisor to Envisage, announced the investment in a news release issued this morning. R2F says Envisage takes both control and non-controlling positions in expanding companies with at least $3 million in annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. In April, the board of directors for Marucci Sports announced that company co-founder Kurt Ainsworth was taking over as CEO as part of a succession plan that’s been years in the making. Former CEO Brett Stohlton—who had held the position since Marucci co-founder Reed Dickens stepped down as CEO in February 2012—remained an adviser to Ainsworth and the board of directors. When Dickens stepped down, he told Daily Report that he was retaining his ownership stake in the company and would continue to sit on the board of directors. He also shared some of the company’s expansion plans, saying: “We’re going to be taking a lot of market share in the aluminum market over the next several years,” adding that the company is expanding the number of national retailers carrying its bats. “We’re also going to be expanding into categories and products outside of just bats,” he said. —Steve Sanoski