John Embree – a great supporter of the game

John Embree has had a long and storied history in the world of racquet sports. Growing up in Chicago, he moved back to his home town in the Windy City to take a position with Wilson Sporting Goods. He remained there for 17 years, rising to the title of Vice President and General Manager of Wilson’s global racquet sports. He subsequently left Wilson to become part owner of tennis apparel manufacturer Balle de Match.

“I went to Balle de Match because the owner needed marketing and sales help,” Embree said. “I thought I could use my tennis connections to grow the business. Wended up tripling sales in three years.” That firestorm of sales helped Embree get his next position, as he was tapped by Prince CEO George Napier in March of 2009.

“When I started with Prince, the economy was in a trend heading south and consumers stopped their spending,” Embree said “Consumers are now changing their spending habits. ”

Broadening their platform tennis base, Prince bought out Long Island-based Viking Athletics. Embree said the acquisition was a “natural extension” for Prince. [enlarge image to read full story]