Wilson's new Ohio factory to make NFL game balls as company, NFL extend contract

Wilson’s new Ohio factory to make NFL game balls as company, NFL extend contract

Posted by author June 28, 2024 Football

Wilson Sporting Goods will unveil its new and improved factory in Ada, Ohio, as part of its extended multi-year partnership with the NFL
Tours of the facility will be available for visitors starting in July, which features a museum and a pop-up shop
Cleveland Browns’ Jerome Ford, among others, attend the facility’s grand opening

Whether or not the Cincinnati Bengals or Cleveland Browns are playing, Ohio plays a part in every NFL game every season.

Wilson is the official ball of the NFL (as it has been since 1941), and to celebrate, it’s unveiling a brand-new football factory in Ohio.

Wilson Sporting Goods announced Thursday that the longstanding partnership between the sports equipment manufacturer and the league has been extended, per PR Newswire. The new factory in Ada, located roughly 88 miles northwest of Columbus and 68 miles southwest of Toledo, replaced the previously existing facility with an upgraded and expanded factory that is almost double the capacity of the previous plant.

New Wilson factory making NFL footballs has a museum, shop, offers guest tours

The new factory includes a football museum featuring Wilson and NFL moments, a pop-up shop, as well as manufacturing tours, which visitors can reserve tickets for beginning in July.

Ohio-based NFL greats part of Wilson’s football factory grand opening

To celebrate the facility’s grand opening, the NFL brought a number of Ohio NFL athletes to the new factory, including Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford and former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jordan Palmer.

Other notable figures at the grand opening include Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and former Ohio State players Cardale Jones and Ted Ginn Jr., among others.

“Wilson and the NFL are one of the most iconic relationships in sports, dating back over 80 years,” said Kevin Murphy, Wilson’s global general manager of Team Sports.

Elaborating on the duo’s partnership, Murphy said that the sporting goods company “has been part of every snap, pass and touchdown in NFL history, and that the company is thrilled about the expanded partnership and facility.”

The Ohio-based football factory is the world’s oldest plant to produce game-ready footballs for the NFL season, which includes every Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.