The History of Adams USA
It all began in 1947 when Ted Thaxton,
a music major and key football player
for Tennessee Tech University refused
to play the game without mouth protection.
He approached a local businessman Joe
Adams, who worked in the retail sports
equipment business, about creating a
type of guard which would protect his
mouth during the games. The results...one
of Cookeville’s largest and most
famous manufacturing companies, Adams
Plastics, Incorporated
- currently known as Adams
USA, Inc.
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"...
production of the Adams Pro
Chin Strap began in a friend’s
garage and seven high school
boys worked on the face guard
production line ..."
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The company which officially began production
in 1952, certainly has a very colorful
history . Production of the Adams Pro
Chin Strap began in a friend’s
garage (Mr. Sonny Allen, who later became
Sales Manager and is still with the
company) and seven high school boys
worked on the face guard production
line.
The plant construction was completed
in 1957 and it was there that Mr.
Adams improved upon his invention
by using a nylon material instead
of the plastic used in earlier face
guards. The new nylon guard was stronger,
lighter, and better overall than the
clear plastic one. The current plant
manager, Vaughn Howard, joined the
Adams Team in 1954 and gradually Adams
Plastics began to produce
other types of sporting goods equipment
such as the leather chin strap. Not
only were new items being produced,
but Adams continued into the field
by improving on items such as knee
pads, thigh guards, hip pads, and
chin straps.
As the demands of the sporting goods
industry grew, Adams continued expanding
and improving. In 1961 a chemist joined
the team and helped Adams to develop
their own adhesives and vinyl coatings
to be used in production with the protective
equipment. This achievement began a
new division of Adams Plastics
and it was called Adco Chemicals.
Adams Plastics
continued perfecting items already
on the market, as well as developing
new innovations. The body pads were
all improved and produced by Adams.
The leather chin strap was changed
to plastic, and it became one of our
most popular items. Adams
Plastics developed a
shoulder cushion, which protected
the shoulder from irritating shoulder
pads. They also developed a knee pad
with a special “air cushion”
that provided more protection and
better movement of the knee.
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"...
these four men have carried
the company into the most sophisticated
generation of sporting goods
equipment..."
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As the years went on... Adams
Plastics sold certain
assets to Adams USA, Inc. under the
ownership of the current stockholders:
Ray Abel, Garry McNabb, Vaughn Howard,
and Brian Howard. These four men have
carried the company into the most
sophisticated generation of sporting
goods equipment.
By adding both youth and adult air
fit system elite football helmets
to their product line and acquiring
several other companies (Trace
Athletic, Neumann
Gloves, Bolco
Bases, and Bucks
Belts), Adams USA
is continuing to provide our customers
with the high quality products they
deserve.
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We
thank you for your business
and look forward to serving
you now and in the future.
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Each year the performances of the
sports industry increase to
levels which demand new, state-of-the-art
products. At Adams USA,
Inc. we produce items
which will provide the performance,
durability, and quality that today’s
athletes must have. We thank you for
your business and look forward to
serving you now and in the future.
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