BATON ROUGE — Three years after Baton Rouge-founded sports equipment manufacturer Marucci Sports was acquired by publicly-traded Fox Factory Holding Corp, the company announced on Friday afternoon that it will return to private ownership.

The recent acquisition of Murucci Sports—including its Marucci, Victus, Baum, Lizard Skins and The Stable brands—was led by Marucci Founder and CEO Kurt Ainsworth, alongside a group of investors that include current and former Major League Baseball players and other professional athletes. The transaction returns Marucci to be privately held and restores an ownership structure grounded in the company’s origins as a player-founded and player-led business, unique in the diamond sports equipment sector.

The company has changed hands a few times over the years. In 2020, Marucci Sports was bought by a Connecticut-based company for $200 million. Three years later, Marucci’s parent company Wheelhouse Holdings was bought by Fox Factory Holding Corp., which mostly produced products for bikes and off-road vehicles, for $572 million.

In a prepared statement, Ainsworth says with Fox, Marucci was able to become the Official Bats of Major League Baseball, but that having the opportunity to lead Marucci back into founder-led, private ownership is incredibly meaningful to him.

“Marucci started in my backyard in 2004 with a simple goal: to make the products players want and need to be successful,” Ainsworth said. “That same goal has guided us for more than 22 years, and it will remain at the center of everything we do. I am especially grateful to our dedicated employees, players, customers and partners who have believed in Marucci and helped build these brands into what they are today.”

As part of the transition, Marucci will re-establish its Player Advisory Board, a group of current and former professional athletes who provide feedback and expertise to the company, ensuring that the voice and experience of players remain central to the company’s innovation process. Details about the Player Advisory Board and its membership will be shared after the conclusion of the Major League Baseball season.

The return to private ownership will also allow Marucci to maintain its focus on long-term brand building, product innovation and cementing relationships with athletes, teams, retailers and partners. The company will continue to operate from its headquarters in Baton Rouge, with its existing portfolio of brands and key leadership team intact. Certain executive appointments will be announced at a later date.