{{Short description|Belgian sports equipment brand}} {{about|the sporting goods company|the French district|Donnay, Calvados|the surname|Donnay (surname)}} {{Infobox company | name = Donnay Sports | logo = Donnay logo.png | logo_size = 200 | type = Private (1910–88) | fate = Declared bankruptcy in 1988,<ref name=casert /> acquired and becoming a brand<ref name=casert /> | industry = Sports equipment | founded = 1910 | defunct = {{start date and age|1988}} | founder = Emile Donnay | hq_location = | hq_location_city = | hq_location_country = | num_locations = | num_locations_year = | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = | revenue = | revenue_year = | num_employees = | products = Tennis rackets | owner = Frasers Group (1996–present) <ref name=api/> | parent = | subsidiaries = | brands = | website = {{URL|https://donnay.com}} }} '''Donnay Sports''' is a sports equipment brand currently owned by Frasers Group.<ref>[https://www.sportsdirectplc.com/leading-brands/sports-and-leisure/donnay.aspx Donnay] on Sports Direct Int, 16 Aug 2020</ref> The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay and was based in Couvin, Belgium. Donnay manufactured wooden tennis rackets from 1934, and, by the 1970s, was the largest manufacturer of tennis rackets in the world. However, the company failed to adapt to the new market for graphite rackets, and entered administration in 1988. After a succession of owners, the brand was eventually sold to Sports Direct International, who continue to license the use of the brand worldwide.
Presently, Donnay commercialises tennis rackets, strings, and bags. Donnay rackets were used professionally in Europe by Björn Borg from 1975 until his retirement in 1983. Other professionals included Andre Agassi, Rod Laver, and Greg Rusedski.
== History == The company was founded in 1910 by Emile Donnay (1885–1972) as a wooden tool handle manufacturing co-operative with six employees.<ref name=casert>{{cite news|last=Casert|first=Raf|title=Racket Company Faces Bankruptcy After 'Borg Effect' Fizzles|agency=The Associated Press|date=August 11, 1988|url=https://apnews.com/39cad462377c3abba09607810a62c0ff}}</ref> Emile Donnay had little education and a modest background.<ref>[https://www.lavenir.net/article/detail.aspx?articleid=DMF20140107_00413703 L’info sur lavenir.net – L’actu 24h/24, 7 jours sur 7 - Page de redirection<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The company began to diversify into other wooden products, including a bow for archers, which continues to be reflected in the Donnay bow-shaped logo.<ref name=autogenerated3>[http://blog.lesoir.be/amortieetlob/2013/12/17/exclusif-quelques-bonnes-feuilles-du-livre-donnay-la-legende/ Exclusif: quelques bonnes feuilles du livre “Donnay, la Légende” | amortie et lob<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1924, Donnay built premises in Couvin.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite web|url=http://www.donnay.nu/history.pdf|title = Under konstruktion}}</ref>
The company manufactured its first tennis rackets in 1934.<ref>[http://pro-tennis.be/national/donnay-la-legende-en-vente-uniquement-sur-pro-tennis-be/ Donnay, la légende: en vente uniquement sur pro-tennis.be | Pro-tennis.be<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the early 1950s, the company won a valuable contract to produce tennis rackets for Wilson.<ref name="White2009">{{cite book|author=Michael White|title=A Short Course in International Marketing Blunders: Mistakes Made by Companies that Should Have Known Better|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zz1L3nnNmMcC&pg=PA151|year=2009|publisher=World Trade Press|isbn=978-1-60780-008-8|page=151}}</ref>
By 1969, Donnay was the world's largest manufacturer of tennis rackets. By the early 1970s, Donnay was producing two million rackets a year, 1.3 million of which were shipped to Wilson for distribution.<ref name="White2009"/> Production suffered in 1973, when Wilson relocated its tennis racket production to Taiwan.<ref name="White2009"/>
[[File:Björn Borg in aktie, Bestanddeelnr 930-2092.jpg|thumb|Björn Borg using a Donnay racket in the final of the 1979 ABN Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam]] In 1981, Donnay produced 1.8 million rackets, almost all made from ash.<ref>[https://www.lavenir.net/article/detail.aspx?articleid=DMF20140101_00411282 Donnay, la légende d’une marque - lavenir.net<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The company failed to adapt to the changing market for the new lightweight graphite rackets.<ref name="White2009" /> The company produced only 3,000 graphite rackets in 1980, instead concentrating on wood and aluminium rackets.<ref name="White2009" /> The company continued to manufacture wooden rackets until 1984, by which time they were obsolete.<ref>[http://blog.lesoir.be/amortieetlob/2013/08/09/si-donnay-metait-conte-montrez-votre-interet-et-un-livre-paraitra/ Si Donnay m’était conté…. Montrez votre intérêt et un livre paraîtra | amortie et lob<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Buoyed by the success of signing up Björn Borg as a Donnay user, the company employed 600 people and manufactured around 1.5 million tennis rackets a year.<ref name=casert /> In 1981, Donnay reported a turnover of 2.1 billion Belgian francs. Donnay's fortunes began to fade when Borg retired in 1983.<ref name="White2009" /> Its success had been too closely aligned with Borg's success, and the company lost money for four years before entering administration in 1988 after amassing debts of $35 million.<ref name="White2009" /><ref name=tapie88>{{cite news|last=Montgomery|first=Paul|title=A Former Singer Becomes Largest Owner of Donnay|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/22/business/business-people-a-former-singer-becomes-largest-owner-of-donnay.html|access-date=22 January 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=22 September 1988}}</ref> The company had apparently lacked the negotiation skills to attract another player of Borg's standing as a figurehead.<ref name=casert />
The Donnay family still controlled 55 percent of the company when it went bankrupt in 1988.<ref name=casert /> The Walloon and Belgian governments held the remaining shares.<ref name=casert /> The company was acquired by a group of investors, led by Bernard Tapie with a 51 percent stake, the Walloon government with 29 percent and Albert Frère with 20 percent.<ref name=tapie88 /> In 1991, Tapie sold his 58 percent stake in the company to the Walloon government for $16.2 million in order to finance the acquisition of Adidas shares.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|title=Tapie Is Selling Stake in Donnay|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/28/business/company-news-tapie-is-selling-stake-in-donnay.html|access-date=22 January 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=28 June 1991}}</ref> The government sold the factory to an Italian sports equipment manufacturer, Carbon Valley, and retained the brand rights.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In December 1992, the Walloon government took ownership of the company in order to prevent it from entering administration again.<ref>European Report December 12, 1992 STATE AID: GREEN LIGHT FOR SERIES OF GRANTS FROM SPORTS TO SHIPBUILDING</ref>
In 1996, Sports Direct International acquired the worldwide rights to the Donnay brand from the Walloon government for $3.9 million.<ref name=api>{{cite news|title=Donnay, Famous for its Wooden Rackets, Sold To British Company|agency=Associated Press International|date=3 December 1996}}</ref> At the time of the acquisition, production was based in Portugal, while 23 people remained employed at a distribution centre in Couvin.<ref name=api /> SportsDirect sells Donnay products as an in house brand and licences its production of Donnay branded products overseas.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2936143/Sports-World-International-sales-climb-45pc-and-knock-JJB-off-top-spot.html Sports World International sales climb 45pc and knock JJB off top spot – Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> SportsDirect also separately licenses the brand to independent manufacturers and sellers of Donnay branded products, including tennis racquet production in the United States.<ref>[https://www.xenecoretennis.com/ Xenecoretennis]</ref>
== Sponsorships == Initially, Donnay sponsored Belgian tennis players, and due to the amateur nature of the sport at the time, was only allowed to provide rackets and balls, and a small fee.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> Its first foreign sponsorship was with the French tennis player Yvon Petra.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> Rod Laver, Margaret Court, and Cliff Drysdale all played with Donnay rackets.<ref name=autogenerated2 />
Donnay sponsored Björn Borg from 1975 to 1983, providing his racket.<ref name=casert /><ref>[http://www.tennis.com/gear/2011/05/donnay-offers-money-back-guarantee-during-french/38689/ tennis.com - Donnay Offers Money-Back Guarantee During French<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> When Borg renewed the contract in 1979, it was worth $600,000 a year, plus royalties from Borg branded Donnay rackets.<ref>[https://www.dhnet.be/archive/borg-et-agassi-a-l-origine-du-mythe-51b7e75de4b0de6db996ea69 Borg et Agassi à l’origine du mythe - DH.be<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Andre Agassi was signed to the Donnay brand between 1989 and 1992 for around $1 million a year.<ref name=globe>{{cite news|last=McCabe|first=Nora|title=Hetherington loses a doubles partner|newspaper=Globe and Mail|location=Canada|date=18 March 1989}}</ref> Henri Leconte and Greg Rusedski also used Donnay rackets.<ref>[https://www.lavenir.net/article/detail.aspx?articleid=269556 L’info sur lavenir.net – L’actu 24h/24, 7 jours sur 7 - Page de redirection<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Further reading== * Michel Guilluy and Louis Maraite: ''Donnay, la légende d'une marque de tennis 1910 - 2013'' (2013)
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{official website|https://www.donnay.com/}}
{{Frasers Group}} {{Sports equipment brands}}
Category:Sporting goods brands Category:Belgian brands Category:Sporting goods manufacturers of Belgium Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1910 Category:Tennis equipment manufacturers Category:Sportswear brands Category:1910 establishments in Belgium Category:Frasers Group