On this episode, Tom Barnes joins me to discuss how their company is redefining the way the world views pickleball. Selkirk Sport was founded in 2014 and is the leading manufacturer of pickleball paddles and equipment.
To help drive innovation, Selkirk Sport created Selkirk Labs, a first-of-its-kind program, that invites players to be part of the innovation process. Members of Selkirk Labs get first access to test paddle prototypes. Using their feedback and A.I. programming, their engineers tweak the prototypes to better suit players' needs before adding the paddles to their main line, which is made entirely in the U.S.
Tom is a co-owner and the director of research and development for Selkirk Sport. The company was founded while Tom was serving in the Marine Corps and after transitioning into the USMC Reserves, Tom was excited to join his brothers.
Now, Tom infuses his passion for technology and advanced manufacturing into developing new materials, equipment and manufacturing approaches for pickleball. Tom is dedicated to developing a world-class R&D ecosystem,coupled with a lean manufacturing approach to elevate Selkirk's innovation and production standards.
You can learn more about their company by visiting https://www.selkirk.com.