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Porter Athletic - Manufacturer info

Porter Athletic

Porter Athletic Equipment Company's history and heritage as a worldwide supplier of athletic and recreational equipment dates back well over a century. The original Company, located in Ottawa, Illinois and founded in 1868, manufactured pulleys, hardware and hayloft equipment for barns. The manufacturing technology available to produce this early product line accounts for the eventual carry-over into playground equipment as well as ceiling and wall suspended folding basketball backstops.

Porter started manufacturing gymnasium apparatus shortly before the turn of the century. At that time, the primary customers for this type of equipment were the YMCAs, Turners and Sokols. The sport of basketball was first introduced by Dr. James Naismith at Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891. Basketball "caught on" in the YMCAs so it was only natural for Porter to supply the "Y's" with basketball backstops along with the other gym apparatus.

Aside from being the world leader in manufacturing the finest basketball equipment, we also pride ourselves on our knowledge of, and involvement with, the sport of basketball. Some of the many innovations in basketball equipment that can be attributed to Porter are:

Originator of the glass backboard
Originator of the "Fan-shaped" backboard
Originator of full perimeter striping on backboards

Porter is recognized by leading coaches, school administrators and architects throughout the world as being the leader in the industry. It is our long time commitment to state-of-the-art innovation and research and development that has enabled us to continue in our tradition of producing materials of the highest quality, durability, functionality and adaptability. Our continuous research and support in all aspects of the athletic equipment industry contributes immensely to our ability to design, engineer and manufacture products to help athletes grow and improve at all age and skill levels around the world.

Porter basketball backstops have been used with confidence in countless competition games worldwide including NBA championships, The NBA All-Star Game, The NCAA Final Four Tournament, The Pan-Am Games, The Goodwill Games and The World Basketball Championship Games. Many top-ranked professional arenas and major universities, as well as countless local schools, park districts and YMCAs around the world have installed Porter backstops to provide only the finest equipment for the facilities.

Since 1992 Porter has been located in Broadview, Illinois. The Broadview facility houses our headquarters' office staff and manufacturing operations.

We are proud of the image our Company has created and intend to uphold and build upon our reputation as the "World Leader in Quality Sport Equipment."