February 26th, 2021, Spring City, PA – Longstreth Sporting Goods today strengthens its position as the #1 supplier of field hockey products in the United States with the acquisition of CranBarry, Inc., based in Wilmington, MA. CranBarry is the second largest domestic supplier of field hockey equipment and the leading wholesale distributor to a strong collection of retailers from big chains like Dick’s Sporting Goods to independent specialty shops.
“We are thrilled to join forces with another great field hockey company in CranBarry, one with even a longer history than Longstreth of being committed to the sport. We believe our strength in directly serving end users in field hockey combined with CranBarry’s incredible wholesale distribution network will truly be a one stop shop for field hockey, underscored by our continued commitment to world class customer service,” said the owners of Longstreth, John Schaefer and David Dahle.
Longstreth, which has supported female athletes playing field hockey for more than 40 years, is excited for this opportunity to strengthen its product offerings by adding CranBarry’s flagship brands to an already outstanding lineup of international hockey brands. Grays Hockey, headquartered in England, is one of the original field hockey brands and has been providing and inspiring hockey players with innovative trusted sticks and products for over 160 years. OBO, based in New Zealand, is the world leader in goalkeeping equipment and has a unique culture committed exclusively to goalkeeping, revolutionizing the goalkeeping market with equipment that is high performing and lightweight.
Brad Gay, President and CEO of CranBarry, said “We are delighted to combine the two biggest companies dedicated to field hockey. Our founder, Joyce Cran Barry, was the only woman we know of who played on two different Olympic teams in two different sports representing two different countries. She was on the Scottish lacrosse team and on the English field hockey team. It is fitting that CranBarry’s flagship brands, Grays and OBO, are used by more Olympians than any other field hockey brands in the world. It was important to us that CranBarry’s legacy be preserved and we believe that combining our business with Longstreth’s strong array of brands will ensure its long-term success.”
CranBarry was founded in 1947. Joyce Cran Barry had come from England to the United States in 1925 to teach at the summer field hockey camp run by Constance Applebee, who is generally credited with expanding the sport outside of England. Mrs. Cran Barry ended up staying in the U.S. to teach and coach field hockey at Wellesley and Bennington Colleges, and ultimately she started the CranBarry business to supply both lacrosse and field hockey equipment. CranBarry has built and sustained a national reputation for supplying quality products to retailers as well as direct to athletes and teams across the country.
Longstreth will combine the operations into its revitalized facility in Spring City, PA, featuring a unique retail experience as well as warehouse and office spaces. Longstreth currently features leading international hockey brands TK of Germany, Gryphon of Australia, Ritual of Australia and Osaka of Belgium.
About Longstreth Sports – the leading retailer of field hockey equipment, footwear and apparel in the United States Longstreth works with all levels of teams and athletes including the USA National Teams, colleges and universities, elite clubs, middle and high schools, and recreational programs throughout the United States. Its mission is to offer customers the best field hockey equipment combined with world class customer service from field hockey experts. Customers can shop at www.longstreth.com, call customer service at 1-800-545-1329 or email generalinfo@longstreth.com with inquiries.
