Winmau
Encyclopedia
Winmau is a British manufacturer of dartboards, other darts
equipment and title sponsor of the oldest darts tournament still running, the Winmau World Masters
.
Founded in 1945, Winmau was acquired by rival dartboard manufacturer Nodor in 2002, with both brands remaining in production. The company is based in Bridgend
in south Wales
although manufacturing of the boards takes place in Kenya
.
money. The company manufactured elm
dartboards that were hand-painted until the early 1950s when graphic transfers began to be used for the numbers and coloured segments. Later they produced paper-coil dartboards which, unlike elm boards, did not require soaking, and this was reflected in the brand name "Keep Dry". Scotts Dartboards of Southend, who specialised in paper-coil boards, bought the Keep Dry brand from Kicks in the late 1950s.
The company name evolved into H.A. Kicks and Sons in the early 1960s as Kicks' sons joined the business. At around the same time, the patent on bristle dartboards, owned by Nodor, expired and Kicks began to make their own bristle boards. A few years after signing a deal with the fledgling British Darts Organisation
's (BDO) founder Olly Croft
in 1973 which made H.A. Kicks dartboards the official boards of the organisation, Kicks changed the name of the company to Winmau. The new name came from the first three letters of Hicks' wife's first names, Winifred Maud.
in Suffolk
. In 1993 Ron Kurtz, the owner of Accudart, Inc., Winmau's distributor in the United States, responded to a request for assistance from Kicks sons. Kurtz became the majority shareholder and in just two years had turned Winmau's fortunes around by bringing in his own people to run the business.
As soon as Nodor's patent has expired, Winmau began to produce bristle boards and an intense rivalry between the two companies began. Each company made several bids to acquire the other before Nodor finally completed a takeover of Winmau in 2002.
Nodor continues to manufacture darts equipment using both brand names. The Winmau brand has maintained its close links with the BDO, both as title sponsor for the Winmau World Masters
and continuing to be the official board supplier for major tournaments such as The Lakeside World Championship
.
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
equipment and title sponsor of the oldest darts tournament still running, the Winmau World Masters
Winmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
.
Founded in 1945, Winmau was acquired by rival dartboard manufacturer Nodor in 2002, with both brands remaining in production. The company is based in Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
although manufacturing of the boards takes place in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Origins
The company was founded as H.A. Kicks in 1945 by Harry Kicks using his demobDemobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
money. The company manufactured elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
dartboards that were hand-painted until the early 1950s when graphic transfers began to be used for the numbers and coloured segments. Later they produced paper-coil dartboards which, unlike elm boards, did not require soaking, and this was reflected in the brand name "Keep Dry". Scotts Dartboards of Southend, who specialised in paper-coil boards, bought the Keep Dry brand from Kicks in the late 1950s.
The company name evolved into H.A. Kicks and Sons in the early 1960s as Kicks' sons joined the business. At around the same time, the patent on bristle dartboards, owned by Nodor, expired and Kicks began to make their own bristle boards. A few years after signing a deal with the fledgling British Darts Organisation
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
's (BDO) founder Olly Croft
Olly Croft
Oliver Albert "Olly" Croft, OBE is a former darts administrator and the founder of the British Darts Organisation. He was one of the most influential protagonists in darts for almost four decades having set up and run the British Darts Organisation from its inception in 1973 until he was voted off...
in 1973 which made H.A. Kicks dartboards the official boards of the organisation, Kicks changed the name of the company to Winmau. The new name came from the first three letters of Hicks' wife's first names, Winifred Maud.
Financial difficulties
Harry Kicks senior died in 1984 leaving his five sons to run the company. In the late 1980s the popularity of darts as a televised sport began to wane which had a knock-on effect for Winmau which began to struggle financially. In 1989 a compulsory purchase order forced Winmau to move to new premises, and the company relocated to HaverhillHaverhill, Suffolk
Haverhill is an industrial market town and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. It lies southeast of Cambridge and north of central London...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. In 1993 Ron Kurtz, the owner of Accudart, Inc., Winmau's distributor in the United States, responded to a request for assistance from Kicks sons. Kurtz became the majority shareholder and in just two years had turned Winmau's fortunes around by bringing in his own people to run the business.
Nodor rivalry and takeover
Nodor was started in 1919 by chemist Ted Leggatt as a manufacturer of modelling clay. In 1923, Leggatt produced his first dartboard which was made from clay. It did not prove popular and within a year Nodor was making elm dart boards. By the mid 1930s however, Nodor had found success with the launch of their patented bristle dartboard.As soon as Nodor's patent has expired, Winmau began to produce bristle boards and an intense rivalry between the two companies began. Each company made several bids to acquire the other before Nodor finally completed a takeover of Winmau in 2002.
Nodor continues to manufacture darts equipment using both brand names. The Winmau brand has maintained its close links with the BDO, both as title sponsor for the Winmau World Masters
Winmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
and continuing to be the official board supplier for major tournaments such as The Lakeside World Championship
BDO World Darts Championship
The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
.