Voit USA

98 years in the making

Founded by William J. Voit – the son of German-American immigrants – Voit began its journey as a humble tire retreading company in Los Angeles, California. With a passion for invention and delight in California’s sunny beaches, William J. Voit, developed and patented the an all-rubber inflatable ball with an air retention valve that gave way to the first rubber beachball.

With the success of the rubber beach ball, the company underwent a dramatic transition and throughout the 1930s and 40s Voit introduced a number of patents that revolutionized the way we play. Chief amongst these innovations, Voit developed a process of vulcanization that allowed leather to be fixed onto a separate rubber bladder; a crucial step in the development of the modern basketball.

Voit’s patents and products greatly increased athletic and recreational activities across America’s school systems. And it led to the universal use of a new product that now dominates sales the field. Recognizing, Voit’s contribution to collegiate athletics, W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded to the best college football player by Helms Athletic Foundation on the Pacific Coast from 1951 to 1978; Bill McColl of Stanford University became the first collegiate to earn the award.

In 1949, the company passed into the hands of William J.’s son, who took the company from a family business into an international leader in the sporting goods industry. In 1959 Voit opened its first plant outside México City, and soon grew to become a staple of the Mexican market as well.

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