Pickleball Central Announces a Majority Investment from Dundon Capital Partners LLC

December 27, 2021

Investment will accelerate the growth and reach of America’s fastest growing sport

KENT, Wash.(December 27, 2021) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Pickleball Central, the largest company in the world devoted to the fastest growing sport in America, has announced a majority investment from Dallas-based investment firm Dundon Capital Partners LLC. The deal includes both Pickleball Central’s retail equipment business and its affiliated PickleballTournaments.com software and event management solutions. The investment also provides a multi-million dollar commitment to enhance and extend the capabilities of the Pickleball Tournament’s state-of-the-art technology platform.  Additional terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

“We are excited to be partnering with Dundon Capital Partners as a way to accelerate our meteoric growth,” said Pickleball Central CEO and co-founder David Johnson. “The sport of pickleball grew by 20% last year and now counts over 4 million participants in the U.S. DCP will help us scale to meet demand with a passion for the sport of pickleball and an incredible track record of success in sports-related businesses.”

DCP is a Dallas-based private investment firm focused on private equity and entrepreneurial investments across a range of industries. DCP is led by Tom Dundon, an investor, entrepreneur and pickleball enthusiast. Notable DCP investments include the Carolina Hurricanes, a professional NHL hockey team located in Raleigh, Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) through an early investment in Topgolf, and various commercial real estate projects in downtown Dallas via Pacific Elm Properties.

“Pickleball Central has been a pioneer for the sport of pickleball, and through its acquisition of Pickleball Tournaments, has uniquely positioned itself as a market leader. We are excited to partner with David and the Pickleball Central team to grow their brand, and most importantly, the sport of pickleball,” said Tom Dundon, Dundon Capital Partner’s chairman and managing partner.

Pickleball Central and Pickleball Tournaments will continue to operate with the co-founder’s involvement and the existing management team will remain in place to continue to serve its hundreds of thousands of customers. There are no immediate plans for changes in the company’s operating locations.

About Pickleball Central

Pickleball Central is the world’s largest company devoted exclusively to the sport of pickleball and is one of the fastest growing private companies in the state of Washington. The company serves over 300,000 households worldwide and over 500 distribution, facility, and industry partners. PickleballCentral.com is ranked number one in customer satisfaction for racquet sports retailers by TrustPilot.  In 2018, Pickleball Central acquired PickleballTournaments.com.  In 2016, Pickleball Central acquired Pickle-Ball Inc., the company that formally launched the sport in 1972, and continues to operate its Pickleball.com website. The company is privately held, and operates from headquarters in Kent, Washington.

About Dundon Capital Partners

Dundon Capital Partners is a Dallas-based private investment firm founded in 2015 by Tom Dundon, chairman and managing Partner, who brings more than 25 years of experience as an operator and investor across numerous industries, including financial services, sports & entertainment, hospitality and real estate.

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