wilson football tour ada ohio

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Ada, Ohio : Wilson Football Factory Tour

All footballs used in the NFL and NCAA are produced in this one little factory. Tours conducted by factory employees, ready to answer your football manufacturing questions.

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All footballs used in the NFL and NCAA are produced in this little factory in Ada. The tour is very interesting and thorough. You get a souvenir football-shaped piece of pebbled leather, and there is a "gift shop" bin of footballs at the end of the tour if you'd like to take one home. The amount of hard work, done by hand from start to finish, is amazing. Tours are given by actual factory employees and there's lots of interaction.

We were asked to sign a stamped cow hide on the way out.

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Wilson Football Factory

A LEGACY OF PRIDE

Consistency. Commitment. Attention to detail. Hallmarks of a tradition that dates back more than 70 years. More than 700,000 footballs a year have been handmade in Ada, Ohio, by Wilson’s talented craftsmen and women since 1955.

They've built footballs for Super Bowl champs, MVPs and Hall of Famers. But they put the same love and passion into every ball, each step along the way – making milestones for youth leagues, Friday night hometown heroes, college All-Americans and the NFL’s elite. See the play-by-play of how our game balls are made.

Since 1941 every NFL game ball has been made by Wilson, and since 1955 all of those balls have been made in their Ada, Ohio factory. It is the only football specific factory in the world. The NFL is the only major sports league to make their ball in the USA.

With a production capacity of 4,000 balls a day and over 700,000 footballs a year, it keeps all 120 factory employees busy around the clock. Most of their employees have several generations of factory employees in the family, with decades of experience.

The above video is episode 1 of 3 for the Wilson Football Factory series. View  Episode 2  and  Episode 3 .

FACTORY TOUR DETAILS:

Call 419.634.9901 for all info regarding the wilson football factory tour, as details change regularly., reservations: yes, call ahead: 419.634.9901, tour duration:, factory hours:, wilson football factory 217 liberty st. ada, oh 45810, also, head on over to the 50 built wilson football review ., related articles.

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Wilson Football Factory Tour

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Super Bowl always in Ada

Wilson Football Factory adds alot of community pride. A good place to work. A place to tour. Especially great for a group. Tours have to be set up ahead of time. Ada even holds a festival in thei...

Wilson Football Repair

The staff were friendly and accomadating. They repared my footballs in 20 minutes. Thanks Tina. There is no store connected to the plant. I did not tour the plant

No drop in tours or gift shop!!

When you are in a small town and you are one of the only attractions, you need to have something for the general public available all the time. I can understand that you don't have tours available all...

Made in America.. definitely...

You do need a reservation for this tour but if you want to be proud of American workers and their skill and work effort this is a must see. The factory, which is mostly hand work, produces 3000 leath...

Great tour for both kids and adults - worth the drive

If you enjoy football, or even if you don't, this tour is really fascinating. It almost made me tired watching everyone work so hard, so if nothing else I was glad just to be on vacation. It was rea...

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Ada Ohio has the unique distinction of having the shortest name for a town or city in the state ( there is a village in Defiance County called Ney ). Ada is also geographically located at a unique spot in Ohio. On the north side of town, streams and rivers eventually empty into Lake Erie. On the south side of town the water flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Back when Ada was first being platted it was going to be called Johnstown, but when founders of Johnstown requested a post office, the post master said there already was a Johnstown and they would have to come up with something else. Since the gentlemen applying for the post office couldn't come up with another name, they asked the post master for a suggestion. He said, "How about Ada?" That was fine with the men. When they asked what Ada meant, the post master said "Why that's my daughter's name!"

The original town has its roots tied loosely to the railroads. In 1850 William Mitchell purchased a large 160 acre tract of land almost exactly at the center of where Ada is located today. William Mitchell, who had become friends with Sanford M. Johnson. Mr. Johnson had only recently arrived in Fort Wayne and met William Mitchell. William Mitchell had purchased some 160 acres of wilderness that was supposed to be heavily forested, but a bit swampy. This wilderness land was also along the right-of-way of a new rail line being built. Because Sanford Johnson was a millwright, Mitchell thought it would be a perfect fit if he gave Johnson 80 acres, if Johnson would move to Hardin County and establish a lumber mill on the land next to the proposed railroad. Both men would benefit: Johnson would gain some valuable property, and Mitchell's property would greatly increase in value as the area grew in size and importance.

1887 Ada Depot, 112 E. Central Avenue

Once his lumber mill was under construction, Sanford M. Johnson plotted out the beginnings of the new village he proudly named Johnstown. The new village of Johnstown was off and running. The first passenger train arrived in 1854. Within a year, the village had two general stores, a tavern and the new railroad depot. With the regular arrival of mail to and from the village, it became quickly apparent that there was going to be a problem since mail destined for Johnstown in Licking County was being delivered to Johnstown in Hardin County. So in 1855 the post office officially changed the name and it became permanently the village of Ada.  In 1861 the Village of Ada was incorporated. In the mid 1860s, Sanford Johnson sold his mill. This was about the same time that Henry Lehr arrived in Ada. Henry would later recall that it was his meeting with Mr. Johnson that convinced him that Ada was the place he wanted to begin his new career as a college instructor. Not long after this meeting between the two men S.M. Johnson permanently moved to Lima after selling his lumber mill to Solomon Smick. Johnson would go on to opened a paper mill in Lima where fifteen years later Johnson died.

Ohio Northern University

The roots of ONU can be traced back to just after the Civil War when Henry Lehr arrived in Ada in search of a location where he could establish the kind of school he was proposing. This was still the early days of Ada and young Lehr (28 years old) had a rough look about him and he was quite small in stature. Not the look of a school teacher. Henry had just received his final discharge from the 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and he had spent the last 3 years in and out of medical facilities. 

When the war broke out Henry Lehr had just finished his winter teaching and was preparing to pickup his college studies at Mt. Union as he had been doing. That April in 1861 he enlisted at Wooster but was rejected because of his small size. He went back to Alliance and his studies. That fall he tried to enlist again but was again rejected by the army. The following spring he enlisted and was accepted, but in September of that same year he was rejected because of his poor health.

When Henry Lehr debarked from the train, he liked what he saw: a growing town that wasn't too big and it wasn't that far away from his father who had convinced Henry not to move on to Missouri. So when the train came to a halt in Johnston, it seemed like a perfect fit. Johnstown needed a school, Henry needed a job. When discussing the public schools in Johnstown, he convinced the board that he was a perfect fit. He could oversee the public school duties during the day, and teach students wanting to become teachers in the evening if the board would allow him the use of the building. In exchange Henry promised, that in 20 years his school would be enrolling 5,000 pupils. With that promise and his determination, Henry became Ada's first superintendent, a position he held from 1866 to 1871.

Football Capital of the World

Wilson had been supplying footballs to the NFL since 1941, but it wasn't until 1955 that Wilson opened the Wilson Football factory in Ada. As of this writing, the Wilson Football Factory is the only  football factory dedicated to making professional footballs in the world. American-made and Quality go hand-in-hand and the prime reason the plant was built in Ada. Today, the Wilson Football Factory is the 2nd largest employer in Ada, second only to Ohio Northern University, Each year700,000 footballs are produced at Wilson's only football factory. Of those 700,000 balls made each year, 108 of them are shipped to each team in the NFL for each regular season game they play  (54 for the game and 54 for practice) .

Did you know:

• There are 16 lace holes on each ball
• There are 4 panels on each game ball
• The difference between a regular game ball and the NFL kicker ball is a letter "K" inscribed on the kicker ball and they are then sealed in boxes with anti-tampering tape, and they arrive at the the NFLs official hotel one week before the game and then delivered to the officials room a few hours before kickoff.
• Official pressure for an NFL game ball is 13 pounds
• Teams give their 54 game balls to the officials on game day. The officials inspect the balls and once approved, a synthetic DNA link is added to the laces to indicate they are the authentic on-field game balls.
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Wilson Sports going big in Ada, breaking ground on expanded football production facility

by WSYX Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Wilson Sporting Goods is going big in Ada, celebrating the groundbreaking of its expanded factory. The official ball supplier of both the NFL and NBA will deepen its roots with a new facility more than double in size of the current plant.

Wilson handcrafts every genuine leather NFL football from its football factory. The facility is also home to product testing, ball customization and Wilson’s game-ready product break-in process for both the football and basketball categories.

The expansion was essential according to Kevin Murphy, the GM of Wilson Team Sports who told ABC-6, "We are selling more balls than we can make."

Plant manager/engineer Andy Wentling said the plant employs 156 workers and will add 20-30 employees over the next three years. Wentling has been the driving force for the expansion and said he battled through many rejections before getting the facility approved.

The brand’s expanded footprint in Ada is expected to open in 2024.

Wilson is adding a retail souvenir shop to the new facility as well. The plant in Ada has been producing the official NFL ball for 80 years. They will be adding the NBA basketball, volleyball and soccer balls.

Wilson Football Factory

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Wilson Football Factory - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Wilson Football Factory

Introduction.

Text-to-speech Audio

Outside of the Wilson Football Factory located at 217 N, Liberty St, Ada, Ohio.

Sharon Mullins, a Wilson Football Factory employee, arranging a piece of cowhide that will be cut into smaller pieces. The Wilson plant produces 4,000 footballs a day.

Frank Guerra, a Wilson Football Factory employee, at his stamping station. This machine prints logos on each leather panel through a 14-step stamping process.

Chrissie Oakes, a Wilson Football Factory employee, lacing a football. Every leather Wilson football has been built by hand in Ada, Ohio, by a veteran team of skilled craftsmen and women.

Super Bowl LII footballs getting inspected before they are distributed. Once a ball passes inspection, the packagers box up each ball for retail or sort them to ship off to teams.

The 10-foot-long Wilson football lantern, made in Ada, waits to be dropped at midnight to welcome the arrival of the Super Bowl Sunday.

A water tower displaying, "MADE IN ADA" as a tribute to Ada's team of experts who dedicate their life to perfecting every cut and stitch of each football produced by the factory.

The other side of the water tower displaying the National Football League's shield logo as a tribute to Ada's football heritage.

Backstory and Context

Wilson is a company dedicated to sport. Originally known as the Ashland Manufacturing Company, Wilson Sporting Goods was founded by Thomas E. Wilson in Chicago, Illinois as a daughter company of “Schwarzchild and Sulzberger” meat packing (later renamed to “Sulzberger & Son’s”). In 1941, Wilson became official provider of game balls for the National Football League, a partnership that continues to this day. Wilson Sporting Goods Company specializes in the manufacturing of sport balls, rackets, uniforms, various other sporting equipment, and apparel. 

Sulzberger & Son's, a meat packing company, founded the Ashland Manufacturing Company in 1913 to find a use for the animal-by-products from its slaughterhouses. By 1914, Ashland Manufacturing Company was producing tennis racket strings, violin strings, and surgical sutures, but soon expanded their business into baseball shoes and tennis racquets. In 1915, Thomas E. Wilson was appointed president of the Ashland Manufacturing Company and renamed the business Thomas E. Wilson Company. The company acquired the Hetzinger Knitting Mills to produce athletic uniforms, but soon expanded into footballs and basketballs by also using the animal by-products. In 1931, the business renamed itself Wilson Sporting Goods Company. During World War II, Wilson Sporting Goods Company debuted the  Duke  football, featuring high-quality leather, ends that were hand-sewn, lock-stitch seams, and triple lining. Wilson’s  Duke  football was later adopted as the official ball of the National Football League.

The Wilson Football Factory is located in the heart of a classic, small, American town. Since the factory’s establishment in 1955, every leather Wilson football has been built by hand in Ada, Ohio by a veteran team of skilled craftsmen and women. This factory is distinguished by its legacy, consistency, commitment, and attention to detail, hallmarks of a tradition dating back to more than 70 years ago. The Wilson Football Factory manufactures more than 700,000 footballs per year for games across the country ranging from high school Friday night lights, to collegiate teams country wide, all the way to National Football League’s most elite professional athletes. Every year, the Wilson Football Factory builds footballs for games, Super Bowl champions, MVPs, and Hall of Fame all stars. 

Year round, for $5.00 per person, the Wilson Football Factory employees will provide visitors with an informative and thorough tour of the facility. From cutting, to sewing, turning, lacing, and finally molding, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the steps and machinery involved in producing a football as well as how each football is distributed from factory to field.

In 2017, Ada decided to celebrate its football heritage and hosted the inaugural Made in Ada Wilson Football Festival on the night before Super Bowl Sunday. Every year since, hundreds of people gather from near and far to participate in the event’s activities and watch the football drop at midnight to welcome the arrival of the Super Bowl. The event includes performances by local bands, numerous raffles throughout the day to win commemorative Wilson footballs, demonstrations of how footballs are made, and an exhibit by the National Football League Professional Hall of Fame. Wilson pride is evident all over town. One of Ada’s two water towers reads “MADE IN ADA” and is painted with the Wilson logo and the National Football League shield logo.

From leather to laces, the  Duke  football is one hundred percent made in this small northwestern Ohio town. The team of experts who dedicate their life to perfecting every cut and stitch of each football is what makes Wilson unique and desirable to teams across the United States. Wilson is the chosen pigskin for every NFL and NCAA game. Next time you watch, know there is a product made by American workers that contributes to football, one of America’s favorite sports institutions.

Guerrieri, V. (2018, January).  Made in Ada Wilson Football Factory . Retrieved from Ohio Magazine: https://www.ohiomagazine.com/ohio-life/article/made-in-ada-wilson-football-festival

Handmade in the USA: Ada, Ohio . (2020). Retrieved October 2020, from Wilson Sporting Goods: https://www.wilson.com/en-us/explore/football/ada-ohio-factory

Kahler, K. (2018, January 28).  The Super Bowl is a Showcase for Ada, Ohio, the Town Where Footballs are Born . Retrieved November 2020, from Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/28/super-bowl-52-ada-ohio-wilson-football-plant

Make History . (n.d.). Retrieved October 2020, from Wilson Sporting Goods: https://www.wilson.com/en-us/explore/football/nfl

Steiner, F. (2018, December 23).  Water Tower at Eye Level . Retrieved November 2020, from Ada Icon: http://www.adaicon.com/feature/201812/water-tower-eye-level

Thomas, K. (2008, February 2).  At a Small Ohio Facotry, Leather and Laces Mesh . Retrieved November 2020, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/sports/football/02footballs.html

Wilson Sporting Goods Company History . (n.d.). Retrieved October 2020, from Funding Universe: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/wilson-sporting-goods-company-history/

Thomas, K. (2008, February 2). At a Small Ohio Facotry, Leather and Laces Mesh. Retrieved November 2020, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/sports/football/02footballs.html

Kahler, K. (2018, January 28). The Super Bowl is a Showcase for Ada, Ohio, the Town Where Footballs are Born. Retrieved November 2020, from Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/28/super-bowl-52-ada-ohio-wilson-football-plant

Guerrieri, V. (2018, January). Made in Ada Wilson Football Factory. Retrieved from Ohio Magazine: https://www.ohiomagazine.com/ohio-life/article/made-in-ada-wilson-football-festival

Steiner, F. (2018, December 23). Water Tower at Eye Level. Retrieved November 2020, from Ada Icon: http://www.adaicon.com/feature/201812/water-tower-eye-level

Additional Information

9 top factory tours in Ohio, where Wilson footballs, Honda Accords, KitchenAid mixers are made

• Published: Aug. 06, 2015, 2:54 p.m.
• Susan Glaser, cleveland.com

Airstream trailers are made in Jackson Center, northwest of Columbus. (Photo courtesy of Airstream)

Who says we don’t make anything in Ohio anymore? Not the workers at the Wilson Football Factory in Ada. Not the employees at Honda’s Marysville Auto Plant. Not the folks who make American Whistles in Columbus.

Doubtful? Take a trip and see for yourself.

While the majority of factories in Ohio keep their doors closed to the public, a handful of manufacturers encourage visitors.

We’ve compiled a list here of nine factories in Ohio that offer tours to the public – places that make everything from KitchenAid mixers to high-end campers to baseball bats.

Want to see what’s (still) made in Ohio? Here’s where to go:

Honda Accords coming off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant northwest of Columbus.

Honda Manufacturing of Ohio

Marysville Auto Plant, Marysville

Making Hondas in Ohio since 1982, this plant just started offering tours early this year – reservations required. Guests begin their tour at the new Honda Heritage Center , which features some of the company's earliest cars, plus vehicles of the future (including Miimo, the robotic lawnmower).

A HondaJet, plus other vehicles, on display at the Honda Heritage Center in Marysville, northwest of Columbus.

Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch

After the museum visit, guests are escorted into the Marysville Auto Plant, which produces the Honda Accord, the Acura TLX and the Acura ILX, and employs more than 4,000. To schedule a visit: 937-644-6888. For more information: tinyurl.com/hondaheritage

The Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio.

Mike Arzt/Courtesy Airstream

Airstream, Jackson Center

For a vehicle with a bed and a bathroom, check out the Airstream factory in Jackson Center (just 40 miles northwest of Marysville). These iconic campers, easily recognized by their aluminum bodies, have been made in northwest Ohio since the early 1950s. “Come see how we really do put every one of those rivets in by hand,” says the Airstream website.

Free tours are offered at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, close-toed shoes required. For information: 1-877-596-6111 or airstream.com/company/tours .

KitchenAid's iconic stand mixers are all made in Greenville, near Dayton.

Darke County Visitors Bureau

KitchenAid, Greenville

KitchenAid has been making its popular stand mixers in Greenville – and only Greenville – for decades. In recent years, the company, owned by Whirlpool, added hand mixers to the production line here, too.

Before or after touring the factory, visitors can take a cooking class, visit the mixer museum and check out current KitchenAid offerings in the retail store.

Factory tours are $5 and are offered at 12:30 Tuesday through Friday, at 1701 KitchenAid Way; the retail facility is downtown, at 423 South Broadway. For information: 1-888-886-8318 or kitchenaid.com/experience-retail-center

Making leather footballs at the Wilson factory in Ada, Ohio.

Wilson Sporting Goods

Wilson Football Factory, Ada

Ada, near Lima, is home to the world’s only dedicated football factory, part of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. The factory produces 4,000 leather balls a day – 700,000 a year – including every ball that’s appeared in an NFL game since 1941.

Making Wilson footballs in Ada, Ohio.

Production is all done by hand – cut, sewn, steamed and laced -- by 120 employees. Tours are offered only once per week; dates and times vary. Admission is $5. For information: 419-634-9901 or wilson.com/en-us/football/nfl/wilson-and-the-nfl/factory .

Phoenix Bats in Plain City, Ohio.

Phoenix Bats

Phoenix Bats, Plain City

Prefer baseball? Then head to Plain City, northwest of Columbus, where Phoenix Bats has been making its all-wood bats since 1996 (approved for use in the Big Leagues in 2000). Hour-long tours cover wood selection, computer-aided design, and working with pros.

Tours are offered Monday and Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes a mini bat souvenir. Information:  phoenixbats.com or 1-877-590-6675.

Bill Kennedy, The Plain Dealer

American Whistle, Columbus

American Whistle Corp., north of downtown Columbus, is the only U.S. manufacturer of metal whistles. It’s a primary supplier to police officers, lifeguards, band directors and Boy Scouts.

Terry Gilliam, Associated Press

Forty-five minute public tours must be scheduled in advance, with a 15-person minimum (the company will combine groups). Cost is $4, and includes a souvenir whistle. For information: 1-800-876-2918 or americanwhistle.com .

Making washboards in Logan, Ohio.

Hocking Hills Tourism Association

Columbus Washboard Co., Logan

For a factory tour with an old-fashioned touch, head southeast from Columbus to Logan, home of the only manufacturer of washboards in the United States. The company, in existence since the late 19 th century, produces washboards for laundry use, as well as musical instruments, crafts and furniture.

Tours are offered at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday year-round, plus 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays May through October. Cost is $4. Information:  columbuswashboard.com or 740-380-3828.

Spangler Candy Co.

Spangler Candy Co., Bryan

The Spangler family has been making sweet treats in far northwestern Ohio for more than a century. Familiar brands include Dum Dums, Spangler Candy Canes and Circus Peanuts. Tours, aboard the Dum Dums Trolley, are offered 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday (Monday through Friday during the summer). Cost is $5. Due to FDA regulations, the tour does not go through the main kitchen area.

Peggy Turbett, The Plain Dealer

Also on site: the Spangler Store & Museum, with historical exhibits – and samples. Information:  spanglercandy.com or 1-888-636-4221.

Todd Biss Photography

Fannie May/Harry London Chocolates, Green

End your Made in Ohio tour in the sweetest possible way, with a guided walk through the Harry London chocolate factory in Green. (Harry London combined with Chicago-based Fanny May about 10 years ago; both are now owned by 1-800-Flowers.com.)

A timeline of the Harry London and Fannie May companies in Green, Ohio.

1-800-Flowers.com

Tours of the facility are offered 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and include a small movie covering the history of the company, an overview of the factory floor – plus lots of samples. The tour is free. Information:  fanniemay.com/chocolate-tour or 330-494-0833.

Ford F-150 pickup trucks on the assembly line at the Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Henry Ford

And one in Michigan

If you're in the Detroit area, don't miss a tour through the historic Ford Rouge Factory, which opened in the late 1910s and today produces the company's popular F-150 pickup trucks. Rouge tours are coordinated through the Henry Ford complex of attractions in Dearborn. Click  HERE for a complete story on the Ford Rouge Factory Tour.

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Wilson Football Factory in Ada, OH, breaks ground on new expanded facility

80,000 square foot plant set to open in may 2024, retaining jobs and bringing innovation.

ADA, Ohio (WTVG) - The beat goes on inside the Wilson football factory, same as it has since 1955. Outside, however, there’s a new rhythm. It’s the rumble of heavy machinery laying the groundwork for a new plant.

“I’ve been working on this for four years now, and it was ‘No, no, no.’ And then we get some funding, it’s like, ‘Go, go, go!’” said Andy Wentling, Plant Manager of the Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio.

Wentling is overseeing the future of the facility as it moves manufacturing next door into a building twice the size as the current one. This new plant will be 80,000 square feet, leaving room for additional automation and expansion as the factory continues to hand-assemble NFL footballs and quality-check NBA basketballs. Wilson also puts custom brands on both basketballs and footballs inside the factory here.

“Some of those discussions happened. Where do you put the building? Do you move it, right? So, obviously, we’re campaigning to keep it in Ada,” said Wentling. “The history’s here. Our tradition is here. Our skilled trades are here. Everybody knows how to sew, turn, that kind of stuff, so it was no doubt to keep it here. It was just acquiring some additional land behind us here and then coming up with a facility that’s going to work for everything.”

That means job security for the 156 current employees, plus hiring another 20 to 30 more over the next three years.

“The reason we have such a great facility here now and it’s going to be greater in the future, is the people,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager of Wilson Team Sports, based in Chicago. “This is a skilled labor. It’s an amazing talent to make an NFL game ball, and there’s only one place you can do it, and that’s I guess in Ohio, the cradle of football, right?”

Wilson plans to combine skill with tech and keep it all under one roof. The new facility, which will include a retail outlet, is expected to be up and running by May 2024. As for the old building, it could get converted into a museum and a place to purchase factory seconds.

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