Sportime Inc. Purchases Jugglebug

Dave Finnigan, founder and CEO of Jugglebug, has made the biggest sale in the 18­year history of the company. In mid-January he sold the whole thing to Sportime Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but all parties involved expressed satisfaction that the sale bodes well for them and for juggling.

Finnigan has become an employee of Sportime, and will spend his time doing what he says he has always enjoyed most about juggling - presentation of school and conference programs. "The equipment side of the business was always more trouble than it was worth," he said. "And now that will be in the hands of people who are experts in that field. The new owners have the business acumen to do what I never could - expand the equipment line to new markets and make the company grow."

Sportime is a 30-year-old privately-held company employing about 100 people which markets physical education and recreation products, primarily through one of the largest catalogues in the business. Duane Puckett, vice president of sales for Sportime, said it was very much in Sportime's interest to keep Finnigan on board. "Dave is Jugglebug for all intents and purposes. The products are just resources," he said.

Sportime has carried Jugglebug products in its catalogue for the past seven or eight years. Puckett said Jugglebug's scarves and beanbags were among the top sellers per square inch of space in the whole catalogue. Over the past two years, the two companies began discussing their mutual needs, such as Finnigan's desire to grow his company and Sportime's desire to increase sales and expand its markets.

Puckett said, "We have a very strong presence in schools because we've done business there for 30 years. We hope our name will help grow that piece of Dave's business. If we didn't believe Jugglebug sales will grow, we'd be crazy to do what we did. We believe Jugglebug is our entry to tremendous opportunities for growth of our company, specifically in schools."

One of Sportime's major initiatives is also sponsorship of 110 physical education staff development programs annually which feature the years top phys ed teacher in the country. The association of Jugglebug products with that program should result in increased school sales as well.

Puckett said Sportime also believes it can increase sales of juggling props in several other areas, such as senior citizens at some level of institutional care, people with disabilities and pre-school children. Sportime serves as the umbrella company for its divisions that reach each of those market segments, Chime Time, Hammatt Senior Products, Abilitations and now Jugglebug. The Jugglebug line will also help Sportime move into a new niche, magic and juggling shops.

Sportime does not manufacture any of its equipment, but contracts for its manufacture in 18 countries around the world. Likewise, Jugglebug contracted for the equipment it sold.

Puckett said the Jugglebug product line won't change in 1995, but will be evaluated for possible changes in 1996. He also admitted that the transition between the two companies might not be perfectly smooth, and encouraged customers to call if they encounter difficulty in receiving service or supplies.

Besides Jugglebug, Finnigan also founded the non-profit juggling Institute to train individuals to present juggling programs in schools. He maintains directorship of that organization, and said he hopes to expand it now that he has been "liberated" from the headaches of equipment sales. Finnigan said 19 people were trained as Juggling Institute instructors at last year's IJA festival in Burlington, and that he will offer the training again this year in connection with the Las Vegas festival. He said that management of equipment by Sportime should expand the market for school assembly programs because it can expand the equipment pipeline. "That means more equipment for more kids, and more employment for jugglers," he said.

Elsie Wilks

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