Brine

Brine is an American sporting-goods brand whose roots date to 1922, when W. H. Brine established the W. H. Brine Company. The business began as a small supplier of sports equipment and uniforms, serving private schools and regional camps. The Brine family had already been involved in sports-goods retailing since the nineteenth century, and that background helped the company develop relationships in school and amateur athletics. The company initially operated across several sports, but lacrosse became its defining field during the mid-twentieth century. In the 1950s, when wooden lacrosse sticks dominated the market, the Brine family investigated ways to manufacture sticks that could meet the durability and performance expectations of organized play. The company’s development work eventually moved beyond wood into laminated wood, plastic, fiberglass, and aluminum. Its later use of Surlyn, a DuPont plastic, and related molding methods contributed to the development of durable molded lacrosse heads and helped establish the type of construction that became standard in modern lacrosse sticks. Brine also developed a substantial soccer business during the 1960s. The company is credited in the reference material with several ball-construction innovations, including the use of synthetic leather coverings, a consistently round bladder, and an unconditional product guarantee. These developments reflected Brine’s broader emphasis on equipment durability and dependable performance rather than a narrow focus on one sport. During the 1970s and afterward, lacrosse remained central to the brand. In 1986, Bill Brine left the family company and founded Cascade, which later became a major lacrosse helmet and eyewear business. Brine itself expanded its portfolio during the 1990s with apparel and volleyball equipment. It entered field hockey more fully in 2000, added lacrosse helmets and eyemasks in 2003, and acquired In The Crease, a New York-based maker of lacrosse goals and goal accessories, in the same year. Athletic footwear followed in 2004. Brine also experimented with sports-related digital entertainment. In 2005 it released Brine Lacrosse, described in the reference material as the first mobile lacrosse video game. The release extended the brand beyond physical equipment, although Brine’s principal identity remained that of a sports-equipment manufacturer. On August 4, 2006, New Balance acquired Brine. The company had previously been known as Brine, Inc.; after the acquisition, its corporate name changed to Brine, Corp. The acquisition placed Brine within the New Balance organization while preserving the Brine name as a sporting-goods label. The brand’s historical portfolio includes lacrosse sticks, protective equipment, goals, soccer balls and equipment, volleyball products, field-hockey equipment, apparel, footwear, and related accessories. Its current operating scope and the extent to which all historical product categories remain available are not established by the supplied sources.

Brine’s history is rooted in the Brine family’s long involvement in sports retailing and equipment distribution. The family’s sports-goods activity is described as extending back to 1867, while the branded manufacturing business began in 1922, when W. H. Brine founded the W. H. Brine Company. Initially, the company supplied sports equipment and uniforms to private schools and regional camps. This school-centered distribution base gave it an early presence in organized amateur athletics and provided a platform for later expansion. The business became particularly associated with lacrosse during the 1950s. At that time, lacrosse sticks were predominantly made of wood, and the market had relatively few specialized manufacturers. With encouragement and assistance from figures connected with school and collegiate lacrosse, the Brine family began exploring how to manufacture sticks that could withstand intensive play while being easier to produce consistently. The company tested laminated wood, plastic, fiberglass, and aluminum. These experiments eventually led to the adoption of Surlyn, a DuPont plastic whose properties suited the strength and resilience required for lacrosse. Brine developed a molding approach that became an important basis for the modern molded lacrosse-stick head. Brine’s activities were not limited to lacrosse. In the 1960s, the company began manufacturing soccer balls and other soccer equipment. Its soccer development work included synthetic-leather ball coverings intended to improve durability, a consistently round bladder, and an unconditional guarantee. These innovations helped define Brine as an equipment company that sought to combine practical product engineering with school and team-sport distribution. The company continued to develop lacrosse products through the 1970s and later decades. A significant offshoot occurred in 1986, when Bill Brine departed the family business and founded Cascade. Cascade subsequently became a leading lacrosse helmet and eyewear company, creating a separate business legacy connected to the Brine family while remaining distinct from Brine itself. During the 1990s, Brine broadened its range by introducing apparel and volleyball equipment. In 2000, it established a full field-hockey equipment line. The company then returned to further lacrosse-category expansion, adding helmets and eyemasks in 2003. That year it also acquired In The Crease, a Penn Yan, New York company specializing in lacrosse goals and goal accessories. The acquisition complemented Brine’s existing stick and protective-equipment business by giving it a dedicated offering for field infrastructure. In 2004, Brine entered athletic footwear. The brand also pursued a small digital-media extension. In 2005, it released Brine Lacrosse for mobile devices. The game connected Brine’s consumer identity with the sport for which it was best known and was described by the supplied reference as the first mobile lacrosse video game. On August 4, 2006, New Balance acquired Brine. Before the transaction, the company was known as Brine, Inc.; it was subsequently renamed Brine, Corp. The acquisition made Brine part of New Balance’s broader business structure while retaining the Brine name. Brine’s historical catalog has included lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, apparel, footwear, goals, and accessories. The supplied sources do not establish the present status of every product line or the precise organizational relationship between the historical corporation and the current website, so current operations remain marked for review.

• 2006

  Acquisition by New Balance

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  New Balance acquired Brine on August 4, 2006. The company subsequently changed its name from Brine, Inc. to Brine, Corp.

• 2005

  Brine Lacrosse mobile game released

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  The company released a mobile lacrosse video game under the Brine name.

• 2004

  Entry into athletic footwear

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Brine began making athletic footwear.

• 2003

  Lacrosse protection and In The Crease expansion

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Brine added lacrosse helmets and eyemasks and acquired In The Crease, a maker of lacrosse goals and accessories.

• 2000

  Full field-hockey line introduced

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Brine began producing a complete line of field-hockey equipment.

• 1986

  Bill Brine founds Cascade

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Bill Brine left the family company and founded Cascade, a separate business that later became prominent in lacrosse helmets and eyewear.

• 1970

  Molded plastic lacrosse-stick development

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  After testing several materials, Brine adopted Surlyn and developed a molding method for durable lacrosse-stick heads.

• 1960

  Expansion into soccer equipment

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Brine began producing soccer balls and equipment and developed several ball-construction features described in the reference material.

• 1950

  Lacrosse development becomes a major focus

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1950s, Brine began systematic work on manufacturing lacrosse sticks and investigating alternatives to traditional wooden construction.

• 1922

  W. H. Brine establishes the company

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  W. H. Brine founded the W. H. Brine Company as a supplier of sports equipment and uniforms.

• 1867

  Brine family enters sports-goods retailing

  [1]Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  The Brine family’s involvement in sports-goods vending is traced to 1867, predating the later manufacturing company.

A performance-oriented sporting-goods brand with particular historical strength in lacrosse, supported by a broader portfolio spanning soccer, volleyball, field hockey, apparel, footwear, and related athletic equipment.

• Lacrosse · 1950

  Lacrosse equipment

  Lacrosse has historically been Brine’s signature category. The range developed from traditional stick manufacturing into molded lacrosse heads, complete sticks, protective products, helmets, eyemasks, and field accessories. Brine’s work with Surlyn and molded construction was central to its product-development history.

• Lacrosse field equipment · 2003

  In The Crease goals and accessories

  In The Crease was a lacrosse-goal and accessories business based in Penn Yan, New York. Brine acquired it in 2003, adding goals and related field equipment to its lacrosse portfolio.

• Soccer · 1960

  Soccer equipment

  Brine entered soccer equipment in the 1960s. Its soccer range included balls and related equipment, with product-development efforts focused on synthetic-leather coverings, consistently round bladders, and durability.

• Volleyball · 1990

  Volleyball equipment

  Brine added volleyball equipment during its 1990s diversification, extending the brand into another organized team-sport category.

• Field hockey · 2000

  Field hockey equipment

  Brine introduced a full field-hockey equipment line in 2000 as part of its expansion beyond lacrosse and soccer.

• Athletic apparel and footwear · 1990

  Apparel and athletic footwear

  The brand added apparel in the 1990s and began producing athletic footwear in 2004, broadening its offering from sport-specific equipment into wearable athletic products.

• 2006

  Sell Brine to New BalanceM&A

  Background

  After decades as a family-owned sporting-goods business, Brine entered a larger corporate structure.

  Action taken

  New Balance acquired Brine on August 4, 2006, and the company name changed from Brine, Inc. to Brine, Corp.

  Aftermath

  Brine became part of New Balance while continuing to operate under the Brine name in the supplied historical account.

  Source

• 2003

  Acquire In The CreaseM&A

  Background

  Brine was expanding its lacrosse portfolio and sought to add goals and goal accessories alongside sticks and protective equipment.

  Action taken

  Brine acquired In The Crease, a specialist lacrosse-goal company based in Penn Yan, New York.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened Brine’s lacrosse offering to include field goals and related accessories.

  Source

1. 1Brine (brand)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Brine official websitebrine.com