PHOENIX — For 100 years, Nokona Gloves has stood the test of time as one of the last American-made baseball glove manufacturers, maintaining its commitment to domestic production while competitors moved overseas.
This year marks Nokona's centennial celebration. The leather producer has been making goods since 1926, originally in the cattle country of Nocona, Texas, northwest of Dallas. Over the years, the company expanded its corporate offices to Phoenix to connect with America's pastime.
What makes Nokona unique is something their president, Jeff Beraznik, describes as an anomaly: they're the only major ball glove maker mass-producing their products in the United States.
This wasn't an easy path. By the 1960s and 1970s, many sporting goods manufacturers moved overseas for cheaper products and labor. But founder "Big Bob" Storey famously once said he'd "rather take a bucket of worms and go fishing than import Nokona gloves."
"The essence of the Nokona brand is not withstanding what everyone else is doing, it's the thing that makes us unique," Beraznik said.
The company has weathered significant challenges throughout its history. During the Great Depression, Nokona pivoted to making mainly ball gloves. Then, during World War II, the company secured a government contract to produce ball gloves for servicemen during off-duty breaks overseas.
"I believe it was close to a million gloves during that period that were just for the military," Beraznik said.
Being American-made comes with a price. The cheapest adult glove starts around $300. Factored into that price isn't just the American leather, but hours of talent from hand stitching by craftspeople like Summer Gavelli. She helped craft a special centennial Nokona glove complete with diamonds and gold, priced at $100,000.
"It's history, it's quality, almost feels kind of legendary," Gavelli said.
About 50 current major leaguers sport Nokona gloves on the field. While other companies have more apparel and gear to offer pro players than gloves, many players like Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo wear Nokona Showbelts.
For Perdomo, his belt reflects his road to the majors.
"I have my brother's name, he passed away in 2011, I always wear it with the Dominican flag," Perdomo said.
Diamondbacks pitcher Kevin Ginkel sports the belt from their World Series run in 2023. He says the American-made brand is underappreciated.
"There's great quality that can come from this country, yeah, I love their stuff," Ginkel said.
For Nokona, American-made isn't just a slogan, but a legacy that still fits like a glove.
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