Never Compromise Inc.
Founded:
March 1997
CEO:
Vikash Sanyal
Employees:
37
Revenues:
Not disclosed
Address:
1259 Activity Drive, Vista
Business:
Golf putter manufacturer
1997, with help from private investor John Krenger, just one month after Sanyal left Odyssey Golf.
“I wanted to find something that had meaning, but I wanted to keep it short so it could stand out,” he said. “If we’re successful, people are going to love (the name). If we’re not successful, who cares what the name was?”
With a degree in psychology from UC San Diego, the golf industry wasn’t exactly a career goal for Sanyal.
Upon graduation, he figured he would find a regular part-time job and work his way through graduate school. He originally applied for a part-time job in Odyssey’s manufacturing department, but was offered a job in sales and marketing and quickly found out he was expected to work seven days a week at $200 per week.
Although his path was altered a bit, Sanyal earned an MBA from CSU San Marcos. He worked at Odyssey for six years before branching out on his own.
Distinctive Look
Sanyal said it’s simple to spot Never Compromise’s products on the course. They have a trademark black/gray/black color scheme that follows the company pattern of being unique and creative, Sanyal said.
Numerous professional golfers, including former U.S. Open winner Ernie Els, use the company’s putters on tours.
Never Compromise’s putters are unique, he said, because of its patented three-piece technology. The entire midsection of the putter head is made of an ultra-light polymer composite and makes up only 10 percent of the club’s total weight. Ninety percent of the weight is in the heel and toe of the putter, giving it more accuracy, forgiveness and distance control, according to company literature.
According to Chicago-based Golf Data Tech, which tracks industry sales, Never Compromise is the fourth best-selling putter on the market.
From a glance, that would seem to be a major accomplishment given the company has been in existence only four years and competes with industry giants like Ping, Titlelist and Sanyal’s former employer, Odyssey.
But fourth is not good enough for Sanyal.
“If we can’t be No. 1, then we don’t want to play,” he said. “While I’m glad we’re fourth, I think we should be second and I think we could have been second if we had done things differently.”
The putters have been a top seller locally as well. Whitney Wilkinson, manager of the Mission Valley Golf Mart store, said the putters have sold well over the past two to three years.
“It’s a very popular putter,” Wilkinson said. “It has a good design and also has a good visibility on the tour.”
Wilkinson said tour visibility is one of the main components for driving sales.
“When a customer sees a professional using the putter, (they think) it’s got to be a good putter and it goes from there.”
At the Golfsmith Golf Center in Mission Valley, one manager said the putter practically sells itself. There is a putting green in the store, and customers routinely test the product before purchasing, said store manager Raymond Lara.
Steady Climb
Although he would not disclose sales figures, Sanyal said the company is on track to double its sales from last year. He also expects the company to be profitable for the first time. Although Sanyal said there are no immediate plans for the company to go public, he said that could be an option in the future depending on the market.
Sanyal said becoming the market leader won’t happen overnight; in fact, he admits the company has faced some obstacles just to get to where it is.
One problem was a shortage of its product. As a result, the company became undercapitalized and burned a lot of money. Nonetheless, Sanyal always maintained a positive outlook.
There are advantages to being young and new in the business, said Sanyal, 34, who added that every member of his executive team is under 40.
“(Being na & #271;ve) is not always a bad thing,” Sanyal said. “In some ways it’s good, because it helps you get through the bad times. You never get that doubt.
“But you can’t be na & #271;ve and ignorant. You have to have a strong plan.”
The plan for Never Compromise was relatively simple: be sure to have the better product, a unique look, strong distribution and a visible presence on major tours.
“We have a very unique position with the look of our product,” said Brad Adams, the company’s chief strategic officer and executive vice president. “When you do something that’s not really different, there’s not much of a point being out there.”
Family Tradition
Adams echoes Sanyal’s view that the company can become the best in its field. As the son of Carlsbad-based TaylorMade Golf’s founder Gary Adams, Brad has seen it happen before.
“I watched Dad start TaylorMade and go from nothing to one of the main companies in the industry,” Adams said.
He also migrated from Odyssey Golf after witnessing that company become the industry leader in just six years.
Never Compromise has only one family of products, while some competitors have up to nine. The average price for a putter is $119. The company is working on extending its product line with the development of more advanced putters. But there is no hurry, Sanyal said.
“The key is you can’t launch new products for the sake of launching new products,” he said. “As soon as you launch a product that isn’t better, that’s when the consumer starts to doubt you.
“Consumers will pay for new products, but it has to be real. You can’t fool the consumer.” 1997, with help from private investor John Krenger, just one month after Sanyal left Odyssey Golf.
