Local golf star’s Tacoma company set to expand with new investment partner
TRUE linkswear, a Tacoma-based golf footwear company co-founded in 2009 by five-time PGA Tour winner Ryan Moore, plans to expand with a fresh cash infusion announced Wednesday.
The company announced it had raised $11.25 million from KarpReilly, a private equity growth firm in Greenwich, Connecticut, “to accelerate the growth of its global business and brand.”
“KarpReilly shares our vision for the current and next generation of golfers, has a track record of supporting successful brands and will help take TRUE to the next level,” said Jason Moore, CEO of TRUE linkswear, in Wednesday’s announcement.
Other brands tied to KarpReilly include Mack Weldon, Stio, Made In and BOXYCHARM, according to TRUE.
With the deal, KarpReilly joins TRUE’s existing investor group as a minority investor.
Allan Karp, co-founder of KarpReilly, said in the announcement: “We are proud to be partnering with TRUE on this investment and look forward to its continued growth as it expands its business in the US and around the world.”
TRUE started in 2009. Tacoma native Ryan Moore and his brother, Jason, took over the company in 2017.
“It was at that time we relocated our company to Tacoma, changed up our business strategy to the direct-to-consumer model and have essentially doubled year over year ever since,” Jason Moore, company CEO, told The News Tribune.
Jason Moore said that the funding will go toward doubling the staff of 19 it currently has at its Tacoma office “in the next six to nine months.”
“More local jobs, that’s what we need,” he said. “We will simply use the funds to accelerate our global footwear brand by continuing to expand our local teams, investing in our brand and continuing to innovate in the footwear space. Although we’re looking to expand our business, Tacoma will continue to be our home as it’s proven to be an ideal hub for our brand.”
The company’s footwear designs include several crafted from recycled materials, “including yarn made from water bottles, recycled outsoles and sustainable components,” according to the company in its announcement.
In 2019, the company stopped using standard shoe boxes for reusable shoe bags.
The company has “strategic partnerships with select golf courses and destination pro shops including Pebble Beach Resorts, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Streamsong Resort, Chambers Bay, and many others,” according to Wednesday’s announcement.
TRUE’s Tacoma office is at 2926 S. Steele St.
