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Drinking Beverages From The Barrel Of A Baseball Bat Fuels Profits For Dugout Mugs

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As a licensee with MLB, Minor League Baseball, and more, Dugout Mugs, with their unique, engraved beverage containers made from the barrel of baseball bats, stands out in the crowd and has the company growing profits.

Each winter at the Baseball Winter Meetings, the largest room within the convention center they are held in will host the minor league trade show. Everything from mascot outfits to electronic displays to bullpen carts will be on display drawing in club executives to ink deals for ballparks in the upcoming season. The products can run from the obvious (caps to be sold in team stores) to the outlandish (brand new versions of the bullpen cart), a company that caught not just my eye but a large group of others was Winter Haven, Florida-based Dugout Mugs whose products center of mugs and wine glasses out of the barrel of a baseball bat.

After Blue Jays minor league pitching prospect Randall Thompson was cut after the 2011 season, he went back to college the company got rolling in 2017. From the beginning, the company has seen a growth path fueled by obtaining the licenses from MLB, MiLB, MLBHOF, and the MLBPA for logos and other marks. Dugout Mugs can be found in all 30 MLB stadiums and nearly 50 minor league ballparks. They also have inked collaborations with iconic brands like Budweiser, Draft Kings, Body Armor, Coca-Cola KO , Touch of Modern, and Zulily. 

Since the first year of business, the company has been profitable and has experienced 3x year-over-year growth for five consecutive years, including the 2020 pandemic-shortened MLB season with no fans in the attendance, as well as the complete cancellation of the minor league season. While many companies were scaling back, Dugout Mugs scaled up by hired several new employees.

According to the company, revenues were approx. $2 million in EBITA for 2020 during the pandemic with projections of $5 million in EBITA in 2021 or 2022.

As for the future, the company continues to target its current trajectory.

“Obviously, our continued growth and development as a company are paramount, so we plan on continuing to grow our team in order to facilitate that growth,” said Kris Dehnert, CEO Dugout Mugs. “From there, our international distribution is a focus, as we are currently in seven countries and want to continue into other areas where baseball is a passion.”

As a merchandise company that has been focused on the novelty of the wood bat design, the future will see the launch of new products.

“We are about to add baseball stainless products in the consumer drinking space,” said Thompson, who is now company president. He added that based on sales of current products and how well these new products are received the company could branch into other merchandise items.

“We are currently in development of three new items that should all launch this year,” added Dehnert. We expect the stainless product to be a major mover. It replicates an old school aluminum bat.”

As a key community initiative, the company invests in their Cheers to Charity campaign which has raised thousands of dollars for the David Ortiz Children's Fund, Mariano Rivera Foundation, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Albert Pujols Family Foundation. Dugout Mugs has also worked with Pudge Rodriguez, Joe Smith and Allie LaForce, and other organizations in the baseball community like Just Amazing Youth Sports (J.A.Y.S.) which allows special needs kids in Texas to compete in sports.

“Currently, we are donating to between 15 and 20 charities annually,” which Dehnert says has totaled approx. $50,000.


“Give to get to then give again,” adds Thompson. “We are in a position to start giving more as a company — and, we have worked that into our mission statement — we celebrate the heroes of the baseball community.”

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