John “Jack” Andrew Hillerich III
Jack Hillerich is the fourth generation of the Hillerich family to lead his family’s legendary company, Hillerich & Bradsby Co. It was Jack’s great grandfather J. Frederich Hillerich who emigrated from Germany and set up a woodworking shop in Louisville, Kentucky in the mid 1800’s. Jack’s grandfather John Andrew “Bud” Hillerich made the company’s first baseball bat in 1884, a product that would become synonymous with the great game of baseball – the Louisville Slugger®.
Jack assumed the position of President & CEO of H&B in 1969 at the death of his father, John A. Hillerich, Jr. He was only 28 years old and was the first to admit he was not yet prepared for such a large responsibility. With the guidance and assistance from long-time employees like Bill Becker and Jack McGrath, young Jack Hillerich learned quickly and helped propel H&B to new heights.
This included the move from exclusively making wood baseball bats to entering the new aluminum bat market in the early 1970’s. He oversaw the growth of the PowerBilt golf division as it became a prominent brand on golf courses across America and the PGA Tour, with golfers such as Frank Beard, Fuzzy Zoeller and Larry Mize winning major championships including The Masters and U.S. Open, among numerous other notable tournaments.
Jack expanded the company’s role in baseball and softball to include gloves, mitts, protective gear and other accessories. He led the company’s creation of a world class baseball museum and factory tour with the construction of a new H&B headquarters and Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in downtown Louisville which opened in 1996, a facility that today averages more than 330,000 visitors per year and reaches more than a million people annually through outreach across an eight-state area.
Under Jack Hillerich’s guidance the company expanded into composite technology, first in the TPS hockey division and then in the baseball and softball divisions. He oversaw the creation of the new Bionic Technologies Division in conjunction with a world-renowned hand surgeon. Dr. James Kleinert, as the company became a leader in patented glove technology for a multitude of sports and hobbies from golf to gardening.
Jack credits the company’s success under his leadership to the management philosophies of W. Edwards Deming. The company adopted Deming’s principles of continuous improvement and created a culture where workers in every capacity lived Deming’s 14 Points.
Jack Hillerich “retired” as President & CEO in 2001, handing the reins of the company to his son John. A. Hillerich IV, the fourth generation to oversee the historic company. But employees at H&B will tell you that Jack really is not retired at all. He still serves as Board Chair and comes to H&B a day or two per week.
Where he can often be found on the factory floor working with sleeves rolled up to improve the bat making process and visitor experience for museum guests. Jack Hillerich is a graduate of Kentucky Military Institute and Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition to serving as Chair of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., he remains active in the Louisville community, having served on numerous boards and committees including Goodwill Industries, Downtown Development Corporation, Center for Quality of Management, Main Street Association, and the Deming Institute. He was also a co-owner of the Louisville Bats Baseball Club and instrumental in the construction of Louisville Slugger Field.
On Thursday, February 27 2025, at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, you’ll have the rare opportunity to step inside the heart of this remarkable journey as Jack Hillerich takes you behind the scenes of one of the most iconic names in sports. The conversation will be led by Kentucky to the World board member Rick Redman, VP Corporate Communications - Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Wilson Baseball/Softball Public Relations., offering a unique perspective on the Hillerich family’s extraordinary story.
Image was provided by Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
