Thomas Kille, the founder of the TK brand, began his career by reinforcing blank sticks in the basement of his home and selling them to players he knew. As a former captain of the German under 21 team and a well known face in the top flight of the German domestic game, these early TK sticks (though they did not yet bear the famous logo that is so well known today) ended up in the hands of some high quality players. Soon demand increased as word spread of their quality and performance.
It was time to take the next step and the first TK branded sticks went on sale in January 1985, distributed by the company Kille and Bal, which was a partnership between Thomas Kille and Ranvir Bal, who role it was to establish TK’s manufacturing contacts in India and Pakistan. This increased the number of sticks and the depth of the range and before long TK was a familiar name right across the German market.
Soon after the hockey world was first introduced to something that was to grip the imagination of players everywhere - the TK logo featuring two elephants with crossed trunks loosely shaped like hockey sticks. The combination of the elephant logo and the simple but brightly coloured sticks in the range meant that TK began to attract players through design as well as the quality of its product.
Things moved quickly from there with TK growing to become a leading player in markets across the world. The visibility of the brand in the international arena increased too and at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, just seven years after TK officially began trading, as many as 10 male and female players who won either gold or silver medals did so using a TK stick.
TK introduced many innovations into wooden stick manufacture the best known of which was Ti (Total Integration), a system of resin inserts integrated into the head and lower shaft area of laminated wooden sticks that dramatically increased the durability of the product. This innovation was in response to more hockey being played on artificial surfaces, which at that time was something that wooden sticks were ill equipped to deal with in terms of durability. The Ti system of reinforcement saw sales grow even further as players became aware of this great concept.
Throughout this period the TK range extended beyond sticks, with bags, protective equipment, balls and goalkeeping products also coming to the market. Perhaps most significantly of all though was a move to introduce TK branded hockey clothing. With new style of longer cotton shorts and high quality and attractive playing shirts, TK soon became the brand to be seen in. It could be said that TK changed the face of hockey clothing and soon the operation expanded to offer clubs bespoke colours and a wide range of on and off field products.
Fast forward a few years and TK is still regarded as one of a very select number of truly global brands and a leading name in all major markets. With Thomas Kille still at the helm the brand’s reputation for quality, innovation and design is as strong as ever. TK still features prominently across the international stage, with many of the world’s leading outfield players and goalkeepers using the brand.
Today’s range is still pushing the boundaries, introducing new technologies and ideas in combination with great design and high standards in product quality. One thing you can be certain of when you consider a TK product is that care and attention has gone into it, from the highest level stick to a replacement grip.
It is this level of detail and quality that makes TK the brand of choice for players of all ages and abilities the world over. They know that TK products will not let them down, so maybe you should join them?
Just say TK.
