Stick doctors: TU alums go global with lacrosse equipment business
Twins Greg and Mike Kenneally turned a hobby into a global business
By Megan Bradshaw on July 4, 2017
Towson University College of Business and Economics graduate alums Mike and Greg Kenneally ’12 turned a hobby and $6,000 into a global lacrosse equipment brand.
As a member of the Elizabethtown College lacrosse team, Greg dyed and strung lacrosse sticks for teammates. His client base grew enough to push him to sell on eBay, and in 2011, he created a waterproof, wax-coated lacrosse mesh.
By 2012 both Kenneally brothers were enrolled in TU’s accounting and business services master’s program, with Greg staying up sometimes until 2 a.m. to fulfill orders. Mike stepped in to make it a partnership, the pair each chipped in $3,000 and formed East Coast Dyes in the basement of their home.
The Kenneallys put their master’s degrees to good use, building the business to the point when, in 2014, they expanded into lacrosse stick shafts and debuted their first stick head in fall 2016.
“Finding the next big lacrosse product is the goal, making sure that we’re ahead of the trend,” said Mike. “I’d say we want to dominate what we’re doing before we step out into something else.”
The twins extol the benefits of forging ahead without investors, believing that owning the company 100 percent themselves gives them the freedom to do what they want. They attribute their success to their financial knowledge and willingness to keep costs low.
“Staying in our house, having low costs and boot-strapping the company was a really smart decision instead of getting investors right away,” said Mike.