UCS Spirit was born as a family business.  Lou Schwartz was an entrepreneurial Czech immigrant and an excellent craftsman.  He came to New York in the 1950s with an expertise in pattern making, cutting and sewing.  In 1967, Lou and his son Jeffrey began his company, United Canvas & Sling, Inc. that manufactured awnings, boat covers, and other canvas products.  

The UCS Spirit legacy began when Dick Hitt, Rutherford High School’s track coach, came to the factory with a torn canvas bag that he was using to hold scrap foam for landing cushions for his high-jump team.  Hitt sought Schwartz to make the repairs.  Not only did son Jeff help make the repairs, but he saw the poor state of scrap-foam landing cushions and recognized his ability to enter the market.  This launched Schwartz’s journey into the athletic equipment industry.
    
Jeff’s path took him through the University of Oregon’s pole vault pit and past legendary head track coach Bill Bowerman (who later went on to form Nike).  Bowerman noticed the superior quality and innovative equipment that Schwartz brought to demonstrate at the National AAUU Championships.  Suffice to say, Bowerman was duly impressed and UCS Spirit went on to be the leading provider of track and field equipment.

You may be asking – so what?  Where does the Schwartz family fit into the world of soccer?  More than you know, so keep reading.
 
Jeff’s brother soon joined the family business in 1978 and they joined forces with Steve Chappell to create an unparalleled pole vaulting system – they changed and dominated the track and field market.  

In 1984, UCS Spirit was awarded an exclusive contract to supply track and field equipment for the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in L.A.  They went on to do the same for the Olympics in Barcelona, Seoul and Sydney.  

UCS broke into the soccer market in 1994, when FIFA asked UCS Spirit to provide seating and goals for the World Cup.  They brought their business to all the 1994 World Cup Soccer venues in the U.S., and as they say, the rest is history.

UCS manufactured and supplied all the goals for the 1994 World Cup along with designing and producing all the team benches and innovative protective shelters for the players and coaches.  They are the trusted name in arenas and fields that have held some of the greatest athletes in the world.  

UCS Spirit now provides products for some of the most well-respected athletic teams in the world – in every sport imaginable – the NBA L.A. Lakers, the NFL New York Giants, and more.   

All along, they never wavered from their primary mission to provide innovative products that feature superb design, exceptional engineering, superior materials, precision hand craftsmanship, and rigorous quality control.  They constantly strive to offer the safest, most durable and best performing, “Made in the USA” equipment in the market.  Their products enhance facilities and improve the competitive experience for athletes, coaches and spectators.  

Built up in the family, UCS is into the third generation of father-son business.  What’s the benefit of this?  Attention to detail and a love for precision.  They provide superior products along with superior customer satisfaction.  They make sure not to cut any corners.  They literally produce everything in-house in their factory in the U.S.
 
Find out more at: http://www.ucsspirit.com