Founded in 1887, Rawlings Sporting Goods is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Town and Country, Missouri, United States. Rawlings has been the official supplier of baseballs for Major League Baseball since 1977. In June 2018, it was acquired by Seidler Equity Partners (SEP) and MLB Properties from Newell Brands for $395 million.

In 1987, Rawlings initiated operations in Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica, as part of a transition process to move the operation from Figgie International, located in Haiti. This move aimed to manage operations in a country with greater political stability and a workforce with available craftsmanship capable of successfully sewing baseballs.

Currently, the company maintains an investment exceeding $2 million, with an industrial roof of approximately 7,200 m2 and over 570 employees in Costa Rica. These employees are not only dedicated to the manufacturing of baseballs; the company has transformed and diversified its offerings, incorporating higher value-added and sophisticated processes. Additionally, Rawlings has a service center dedicated to customer support and the design of logos and sports apparel.

SAE-A Spinning is a subsidiary of SAE-A TRADING CO. LTD, a global textile manufacturer based in Korea with expertise in spinning yarns and fabrics. The company maintains a strong position in the Central American region, with factories in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

The factory in Costa Rica is located in Cartago and was established in 2015 with the purpose of producing cotton yarns through highly automated processes.  The yarns produced at the Costa Rican factory are exported for garment manufacturing, primarily to Central America.

A second spinning mill was inaugurated in Costa Rica in August 2022, and a third facility is under construction and is being planned to open in 2024.

Relevant data:

• Operations started in 2015
• +500 employees
• +$150 million in investment
• +221,000 square feet of industrial ceiling

This Colombian-owned company, belonging to the Spradling Group, first began operations in Alajuela, Costa Rica in 2004. Proquinal specializes in the manufacture and sale of high-quality coated textiles. Its products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide, in compliance with high standards of sustainability and quality.

Its primary markets of attention are focused on the following sectors:

• Medical (hospitals)
• Transportation (yachts, school buses)
• Entertainment (theaters, stadiums)
• Tourism (airports, hotels)

In 2022, the company launched a calender in order to produce rigid and semi-rigid PVC films used in the medical industry.

Relevant data:

• Operations started in 2004
• Annual production of +32 million feet
• +500 employees
• +300,000 sq. ft. of industrial ceiling
• +$75 million invested in Proquinal’s history in Costa Rica
• The largest private solar power generation and storage project in Costa Rica

PROQUINAL’s investment in Costa Rica has been around US$75 million.  The company currently has more than 500 employees and an industrial ceiling area of 300,000 square meters.

Gualapack is an international company with production plants in Italy (headquarters), Ukraine, Mexico, Romania, China, USA, Brazil, Chile, and Costa Rica. In 2012, it began operations in a 6,200 m2 production plant in the Z Industrial Park in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica.

Gualapack Costa Rica is a contract manufacturer for the forming of food packaging, assembly, manufacturing of lids, and polyethylene nozzles. Currently, the company has an investment of over $6.5 million dollars in Costa Rica and employs more than 75 people. Gualapack is initiating a technical division project for the custom manufacturing of machinery for its clients. Through this initiative, the company offers various solutions to businesses for the rental and production of packaging machines.