COMPANY TIMELINE
1962
At the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Don Jackson landed the first triple lutz jump in international competition and won the event.
1966
Inspired by his love for the sport and his key interest in product design, Don developed the first Jackson Figure Skate. In 1966, Don in partnership with his brother Bill, founded Don Jackson Skate Products which they operated for 20 years as a family, utilizing the expertise from both figure and hockey industries.
1986
In January 1986, Don Jackson Skate Products was acquired by Tournament Sports Marketing Inc., which was led by Kim Bauer and Wayne Schagena. Mr. Schagena’s knowledge of the Jackson Skate business was a catalyst to the acquisition, which prospered as a provider of quality, mid-range skates. Throughout this period, Don Jackson continued to work with Mr. Bauer and Mr. Schagena, providing input in product design and promotion of the Jackson brand.
1996
In 1996, Mr. Malvin Loveridge joined the Company, creating a watershed moment for Jackson. Mr. Loveridge had previously been employed by a prominant hockey skate company, with a variety of product development and manufacturing responsibilities over an 18 year career, including managing their manufacturing plant in Kitchener. Mr. Loveridge developed a state of the art factory in Waterloo, Ontario and Jackson evolved to a manufacturer of high-end skate products.
2001
In 2001, Jackson Skate Company acquired Ultima Skates and became uniquely positioned as a leader in figure skate blade manufacturing. To mark the significance of this acquisition, the Company was renamed Jackson Ultima Skates. The founder and former president of Ultima Skates, Dan Nicholson remained with the new company and worked closely with Malvin through the transition. From a modest start, Malvin’s passion for product development and manufacturing resulted in significant growth in our blade business.
2003
Mr. Loveridge lead development of an Asian sourced strategy in partnership with two Taiwan based companies that had produced hockey skates and entry level figure skates. Mr. Loveridge designed dedicated production lines for our boots and blades and played an integral role in recruiting and staffing these production lines. This initiative facilitated supply lines that could support the rapid growth in sales. With Raj Misir controlling innovative product design and instituting rigorous quality control standards, Jackson Ultima’s reputation for quality and innovation accelerated. This advancement coincided with the launch of our Softec brand; Welcome to Comfort, which amply describes the vision of this brand.
2008
In 2008, Mr. Schagena in partnership with Mr. Gerry Gobel established Jackson Ultima Europe BV. Mr. Gobel had previously been the distributor for a prominent hockey skate manufacturer. Headquartered south of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, this initiative allowed the Company to grow rapidly in the European market.
2008
Having managed a variety of projects since his arrival in 1996, including product development and market interactions, Raj Misir creates what will become the greatest innovation in figure skating by conceptualizing the Matrix blade. Raj, with the support of Jerry Damschorder, convinced Kim Bauer to proceed with the new design, resulting in the introduction of what was to become the #1 figure skate blade in the market.
2021
After years of continuous improvements, in 2021 Tournament Sports Marketing Inc. was sold by Kim Bauer to CCM Hockey. Driven by a rich legacy of innovation and passion for the ice, the union of Jackson Ultima and CCM Hockey marks a new chapter in the evolution of performance on skates. Rooted in Don Jackson's pioneering spirit and Kim Bauer’s vision to build Jackson into “The Figure Skating Company”, the acquisition brings together decades of expertise from both figure skating and hockey realms. The synergies between both companies’ commitment to innovation allows a greater reach to all that look to enjoy the sport of ice skating and offers skaters an unparalleled experience in the artistry of movement on the ice.