If you haven’t yet heard of pickleball, you will soon. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America. This sport with a funny name is enjoyed by grandparents, NBA players, children in PE, and the Hollywood elite alike. Katy Luxem, founder of Big Dill Pickleball Co., was drawn to the fun culture of pickleball and launched her own pickleball paddle and gear company based in Draper, Utah. She rediscovered pickleball during the pandemic, and has been serving up fun ever since.
Big Dill Pickleball Co. started selling online in March 2021 and aims to be the go-to pickleball brand for beginner and intermediate players. Offering fresh designs, her paddles, sets, balls, and accessories make it so the only thing her customers need to find is an open court. Luxem chose the Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business to help take her business to the next level.
“My favorite aspect of the sport is how inclusive and addictive it is. I can play with my kids, parents, and friends,” Luxem said. “But when I shopped for pickleball paddles, everything looked like the side of an RV. This didn’t speak to the fun, accessible nature of the sport. I knew I could do better.”
Big Dill Pickleball Co. aims to be the go-to pickleball brand for beginner and intermediate players.
As a seasoned eCommerce consultant and ex-Amazon employee, Luxem knew she could make something more unique, exciting and pickle-themed. Big Dill Pickleball Co. has sold thousands of units on the company Amazon store, where customers rate the brand highly for quality and distinctiveness. Big Dill Pickleball Co. also sells on their own website and Walmart.com. Her product range centers around two, USA Pickleball-approved paddles. The Original is made of carbon fiber and the Infinity is made of fiberglass. These are also sold in two-pack sets, which are popular with new pickleball players.
Choosing the MBC program was the next logical step for continual growth, especially scaling up her operations in a sustainable way.
“As a woman-owned and operated business, and as someone who had been working from home for the past few years, I wanted to network with other small businesses, learn from mentors, and be a part of the University of Utah’s impressive entrepreneurship support,” said Luxem.
Luxem is passionate about pickleball, so Big Dill Pickleball Co. has sponsored local tournaments, donated to Utah schools, and also regularly donates to charities. “Pickleball is the ultimate participatory sport,” said Luxem. “I am always excited about getting more people to play.”
Ready to play? Big Dill Pickleball Co. gear is perfect for learning the game and getting better at the sport. Big Dill Pickleball Co. can be found at bigdillpickleballcompany.com. Or, learn more about being a “big dill” by following the company on Instagram @bigdillpickleballco.
Big Dill Pickleball Co. started selling online in March 2021.
