Another in a series of articles chronicling the emergence of diverse businesses.

It has been nearly two years since we featured Jorge Medina in diversityinbusiness.com.  We first met him in Chicago, in 2004, at the Diverse Business Partners (DBP) Program Conference, where he showcased his emerging product line to DBP Program Coordinators who represented nearly all of the domestic clubs of Major League Baseball.  The invitation to make the presentation had come from Wendy Lewis, MLB’s vice president of strategic planning for HR and diversity.  It was Medina’s big debut and his presentation and product line were well received.

This month, our office was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from the 32-year old entrepreneur, who informed us that he was again in Chicago, but this time to attend the 60^th Anniversary Convention of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), which was held January 5-6, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  The convention was sponsored by a variety of companies, including such well-known stalwarts of the sporting equipment world as Diamond, Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, Russell Athletic, and Wilson.

Jorge Medina was excited that his company, CTG, which is the acronym for Controlling the Game, was sharing exhibit space with “the big boys.”  CTG is the only Hispanic company licensed by Major League Baseball to sell bats, gloves and apparel to its players.  CTG’s current line of sporting goods features mostly baseball equipment, but the company plans to provide gear for other sports as well.

Medina was eager to have diversityinbusiness.com see him in action.  Although I was unable to see Medina selling his products, we got together a few hours after the convention closed.  When we met, he was exhausted, but beaming. 

From Medina’s perspective, the fact that CTG was at the 2006 ABCA Convention, and so favorably received, was nothing short of a blessing.

As we settled down for a spirited exchange over a hearty meal, Medina began to share an incredible story that centered on a sustaining vision, hard work, a few good relationships and plenty of grace from up above.

Dealing with a Rough Start

Jorge Medina grew up in the South Bronx, a neighborhood so tough that for nearly three decades it has served as the backdrop for scores of gritty Hollywood films.  Despite the harshness of his surroundings, Medina was blessed with the guidance and support of two loving parents.  He credits them for giving him everything he needed, even though they were unable to provide him with luxuries.

Medina attended Catholic school which grounded him in his faith while his parents steered him away from the all-too-familiar negative influences that have destroyed generations of youth, including several of Medina’s childhood friends. 

Medina wanted to play baseball professionally, but a severe injury in college eliminated all chances of that and he was forced to redefine himself and his dreams. 

Seeking to stay involved with sports, Medina decided to establish a company that would supply sporting equipment and sporting apparel to professional and aspiring athletes.  He knew the sporting goods industry was competitive, but believed he could succeed by adding a distinctive urban flare to his product line and by marketing it to athletes in urban markets.

The desire to control the game was just the mindset Medina needed to motivate himself to go beyond his circumstances.  He also concluded that it was a mindset that could also assist others in escaping their impoverished surroundings.  So, Medina decided to name his business venture Controlling the Game.

Although Medina was eager to move his ideas from concept to reality, he had little to guide him along the way.

Through a series of acquaintances, he met Eric Vinson, who agreed to become a partner and to serve as executive vice president and general counsel for the fledgling company.

Medina’s aspirations were bolstered by relationships he had formed with several Hispanic athletes he had met in college and who had become some of Major League Baseball’s hottest players.  Those relationships eventually helped Medina get noticed by the Office of the Commissioner.

In 1998, Commissioner Bud Selig established the Diverse Business Partners Program to formalize the process by which procurement opportunities are extended to minorities and women. The program is overseen by Wendy Lewis, and when she learned of CTG, she saw an opportunity to assist a company that was trying to penetrate a field where there were no diverse suppliers.

Becoming a pioneer was not something Medina aspired to when he first began thinking about establishing a sports equipment company, but like his hero, Roberto Clemente, Medina has become just that - a pioneer.

“We have a long way to go,” said Medina in a low, raspy and characteristically modest voice, as he began to outline things he needs to do to build CTG into a sustainable and profitable company.

“I’ve learned to appreciate a lot, especially given where I've come from,” he continued reflectively.

His appreciation for his current success was honed through considerable hardship.  Medina described his five year entrepreneurial journey as a “major struggle.”

There were times when Medina was barely getting by.  After quitting his job, he invested every dollar he had into inventory and other necessities for his fledgling enterprise.  “Boxes were filling up my studio basement apartment,” said Medina.  “People thought I was crazy.”

“The last two years were especially difficult,” recalled Medina. “We were borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, running around like chickens without heads, not knowing how we were going to pay our bills.”

For a while, things were so difficult that Medina had to part company with his partner Vinson.  Although the separation was amicable, and Vinson continues to serve as a consultant to CTG, Medina’s voice could not mask the intense pain associated with the experience.

It is still a living memory for Medina, who admits to being a shy man, but not one to walk away from a fight.

But during the really difficult times, not even his fighting spirit was enough to sustain him.  He needed an angel.

Just when things were at their darkest, an angel came in the form of a man named George Armstrong who was introduced to Medina through a mutual friend involved in sports.  Armstrong was the first African American and the youngest individual to serve as president of the New York City Housing Partnership, an organization founded in 1982 to help city workers – cops, teachers, transit workers and other municipal employees - obtain moderately-priced housing in the city.

Medina was unreserved in his praise of Armstrong.  “He’s really been a role model for me – professionally, spiritually and personally.  He’s a true brother,” explained Medina.  “He helped me out financially when things were really tough.”

Today, Armstrong is a primary partner in CTG.

Turning the Corner

Medina’s circumstances improved dramatically, early in 2005, when he obtained sufficient capital to truly stabilize and grow his business. 

“This past year, with the help of God, we were able to solidify a major investor,” said Medina.  He now has four people on his payroll in Jamestown, New York, where CTG’s bats are made, and six people in the Bronx, where CTG’s administrative offices are located.

Such a turnaround is the stuff most struggling entrepreneurs dream of, but the road to riches was not a direct path for Medina.

“I always knew that to get to where I wanted to be, I would need capital,” said Medina.  “But coming from where I came from, I didn’t have access to people like that.  Basically, all I had was an idea.  I knew I had to start something.  I believed that if I worked hard, I would eventually have something to show someone with capital.  I was naïve and stubborn and didn’t realize that an idea, or a product was not enough. I thought the product would speak for itself.  I didn’t realize that you still needed to prove that the business could generate sales.”

“It was one of the biggest lessons I learned,” continued Medina who turned to his former partner, Vinson, for help.  Vinson introduced Medina to Anthony Cavone, who goes by the nickname “Duke.”  Cavone initially agreed to work as a consultant to Medina, but over time, he began to see the potential of the company, and the two men eventually became partners.

Cavone not only possessed the marketing expertise to deliver sales, but he also had access to individuals with deep pockets.

Within a few months, Medina and Cavone were presenting their company to the principals of a large, national company that agreed to provide the capital to grow CTG, while allowing Medina to retain majority ownership and control of the company.

“When I was struggling, I met people that wanted to take everything I had,” recalled Medina.  “But what I’ve learned from (my capitalization) is that when you go into business with really good people, you walk away feeling not only as though you have a good deal, but that everyone has been treated fairly – that everyone is in it together.” 

Mixed Receptions

If the 2006 ABCA Convention is any indication, it appears that Medina not only has the right partners, but also a winning product line.  Joining Medina at the convention were two key associates, Anthony Cavone and Frank Schrantz, national sales manager for CTG’s wooden products.

Medina reported that during the convention, CTG signed several significant deals with distributors that were also exhibitors at the convention.

Rather than pursuing a strategy of selling product over the Internet, Medina has elected to rely on distributors to get his product to market. 

Medina was delighted that so many distributors at the convention expressed interest in his brand.  “Our objective is to create active wear and sporting goods whose quality and resilience reflect the caliber of the athletes who use them,” said Medina.

CTG’s exhibit not only drew distributors, but also several of Medina’s competitors – the major manufacturers of high-performance active wear.

Medina is cautious by nature, and told diversityinbusiness.com that he was surprised to see so many of “the big boys” circling his booth and examining his merchandise.  He has seen elements of his “urban flair” mimicked in some of his competitors’ offerings, and he knows that they are keenly interested in his progress and in understanding the appeal of his product line to urban and minority athletes.

“The thing is, a lot of my competitors have no idea how to market to Hispanics.  They think they can sell Hispanics the same things they sell to the general market, in the same way, and that’s not necessarily the case,” said Medina who is looking to attract not only professional and aspiring Hispanic athletes, but also general market consumers who desire distinctive styling with their high-performance gear.

Not everyone has been receptive to Medina and his “urban-flair.”  “I’ve encountered some real ugly stuff,” said Medina who knows that some people are not ready to see a Hispanic make it as a supplier of professional-grade sport equipment and gear.

Since launching his venture, Medina has encountered so many people who were “surprised” to see that he is “the man” behind CTG, that he was somewhat startled by the high level of interest in him that was shown by the coaches and distributors at the ABCA Convention. 

Looking Back to Give Back

Medina is not under any illusions about his journey.  He knows he is just beginning as an entrepreneur.  But the long road ahead does not prevent Medina from contemplating an important secondary mission, which is to inspire and motive urban youth.

CTG’s initial apparel line featured T-Shirts with short, inspirational messages, such as, “Seize the Moment” and “Control the Game.”  The current line is much more conventional in its use and placement of graphics, including the CTG logo.

As the apparel line becomes more established, Medina intends to return to his initial strategy of branding it with positive messages.  He also desires to have a more direct involvement in helping urban youth to see sports as a business opportunity, and not just an athletic endeavor or a spectator’s event.

“Kids in our community are never exposed to sports as a business.  They only see coaches and athletes on the field or former athletes who are now commentators,” said Medina who has ideas for a program to honor the people who control the game from behind the scenes.  “I want urban kids to think about being involved in sports as groundskeepers, statisticians, or operations managers.  I want kids to know these people exist and to see them get an award,” Medina continued.

In order for minorities at all levels to gain more than just a passing glimpse at potential business opportunities in the tight-knit world of professional, semi-professional, and collegiate sports, they must have champions who are already well-established and willing to not only hold open the door, but to also point them in the right direction. 

MLB’s Diverse Business Partners Program has opened some important doors for Medina.  In October, Rosemary Jones, supplier diversity manager for the Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., which owns the Atlanta Braves, honored Medina with an Award of Excellence in recognition of his service and contributions to TBS's Supplier Diversity Program.  CTG currently supplies bats to several members of the Braves.

The award took Medina by surprise, but it was a crowning conclusion to an eventful year.

“I’ve been blessed,” concluded Medina.  “And, I am appreciative of all that I’ve been given.”

The End