GOOD SPORT EASTON SCORING UNDER NEW CEO.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - Tony Palma laid sprawled on his back, the new leader of one of the world's most successful sporting goods companies knocked over by his own employee in a lunchtime basketball game.

He bounced up and yelled that it was an offensive foul. His worker disagreed and they got into a heated argument. At another company, the young man might soon be looking for a new job. But Palma was loving every minute of it.

``It was great,'' said Palma, 41, president and now CEO of Easton Sports, the largest producer of baseball bats. ``He didn't care who I was. My management style is never that I'm better than you, I'm the man. I've been in a lot of environments where people were afraid to talk to management. I don't want it to be that way.''

Palma's leadership has helped the Van Nuys-based company continue advancements in bats and expand the use of its products in hockey and bicycling. In Palma's six years as president, Easton's hockey division has more than doubled in size. Its marquee hockey stick, called Synergy, is used by more than 200 NHL players.

Palma, who graduated from California State University, Northridge, and Burbank High, became the first person outside of the Easton family to run the $150 million company when he was named CEO this year. Doug Easton founded the business in 1922 to build archery equipment. Easton was a pioneer in using aluminum in arrows and then baseball bats in 1969. Son Jim took control in 1972 and ran the company for nearly 25 years.

Jim, who is still chairman of the board, hired Palma away from the accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick. He had first-hand knowledge of Palma because Easton was one of KPMG's clients.

``We had a chance to see him in action and thought he would be a great addition to our company,'' Jim said. ``He's just been a great leader. He's very enthusiastic. He really does love the products, and he loves sports. He's become quite passionate about the company and that really helps to rub off on his staff.''

Palma worked for three years as chief financial officer under Easton before taking the top spot. But it was during his college years when he learned the importance of encouraging an environment in which feedback from employees is possible.

Working as a shelf-stocker at a grocery store in his first years at CSUN, Palma was bothered by bland displays at the end of aisles. He made suggestions to management, offered to spice up some of the displays and, eventually, other stores in the chain followed his lead.

``The displays were in a regimented, boxy fashion that was not at all sexy,'' Palma said. ``I gave them more of a theme. As the consumer walked in, I wanted to see the consumer attracted to some of the more profitable items in the store.''

Palma never was shy about offering his opinion and doesn't want any employees from the departments he oversees at Easton to feel the need to hold back.

``Wherever I worked, I asked management why they did things that way,'' Palma said. ``I don't like it when people don't like the way management is doing something but talk about it amongst themselves. If you have those opinions, you should share them.''

Palma has helped revitalize Easton by focusing on innovations in sports outside of baseball/softball. The Synergy hockey stick is not made out of aluminum but is a composite, mostly graphite structure that makes it 30 percent lighter than traditional hockey sticks.

The sticks gained exposure for Easton in the professional market that mostly eluded them in baseball bats. Major league and minor league baseball players don't use aluminum bats, though they are dominant in all other levels, including college. Approximately 55 percent of NHL players used the stick last season, including top players such as Steve Yzerman, Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic and Jeremy Roenick.

``In today's highly competitive market, the key is to make our product obsolete before anyone else does,'' Palma said. ``Every year or two we reinvent ourselves, which keeps us at the top.''

Such innovation takes feedback from all sides, which is one of the reasons Palma interacts with employees of all levels on the basketball court three days a week.

``Easton just seems to empower their employees a lot more than other companies I've been with,'' said products manager Ryan Weller, who previously worked for Reebok. ``We have a lot more freedom to be creative on projects.''

Easton employees feel comfortable offering Palma honest criticism, even when it comes to his basketball talents.

``He's got an outstanding low post game,'' Weller said. ``He's getting better with his outside shot. But he is known to throw an errant pass every now and again.''

Easton Sports STATS

Founded: 1922

CEO: Tony Palma

Employees: 1,000

2001 Sales: $150 million

Operations:

-- Van Nuys

-- Salt Lake City

-- Montreal

-- Tijuana

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) CSUN graduate Tony Palma, CEO of Easton Sports, has continued to advance the maker of bats and hockey sticks.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

Easton Sports STATS (see text)