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Lacrosse retailer LAX World shutters stores and leaves Cockeysville headquarters
Lacrosse retailer LAX World shutters stores and leaves Cockeysville headquarters
Lorraine Mirabella Reporter The Baltimore Sun
November 9, 2017 4:45 PM
Lacrosse retailer LAX World has closed all 16 of its stores, including the original Towson location, and shut down its corporate headquarters in Cockeysville.
The chain, started in 1988 as the nation’s first store dedicated to the growing sport, had been expanding since being sold four years ago by founder Jim Darcangelo to a LAX World executive and two former Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. executives.
Besides Towson, it operated stores in Annapolis, Timonium, Ellicott City and Bel Air, and outside Maryland in Virginia, New York, Georgia, Colorado and Washington state. ... As of Thursday, all stores were closed, but the website appeared to be taking new orders.
CEO Frank Barbarino and the company are facing numerous lawsuits from landlords and vendors, according to court records. The company has vacated its warehouse and headquarters in Cockeysville, where doors are locked and an eviction petition from Baltimore County District Court hangs on the door. It says the company owes more than $11,200. ... Barbarino did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, and his attorney, Douglas H. Seitz, declined to comment.
Lorraine Mirabella Reporter The Baltimore Sun
November 9, 2017 4:45 PM
Lacrosse retailer LAX World has closed all 16 of its stores, including the original Towson location, and shut down its corporate headquarters in Cockeysville.
The chain, started in 1988 as the nation’s first store dedicated to the growing sport, had been expanding since being sold four years ago by founder Jim Darcangelo to a LAX World executive and two former Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. executives.
Besides Towson, it operated stores in Annapolis, Timonium, Ellicott City and Bel Air, and outside Maryland in Virginia, New York, Georgia, Colorado and Washington state. ... As of Thursday, all stores were closed, but the website appeared to be taking new orders.
CEO Frank Barbarino and the company are facing numerous lawsuits from landlords and vendors, according to court records. The company has vacated its warehouse and headquarters in Cockeysville, where doors are locked and an eviction petition from Baltimore County District Court hangs on the door. It says the company owes more than $11,200. ... Barbarino did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, and his attorney, Douglas H. Seitz, declined to comment.
The Virginia store is in Alexandria, and it's not far from me. It is near four high schools with men's and women's lacrosse. You can walk out the front door and within five minutes be on a lacrosse field. Walk another five minutes, and you'll be on a second lacrosse field. Walk another fifteen minutes from the second field, and you'll be on a third field. Walk a half hour from the third field, and you'll be on the fourth field.
It's not as if no one here has heard of lacrosse.
The store hadn't been open but for maybe five years. It opened near an existing lacrosse store, MadLax, which closed its store soon after LAX World opened and went to an online, team sales only model.
For a while, there was a third store in Alexandria selling lacrosse equipment. It specialized in women's lacrosse equipment.
ETA, Tuesday, 11-14-2017: Whoops. The store in Alexandria's Bradlee shopping center is a Lacrosse Unlimited, not a LAX World. I was there last night, and the manager says business is great.
