DH Distribution
DH Distribution is a family-owned specialty distributor and field-services provider of tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment, serving as the authorized Playmate Sales and Service Center for Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii since 1992.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersEl Granada, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What DH Distribution does
DH Distribution is a privately held, family-owned specialty distributor and field-services provider of tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment, headquartered in El Granada, California with a stocking warehouse in Half Moon Bay. Founded in 1992 by Dave Houston, the company operates as the exclusive Authorized Sales and Service Center (ASSC) for Playmate (METALTEK) tennis and pickleball ball machines across Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii, carrying the full Playmate lineup (ACE, iGRANDSLAM, iSMASH, iGENIE, Volley, Half Volley, Serve Lift) alongside the Playmate Ball Mower 2.0, a reconditioned ball-machine program, windscreens (Tenn Air, Dura Air, Leno polypropylene), tennis nets, clay-court maintenance tools, water-removal systems (9-Jet Waterbroom, Shine Dry, Miracle Dri), First Team basketball goals, and Diadem pickleball equipment. A proprietary product, the Roller HideAway, is a custom aluminum squeegee storage rack designed by the company.
The business makes money through three streams: (1) one-time product sales via the dhtennis.net e-commerce site and phone orders, with individual items priced from $5 accessories to $9,295 commercial ball machines; (2) professional on-site installation services — windscreen installation, tennis net replacement starting at $285, and tennis court washing from $240/court standard to $1,225/court deep clean; and (3) factory-trained ball-machine repair services including house-calls at $200-$260 service call plus $160/hr labor in the SF Bay Area, with a one-year service warranty plus three-year factory parts warranty on new machines. Customers are tennis clubs, country clubs, schools and universities (including Stanford University), parks and municipalities, and private home-court owners, with marquee accounts such as The Olympic Club, Claremont Country Club, and Pacific Athletic Club. The company currently has approximately 7 employees and is hiring a full-time Operations Manager.
DH Distribution firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DH Distribution
- Legal name
- DH Distribution
- Website
- https://dhtennis.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- DH Distribution is a family-owned specialty distributor and field-services provider of tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment, serving as the authorized Playmate Sales and Service Center for Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii since 1992.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DH Distribution industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tennis & Sports Court Equipment
- NAICS
- Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Team Sports Equipment & Apparel Distribution (CRAOAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Team Sports Goals, Nets & Field Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAK), Pickleball Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAFAB), Basketball Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAB)
Keywords
Where DH Distribution is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Granada
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
DH Distribution business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Revenue from selling tennis, basketball, and pickleball equipment including Playmate ball machines, windscreens, nets, court maintenance tools, and accessories through an e-commerce website. Products range from $5 accessories to $9,295 ball machines.
- Installation Services: Professional services including windscreen installation, tennis net replacement, and tennis court washing delivered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Net replacements start at $285, court washing from $240/court.
- Ball Machine Repair Services: Factory-trained technicians provide repair services for Playmate ball machines including house-calls in Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii. Service calls in the Bay Area range $200-$260 with hourly rate of $160/hr. New machine purchases include one-year service warranty plus three-year factory parts warranty.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single product pricing for retail consumers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tennis Net Installation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tennis Court Washing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Ball Machine Repair Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
DH Distribution product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DH Distribution distributes and services tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment through an e-commerce store and on-site field services. As the authorized Playmate (METALTEK) Sales and Service Center for Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii, the company sells Playmate ball machines, windscreens, nets, water removal tools, First Team basketball goals, pickleball products, and the proprietary Roller HideAway squeegee storage rack. The company also delivers professional windscreen installation, tennis net replacement, court washing, and factory-authorized ball machine repair services.
Product overview
DH Distribution is a specialty distributor of tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment serving Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii since 1992. The company operates as an authorized Playmate Sales and Service Center, offering a comprehensive product portfolio organized around three sport categories: (1) Tennis equipment centered on Playmate ball machines (ACE, iGRANDSLAM, iSMASH, iGENIE, Volley, Half Volley, Serve Lift) and the Playmate Ball Mower 2.0, complemented by windscreens (Tenn Air Pro, Dura Air, Tenn Air Lite, Leno Polypropylene), tennis nets, clay court maintenance tools, water removal systems (9-Jet Waterbroom, Shine Dry, Miracle Dri), and court equipment; (2) First Team basketball goals spanning portable, in-ground adjustable, fixed height, wall-mount, and roof-mount systems; and (3) Pickleball products including Diadem paddles, balls, nets, and machines. The company bundles its physical products with four service offerings: factory-authorized ball machine repairs with house-calls, professional windscreen installation, tennis net replacement, and court washing/maintenance. A knowledge base provides videos, repair help guides, and product manuals for customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Playmate Tennis Ball Machines
Quantifiable outcome
- Reconditioned Playmate ball machines available at up to 50% savings over new machines
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DH Distribution
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DH Distribution technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
DH Distribution partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Playmate (METALTEK)coreDH Distribution is the Authorized Playmate Ball Machine Sales and Service Center for Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii. They are factory-trained Tech-Reps and an Authorized Sales and Service Center (ASSC). They stock all Playmate tennis machines, pickleball machines, parts, and accessories, and are the primary point of contact for repairs and service in their territory. Playmate has manufactured ball machines in America since 1973.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DH Distribution competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tennis Warehouse: One of the largest online tennis retailers in the world, carrying rackets, footwear, ball machines, and court equipment. Has scale that DH Distribution lacks but operates in the same specialty tennis-retail category.
- Sports Imports: US distributor of team sports equipment including volleyball, basketball, and tennis nets/posts sold to schools, clubs, and municipalities. Mirrors DH Distribution's B2B distribution model for court equipment to institutional buyers.
- Holabird Sports: Long-standing family-owned specialty tennis retailer and distributor offering racquets, shoes, and court equipment with deep roots in tennis expertise. Operates a similar niche-specialty e-commerce + service model to DH Distribution.
- PickleballCentral: Major pickleball specialty retailer and distributor of paddles, balls, nets, and complete court systems. Directly comparable to DH Distribution's pickleball line given shared target market of clubs and home court owners.
- Tennis-Point: European tennis equipment retailer with US online presence selling rackets, footwear, and court equipment. Competes in the same specialty tennis distribution category as DH Distribution.
Others
- Gamma Sports: Leading manufacturer of tennis strings, stringing machines, and accessory equipment. Operates adjacent in the tennis equipment ecosystem as a brand and equipment supplier rather than a direct channel competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Lobster Sports: Established US manufacturer of Lobster and Elite tennis/pickleball ball machines. Competes head-to-head with DH Distribution's principal partner Playmate (METALTEK), making it a comparable branded incumbent in the ball-machine category DH Distribution serves.
Emerging players
- Selkirk Sport: Fast-growing pickleball equipment brand offering paddles, balls, and apparel. An emerging player in the same pickleball category DH Distribution is expanding into through Diadem and Playmate pickleball products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DH Distribution social profiles
Digital presenceDH Distribution financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DH Distribution leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DH Distribution funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DH Distribution M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DH Distribution
What does DH Distribution do?
DH Distribution distributes and services tennis, basketball, and pickleball court equipment through an e-commerce store and on-site field services. As the authorized Playmate (METALTEK) Sales and Service Center for Northern California, Western Nevada, and Hawaii, the company sells Playmate ball machines, windscreens, nets, water removal tools, First Team basketball goals, pickleball products, and the proprietary Roller HideAway squeegee storage rack. The company also delivers professional windscreen installation, tennis net replacement, court washing, and factory-authorized ball machine repair services.
Is DH Distribution a public or private company?
DH Distribution is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was DH Distribution founded?
DH Distribution was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is DH Distribution based?
DH Distribution is headquartered in El Granada, United States, in the North America region.
How does DH Distribution make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation Services and ball Machine Repair Services.
Who are DH Distribution's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tennis Warehouse, Sports Imports, Holabird Sports, PickleballCentral and Tennis-Point. Gamma Sports is listed as an others. Lobster Sports is listed as a broad incumbent. Selkirk Sport is listed as an emerging player.
Does DH Distribution have an API?
No public API is recorded for DH Distribution.
What industry is DH Distribution in?
DH Distribution's product category is Tennis & Sports Court Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAJAA, Team Sports Equipment & Apparel Distribution, with a secondary code of CRAMAEAK, Team Sports Goals, Nets & Field Equipment Retail. Its NAICS code is 423910.