Revolin Sports turns sustainable vision into award-winning Holland pickleball company

Long before Hugh Davis was building award-winning pickleball paddles, he was thinking about materials and what they cost the planet.

“That’s always been one of our core values,” Davis says. “Accelerating change for physical products toward more renewable, recyclable, and less impactful materials.”

As a teenager repairing broken paddles in his driveway and later as an engineering student experimenting with composite materials, Davis was already focused on how performance products could be made differently. Years later, that mindset has turned into statewide recognition.

In December, the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum named his company, Revolin Sports, one of its inaugural Michigan Sustainable Business of the Year winners at the 12th Annual Triple Bottom Line Bash at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

“We’re super grateful,” Davis says. “It’s a huge honor. There’s a real responsibility in trying to lead new materials and make products better for the environment while still delivering high performance.”

Solving a problem

Revolin began with a simple frustration. Davis won his first pickleball tournament in 2014 using premium paddles that kept breaking. Instead of replacing them, he began repairing and modifying them.

“My buddies would break their paddles and say, ‘Hey, can you fix this?’” Davis says. “I was tinkering with equipment before I even knew this would become a company.”

That tinkering turned into nearly a decade of research and development. Revolin tested more than 250 material combinations and built over 400 prototypes, applying engineering to create paddles made of materials that mimic natural structures found in plant fibers and volcanic rock.

From the beginning, Davis says sustainability was inseparable from performance.

“Our slogan was ‘Better play, better planet,’” he says. “That’s been in our blood since practically the beginning.”

Today, Revolin uses materials such as hemp, flax, and volcanic fiber — a high-strength material derived from melted volcanic rock.

“They harvest the rock from volcanoes in Europe, Canada, Russia, and China,” Davis says. “They melt it down, turn it into a high-strength fiber, and weave it into something similar to carbon fiber.”

Revolin is among the first sporting goods manufacturers to adopt the material at scale.

“It’s naturally occurring, less energy intensive, and when designed intentionally, it can be recycled,” Davis says.

Measurable benefits

According to company data, Revolin’s patented technologies reduce emissions by 95% to 98% compared with traditional carbon fiber paddles. Its packaging uses 100% sustainable materials with algae-based inks, and the company has planted more than 4,000 trees through verified reforestation partnerships.

One of its newest products, the Rise paddle, is fully recyclable through the company’s RevCycle Program.

“We actually ask for that paddle back at the end of its life,” Davis says. “We take it, along with our manufacturing scraps, recycle it into new material, and turn that into new products.”

All final assembly takes place in Holland, supporting local manufacturing.

“We build all of our paddles in our shop here,” Davis says. “If anyone wants to see a paddle being built, they’re welcome to stop by.”

The sustainability model has also opened new business opportunities. Revolin was selected as the official paddle provider for America’s 250, a national nonprofit celebrating the country’s upcoming anniversary.

“They selected us instead of any other brand because of that mission,” Davis says. “We wouldn’t have won that contract without sustainability being part of who we are.”

Revolin has also partnered with brands such as Boxed Water and Brickell, producing co-branded paddles for environmentally focused campaigns.

Sustainability and performance

Greta Davis, Hugh’s sister and Revolin’s co-founder and chief engineer, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

“This recognition validates our belief that high-performance sporting goods don’t have to come at the expense of the planet,” Greta Davis says. “From materials and manufacturing to packaging and end-of-life, we’re proving sustainable design can raise the bar for performance and durability.”

The Michigan Sustainable Business Forum started its statewide awards program this year to honor businesses that demonstrate sustainability in clear, measurable ways.

“Revolin Sports is capitalizing on a unique business opportunity and leveraging sustainability into better product design,” says Daniel Schoonmaker, executive director of the forum. “The selection committee appreciated its circular approach and its ability to reach audiences not traditionally exposed to sustainability concepts.”

Revolin has three full-time workers and five part-time workers, and it increases production during busy seasons as pickleball grows in popularity.

“Ten years ago, almost no one had heard of the sport,” Davis says. “Now there are about 40 million people playing in the U.S. I never would have predicted this.”

Davis sees a clear line from broken paddles in his driveway to a nationally recognized sustainable business.

“Looking back, it all makes sense,” he says. “But in the middle of it, it never feels like there’s a path.”

Photos courtesy of Revolin Sports and the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum