Here’s how a newly opened headquarters plans to bring the fun to Rock Hill
This week brings world class cornhole players for the American Cornhole League World Championships to Rock Hill. It also serves as a housewarming party for the ACL.
The national organization moved its headquarters from Charlotte to Rock Hill in hopes of growing the brand and the game. The world championships mark the first time the new headquarters is opened to the public. It’s the second straight year the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center hosted the championship event.
“The first time we’ll be able have fans,” said Stacey Moore, ACL commissioner.
The headquarters site will have an impact in Rock Hill beyond one week of play. The league had its base out of a warehouse in Charlotte, on the lower south end. The move to Rock Hill began with an 85,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on Mt. Gallant Road. The site makes cornhole boards with a finishing process for high-end boards.
“It’s one of a kind in the industry,” Moore said.
That site is needed to stock events like the world championships, which run through Sunday at the sports and event center. Play there includes 120 board sets including a feature play and four streaming play sets. Boards and bags have to be broadcast ready with a growing presence for the game on television, streaming and social networks.
Along with the manufacturing site, the new ACL headquarters is 13,500 square feet in the Lowenstein Building just beside the sports and event center. It has 13 courts. It will have tournaments, leagues, court rentals and merchandise. ACL pros can give lessons. There’s also space for producing original studio content, including the new 24-hour channel.
The headquarters is part of a much larger University Center redevelopment. The Lowenstein and 1939 buildings are a 225,000-square-foot office space piece of the former Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Company revitalization on 23 acres downtown.
Moore said it’s been interesting having his cornhole headquarters setup in space beside so many other, often more traditional businesses.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “Just seeing the people look in the windows, saying this is really cool.”
Set up in a growing business area, and growing his own sport through marketing and content deals, Moore still wants his organization to maintain the spirit of cornhole. Folks playing in their backyards or at a local restaurant, enjoying a fun time together.
“We don’t want to lose the roots of our game,” Moore said.
The Rock Hill base, Moore hopes, will help bring that spirit to many more people.
“Rock Hill has been great to us,” he said.
This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 2:41 PM.
