NOCONA ATHLETIC GOODS, WHICH NOW EMPLOYS 15 PEOPLE IN NOCONA, PLANS TO HIRE AS MANY AS 60 MORE, ACCORDING TO ROB STOREY. KNOWN AS THE LAST U.S. MAKER OF BASEBALL GLOVES, THIS FOURTH-GENERATION TEXAS COMPANY HAS FOUND A NEW INVESTOR TO BUY OUT IT’S MASSACHUSETTS PARTNERS IN A DISPUTE THAT WILL KEEP IT’S OPERATIONS IN TEXAS. PHOENIX-BASED CUTTER GLOVES, WHICH MAKES FOOTBALL GLOVES AND OTHER SPORTS PERFORMANCE GLOVES, HAS BECOME THE MAJORITY OWNER OF NOCONA ATHLETIC GOODS COMPANY AND ITS NOKONA BRAND. THE GLOVE BRAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SPELLED WITH A “K” TO AVOID REGISTERED TRADEMARK PROBLEMS REGARDING TOWN NAMES. STOREY SAID FRIDAY THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DISPUTES WITH FENWAY-NOKONA ASSOCIATES, LLC, ITS EQUITY PARTNER SINCE 2005. STOREY SAID THAT FENWAY-NOKONA’S SALES AND MARKETING ABILITIES WEREN’T AS PROMISED AND THAT THE FIRM WANTED TO CLOSE DOWN PRODUCTION IN NOCONA. NEW EQUITY PARTNER JEFF BERAZNIK, PRESIDENT OF CUTTERS, WANT TO EXPAND PRODUCTION IN NOCONA. THE 2008 FIRE DESTROYED THE NOKONA FACTORY, BUT IT HAS SINCE BEEN OPERATING OUT OF LEASED SPACE. STORY IS VICE-PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AND IS THE ONLY REMAINING FAMILY MEMBER WITH AN EQUITY STAKE.