JL is a family-owned business, run and staffed by athletes.  For over 25 years, we have been designing, engineering, and manufacturing our technical training and racing clothing in California--even before it was cool to be 100% American made!  At our factory we have complete control over the means of production, over the timing, and over our impact on the community and on the environment.  We source our materials as close to production as possible, use recycled fibers when available, and have solar panels on our roof!  All our workers enjoy fully paid health and dental insurance, retirement and profit sharing benefits.   Our employees repay our commitment to them with consistent, quality work--you'll recognize it in every garment we make! 

So who are we?  Clearing the bar in the photo above is Laura Sweitzer (Mills), our Manager of Track & Field sales.  Laura was a high school standout--her records in hurdles, long jump, high jump still stand at University HS in Irvine, Ca.   In the summer of 1980 she competed for the US Jr. All Star Team in Taiwan, and won Jr. Nationals Heptathlon in 1981.  On a track scholarship to UCI for the heptathlon, her javelin record still stands there, and while at OCC Laura set the record for shotput.  She made NCAA's in javelin in 1985. Training under olympic coach Dave Rodda, Laura competed for Coast Athletics Track Club.  Forced by injuries to retire early, Laura left a legacy of excellence at each program she attended.  Her connection to  track & field is nourished by her work at JL with today's athletes and coaches. Laura lives and plays with her husband and two daughters in Sacramento.

The thrower (the one with the legs) to the right is Ken Mills (Mills), shown while competing for UCI in the early 80's.  Laura's older brother, Ken is the Vice President of JL.  Though he found his calling in the throwing events, Ken surprisingly also excelled in both high jump and long jump.  He set many records while at University High School.  His record for the discus only fell in 2000, and his shot record held til 2004, broken by an athlete that Ken coached. In  1980 Ken competed for the US Jr. National Team in Canada, and was recruited to UCI where he was a points leader for the team.  He trained under Art Venegas with the top throwers of his generation.  Faced with the dilemma of every top-class track athlete of the period, Ken made the decision to remain clean.  Though this contributed to his early withdrawal from competition, it is part of what defines Ken and what he brings to his management style at JL.  Dedication with honesty and hard work--no shortcuts.

	Meghan Chase is shown sporting one of our outfits.  We often recruit Meghan to model our products, she is a great sport about it.  Meghan was hired by us straight out of UCI, where she ran really fast in some event or another.  We know she ran cause she likes to run.  Meghan ran, ran, and ran.  Meghan still runs, and has tricked some of her workmates to run with her.  Run, Norma, run!
		Though he looks pretty ding dang scary here, Robert Frichtel is really quite harmless.  And though he spends most of his spare time underwater, we are pretty sure Robert used to run a lot too.  We think he ran in high school, and he has a lot of UCI track stuff, so we are guessing that is where he did his running.  Robert tells us that the whitey-pink shade of his shoulders proves that he protects himself from the harmful cancer-producing rays of the sun while paddling.  Paddle Robert, paddle!