callen established ian callen sports in 1981. he sold it in 1985 to concentrate on making a range of three bats, the mx, the k-ix and the aussie boomah. his company in the yarra valley, callen cricket, has re-established the growing of cricket-bat willow from stock sent to australia by english test captain a. c. maclaren in 1902. he harvests and processes the timber from his plantations at healesville and sale. the timber is used for the manufacture of cricket bats and picture frame mouldings.