The History of Under Armour- A Mastermind for Performance Apparel
Not every company is noteworthy or stands out among a crowd of business analysts and industry moguls. However, sometimes the exceptional will surface with new innovation and promises to change the standard by which all is presently compared. Most people can name a few if they think about it but in the case of Under Armour Apparel, they have been a silent success. Under Armour has put their mark on the Performance Apparel industry over the last ten years and they have not only increased the standards for their direct competitors but they are constantly raising the bar for its customers. Presently, SportsSCAN Info’s Schwartz has stated that Under Armour is close to the fourth largest retailer of sporting appeal in the United States just behind Nike, Adidas and Columbia.
The Here and Now
Headquartered Baltimore, Maryland; Under Armour is a growing force and fierce competitor in the performance apparel industry. They have offices all over the world including Denver, Toronto, Hong Kong and London England.
Under Armour develops its performance apparel for men, women and youth with product lines that impact all levels of activity from everyday to extreme sport activity covering all climates and conditions. This diversity has allowed them to impact virtually every market. Presently they have five lines.
• Coldgear
• Loosegear
• Turfgear
• Allseasonsgear
• Heatgear
In the Beginning there was Innovation
Under Armour was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, a football player for Maryland. The basic concept created by Plank started as a simple t-shirt made using high tech fabrics. The high tech fabric that he chose had qualities that could wick sweat and other moisture through the fabric to the surface instead of absorbing it. He believed that if athletes could be dry and the moisture wicking ability could help regulate temperature they would perform better. That was his concept. He started the company using $20,000 of his own money, $40,000 from credit and a $250,000 Small Business Loan.
Next: Starting Small – Using your Consumers to Fuel your Success
Tags: Performance Apparel
Related Articles
- CW-X Performance Conditioning Wear is a new generation of athletic performance apparel scientifically designed to enhance your body's physical conditioning ... Established in Japan in 1991, CW-X based its designs on the human body's unique motion during exercise. Perfect for running, cycling, climbing, and snowsports, their conditioning tights provide a host of benefits to your body, including key muscle group support, increased endurance, shorter recovery times after exercise, lactic acid buildup prevention, and precise knee joint alignment...
- Current Events Presently, 2005 is proving to be another exceptionally innovative year starting with 60 products for a new women’s line called UA Metal that was inspired by their ‘Duplicity Sportsbra”. And if that...
- Starting Small – Using your Consumers to Fuel your Success On November 18, 1995 after Plank had created the first prototype he set up shop in his grandmother’s basement in Washington, DC. His first...
- A name suggesting warlike activities was the bet of Kevin Plank, founder of the original performance apparel company which is giving the battle to established giants of the industry such as Nike, Adidas...