Under Armour

Under Armour

File:Under Armour.svg
Company type	Public (NYSE: UA)
Industry	clothing industry
Founded	1996
Founder	Kevin Plank
Headquarters	Baltimore, Maryland
Key people	Kevin Plank (Founder/CEO)
Products	Clothing & Accessories
Revenue	US$856 million (FY 2009)
Operating income	US$85.3 million (FY 2009)
Net income	US$46.8 million (FY 2009)
Total assets	US$546 million (FY 2009)
Total equity	US$400 million (FY 2009)
Number of employees	2200 (2008)
Website	www.underarmour.com

Founder Kevin Plank, a football player with the University of Maryland who got tired of having to change out of the sweat-soaked T-shirts he wore under his jersey, noticed that his compression shorts stayed dry. This was the inspiration to make a T-shirt using moisture-wicking fabric for athletic performance,Salter, Chuck (2007-12-09). "Protect This House". Fast Company. Retrieved 2009-10-29. and Plank founded the company on January 29, 1996.

The company is a supplier of a much wider range of sportswear and casual apparel.Terry, Robert J. (2005-09-23). "Baltimore Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2010-04-19. Under Armour began offering footwear in 2006, and continues to expand its offerings."2008 Annual Report (page 2)". Under Armour. February 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-10.

In Fall of 2010, Under Armour began offering its first line-up of basketball shoes. == History ==

Under Armour was founded in 1995 by former University of Maryland special teams captain Kevin Plank. Plank and co-founder Jordan Lindgren, a former University of Maryland Football player, began their business from Plank's grandmother's basement in Washington, DC.

By 1996, Under Armour had generated $17,000 in revenue purely by word of mouth. In 1997, Plank had $100,000 in orders to fill and found a factory in Ohio to make the shirts. People began to take notice of the brand when a front page photo of USA Today featured Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff George wearing an Under Armour mock turtleneck. Following that front page, Under Armour's first major sale came when an equipment manager from Georgia Tech asked Plank for 350 shirts. The deal with Georgia Tech opened the door to a contract with N.C. State. With positive reviews from players, word began to spread and orders began to increase. Under Armour first made a profit in 1998 and received its first big break in the 1999 Oliver Stone movie Any Given Sunday, in which Willie Beamen, played by Jamie Foxx, wore an Under Armour jockstrap. Plank sent samples of his products to the costume designer. Leveraging the release of Any Given Sunday, Plank purchased an ad in ESPN the Magazine. The ad generated close to $750,000 in sales, and three years after starting the company, Plank finally put himself on the payroll. == Headquarters == Under Armour's global headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Its European headquarters is located in Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium; additional offices are located in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou. == Military == Many soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan wear Under Armour for some relief in the hot climate, but parts of the U.S. Military and other NATO forces have banned clothing such as Under Armour in combat situations because polyester fuses to the skin when exposed to flame or intense heat, resulting in severe burns.Holt, Stephen (April 10, 2006). "Marines Ban Polyester Clothing In Iraq". Marine Corps News. Retrieved 2009-06-10. A new, non-synthetic moisture-wicking garment line called Flame Resistant Organizational Gear has been issued by the Department of Defense that does not share Under Armour's vulnerability to fire."Elite Issue — The Skivvie Shirt Evolved". Military.com. Retrieved 2010-04-19. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 12 (help)

Retail operations

An Under Armour hat

In late 2007, Under Armour opened its first retail location, at the Westfield Annapolis mall in Annapolis, Maryland. In May 2008, Under Armour also opened a larger 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) store at Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora, Illinois. Under Armour has opened several other stores in 2008. Under Armour recently opened their first store outside of North America. This is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is run and owned by First XV, the rugby store situated next door. === Athletic teams === ; Football (soccer) Since the 2008–2009 season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Hannover 96 is the first German football club to wear Under Armour shirts. Since the 2010 season of the Primera División de México, Deportivo Toluca and Estudiantes Tecos are the first Mexican football clubs to wear Under Armour shirts. Since the 2010-2011 season of the Greek Superleague, Aris Thessaloniki F.C. is the first Greek football club to wear Under Armour shirts. Once Caldas is the first Colombian football club to be sponsored by Under Armour. Tottenham Hotspur will become the first Premier League club to have their kit and apparel manufactured by Under Armour in a 5 year deal reported to be worth up to £10m a year, starting in the 2012-2013 season."Spurs announce £50million kit deal". mirrorfootball.co.uk. 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2010-03-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Rugby

Since the 2010 season French champion, ASM Clermont Auvergne is the first French rugby club to wear Under Armour uniforms. Under Armour has provided strips for the Wales national rugby union team since 2008. ; Colleges *Auburn Tigers† *Boston College Eagles *Hawaii Warriors *Maryland Terrapins† *South Carolina Gamecocks *South Florida Bulls *Southern Illinois Salukis *Temple Owls *Texas Tech Red Raiders *Toledo Rockets *Truman State Bulldogs *Utah Utes *North Texas Meangreen †The Auburn Tigers and Maryland Terrapins are considered Under Armour's flagship athletic programs.http://dimemag.com/2010/10/new-under-armour-maryland-boston-college-basketball-uniforms/

Miscellaneous

On April 22, 2009, Under Armour and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. formed an alliance under which the performance apparel, footwear, and equipment company would have significant presence at several venues and events under the auspices of Ripken Baseball, including providing uniforms for the minor league Aberdeen IronBirds and youth teams participating in the Cal Ripken World Series this summer.

Individual athletes

American football

• Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys)
• Anquan Boldin (Baltimore Ravens)
• Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
• Brian Cushing (Houston Texans)
• Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers)
• AJ Hawk (Green Bay Packers)
• Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)
• Rey Maualuga (Cincinnati Bengals)
• Santana Moss (Washington Redskins)
• Cam Newton (Heisman Trophy Winner)
• Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals)
• Julio Jones (Alabama Crimson Tide)

Ice Hockey

• Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Tyler Seguin (Boston Bruins)

Golf

• Hunter Mahan
• Tommy Gainey

Lacrosse

• Paul Rabil (Boston Cannons)

Product recalls

On April 29, 2009, the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of all Under Armour brand athletic cups. The cups, which were manufactured in China, may break when struck, posing a risk of serious injury to the athlete. They were sold from January 2006 through March 2009."Under Armour Recalls Athletic Cups Due To Injury Hazard" (PDF). Under Armour. 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2009-10-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Awards

• 2008 Billie Award in Breakthrough and Innovation for Boom Boom Tap"Women's Sports Foundation Hosted The Billies, Recognizing Media Excellence in Women's Sports and Physical Activity". prnewswire.com. 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-04-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)