About the Under Armour ® Brand - Corporate Overview
...Kevin Plank, founder and President of Under Armour ®, developed the concept for the Under Armour product line in 1995, during his senior year at the University of Maryland. Kevin was a football team captain and earned a B.S. in Business Management. He was constantly irritated when wearing a wet, heavy cotton shirt beneath his equipment, so he searched for an alternative. Plank invested over a year researching fabrics, producing samples and performance testing his shirt designs with his former teammates (many of who were now playing in the NFL™). The result was a lightweight synthetic undershirt that does not retain water or the weight of the water, dries in minutes and wears snug like a "second skin."
In mid-1996, Plank put his design into production and marketed this shirt under the Under Armour ® name. This first design was the basis for what is now Under Armour's ® popular HeatGear ™ product line. Growing a company that produces a never seen before product category is a difficult way to go, so Kevin and his partners were hard-at-it product testing on the field, designing at the sewing machines and selling to the highest level of competition of the NFL™ teams and D-1A college football.
Plank's grandmother's basement served as Under Armour's ® first office/warehouse/distribution center and bedroom! It was at home where Plank and his partners built a business based on word of mouth, quality and their extensive personal contacts on the field throughout the nation.
The Company has since developed several distinct product lines for every playing condition and every season, including athletic footwear and ski wear Under Armour's ® new directions in team "equipment" under scores how archaic the gray cotton t-shirt has become. The Company's constant innovation in fit, high tech fabrications and cutting edge marketing continues to propel Under Armour®.
Under Armour ® - Mission Statement
TO MAKE ALL ATHLETES BETTER THROUGH PASSION, SCIENCE AND THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF INNOVATION |