Under Armour
1996 – 1998: IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA
In 1996, Kevin Plank, a 23-year-old former University of Maryland special teams captain, turned an idea born on the football field into a new industry that changed the way athletes dress forever. Back in his playing days, Plank hated having to change his sweat-soaked cotton T-shirts over and over again during two-a-days. Knowing that there simply had to be something better, he set out to create a solution.
Plank named his new company Under Armour, and after extensive research on the athletic benefits of synthetic fabrics, he designed the first Under ArmourHeatGear® T-shirt, which he named the #0037. Engineered with moisture-wicking performance fibers, the shirt helps keep athletes cool, dry, and light in the most brutally hot conditions.
Working from his grandmother’s basement in Washington DC’s Georgetown neighborhood, he traveled up and down the East Coast selling his revolutionary new product out of the trunk of his car. By the end of 1996, Plank made his first team sale, and Under Armour generated $17,000 in sales.
In 1997, Under Armour introduced the now-famous ColdGear® fabric, which keeps athletes warm, dry, and light in cold conditions, and then the AllSeasonGear® line, which keeps athletes comfortable between the extremes.
By the end of 1998, Under Armour outgrew grandma’s basement and moved to an all-new headquarters and warehouse in Baltimore.
JERZEES
1996 – 1998: IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA
In 1996, Kevin Plank, a 23-year-old former University of Maryland special teams captain, turned an idea born on the football field into a new industry that changed the way athletes dress forever. Back in his playing days, Plank hated having to change his sweat-soaked cotton T-shirts over and over again during two-a-days. Knowing that there simply had to be something better, he set out to create a solution.
Plank named his new company Under Armour, and after extensive research on the athletic benefits of synthetic fabrics, he designed the first Under ArmourHeatGear® T-shirt, which he named the #0037. Engineered with moisture-wicking performance fibers, the shirt helps keep athletes cool, dry, and light in the most brutally hot conditions.
Working from his grandmother’s basement in Washington DC’s Georgetown neighborhood, he traveled up and down the East Coast selling his revolutionary new product out of the trunk of his car. By the end of 1996, Plank made his first team sale, and Under Armour generated $17,000 in sales.
In 1997, Under Armour introduced the now-famous ColdGear® fabric, which keeps athletes warm, dry, and light in cold conditions, and then the AllSeasonGear® line, which keeps athletes comfortable between the extremes.
By the end of 1998, Under Armour outgrew grandma’s basement and moved to an all-new headquarters and warehouse in Baltimore.
Russell Athletics
At the turn of the century in Alabama, cotton was king, but football was a close second. For Benjamin Russell, growing up in Alexander City, Alabama – known to locals as “Alex City” – was tough. The town had no railway, no bus service and no football field to speak of – mostly due to The Fire of 1902, which destroyed much of the town. Somehow, Benjamin Russell found the fortitude to rally the town, build a hospital, hotel, laundry, grocery store, bakery, and telephone operation. Later, the school he built would be named in his honor: Benjamin Russell High School. On December 16th of 1941, Benjamin passed away, passing the company’s torch to his son, Benjamin C. Russell.
In 1902, the universities of Alabama and Texas met for the rivalry’s inaugural game, and the game of football began to capture the hearts and minds of every man, woman and child in Alabama. That same year, 25-year-old Benjamin Russell opened Russell Manufacturing Company – a tiny factory with just 10 sewing machines and eight knitting machines to its name. Benjamin Russell’s passion for team sports and his entrepreneurial spirit fueled civic pride, creating jobs for the community, and helped keep football teams uniformed throughout the Southeast and, later, nationwide.
In 1930, Benjamin Russell Jr. had an idea. A football player at the University of Alabama, he suggested a solution to the chafing and discomfort caused by sweating in wool jerseys – a more comfortable, all-cotton jersey version of the original. His father listened and promptly rolled out the new fabric line. Teams and players everywhere loved the comfortable new fabric, and that’s how the first sweatshirt was born.
In 1932, Benjamin Russell pioneered Southern Manufacturing Company, giving the company access to athletic team apparel. And thus began the Russell Athletic cutting and sewing operations. In a time of expansion, Russell began making woven athletic garments, including basketball, baseball and football pants and jackets, for teams all across the United States. Today, more than eight decades later, thousands of teams are proud to wear the emblazoned “R” of Russell Athletic on practically every field of play.
In 1932, Benjamin Russell pioneered Southern Manufacturing Company, giving the company access to athletic team apparel. And thus began the Russell Athletic cutting and sewing operations. In a time of expansion, Russell began making woven athletic garments, including basketball, baseball and football pants and jackets, for teams all across the United States. Today, more than eight decades later, thousands of teams are proud to wear the emblazoned “R” of Russell Athletic on practically every field of play.
By the 1960s, Russell Manufacturing Company’s “Athletic” division had become the largest manufacturer of sports apparel and uniforms in the United States. Thirty years later, Russell sportswear became the preferred choice of athletes and teams from Major League Baseball and the NFL, as well as the Little League Association of America.
Now more than 100 years old, Russell Athletic continues to produce a range of sportswear for male and female athletes, professional and amateur teams, combining the old with the new to create modern-day classics for everyday athletes. Russell Athletic’s collegiate lifestyle heritage lives on to this day, while the sweatshirt continues to be an iconic garment worn all over the world.
