In this article, you will learn about the history of Under Armour, and how its creator, Kevin Plank, achieved success.
Kevin Plank was kicked out of high school and ended up in a military academy. His dreams of playing football began to fade when no division of the school recruited him. Despite everything, in 1991, Plank found a way to make the team at the University of Maryland and start his career.
Plank worked harder than anyone on the field. He had to do it. He strove to shake the opponents off of him. Eric Ogbogu, a 6-foot-1, 260-pound player who played for the New York Jets, Cincinnati Flares and Dallas Cowboys; he often claims he only suffered one injury in his entire career and it was caused by the 220-pound, 5-foot-1 Plank.
Under Armor History
The real story begins with something very particular: Plank sweated too much. One day, he weighed the cotton T-shirt he was wearing under his uniform and realized that the sweat attached 3 pounds to his own weight.
Shorter and less athletic than his team members; he couldn’t let this problem slow him down. Could a less absorbent T-shirt solve the problem?
Plank found a fabric store near the University of Maryland campus and explained what he was looking for. He learned that synthetic fabrics wick sweat more efficiently than cotton.
So he bought a microfiber stud and found a local tailor to make him a T-shirt. After 7 prototypes and $450 dollars Plank got what he wanted. A comfortable jersey that weighed in at 3 ounces dry and only 7 ounces wet.
Plank gave team members samples of the jersey. After trying it, everyone wanted more.
The well-known little secret behind the Under Armor brand, aimed at tough soccer players, is that they use the same material as women’s lingerie; Plank affirms with a smile.
What did you do after having the product?
The Under Armor story does not end there. After his graduation, Plank drove his Ford Bronco to New York in search of a supplier. And he found a small factory willing to produce his shirt.
Then he called all the team managers and went from locker to locker with samples of the shirts showing their advantages. He worked out of his grandmother’s house in Washington for 20 hour days, along with his friend Kip Fulks; looking to sell your product.
“Yeah, it was hard,” says Plank. “But I never thought it was impossible.” Despite spending $17,000 of his savings and taking on $40,000 in credit card debt, he didn’t stop.
Plank began sending letters to Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, with the following message: “You haven’t heard from us yet, but you will.”
Also read: Lessons from Phil Knight, the creator of Nike.
What propelled Under Armor to success?
Soon the orders began to arrive and Plank made his first big sales. The Atlanta Falcons called him to see if Under Armor could outfit their players. To which Plank stated that he did, but he still didn’t know how to comply with orders like this.
Later, baseball, lacrosse and rugby teams wanted Under Armor products.
In a short time, a company created by a soccer player for soccer players, began to serve the female market. Under Armor is currently a $2.9 billion international brand.
Plank was not an expert in fabrics, or manufacturing, or retail. He never even got to play in the national league. He doesn’t have a college degree either. But his idea turned into a great company.
This was a translation of a short extract from the book “The Creator’s Code” which you can purchase by clicking here.
Remember, you do not need to be an expert or have amounts of money to start your business. Under Armor history proves it!
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