Nike

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE[1])and its subsidiaries are involved in the design, development, and marketing of products such as footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories worldwide. Its mission is " to bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world*. *If you have a body, you are an athlete" (Bowerman,B)[2] The corporation caters for all types of sport and lifestyles, designing various forms of footwear from athletic footwear for running, to shoes designed for hiking and outdoor activities. In addition, it sells a line of performance equipment, including golf clubs, sport balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic media devices, skates, bats, gloves, swimwear, cycling apparel, children's clothing, school supplies, and eyewear. The company sells its products to retail accounts, through its owned retail stores, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees.

Background/History

Nike is the world's number one manufacturer and marketer of athletic footwear and apparel. It was founded in 1964 when it was firstly called Blue Ribbon Sports and its headquarters are situated in Beaverton, Oregon. It was co-founded by Bill Bowerman, who was the track and field coach for the University of Oregan and Philip H. Knight, a student from the University and a middle-distance runner under Bowerman. Nike was established as one of the world's most familiar brands during the 1980s and 1990s and has propelled to the extent that it now operates 184 stores in the United States and 190 stores globally. It owns facilities in Oregon, Tennessee, North Carolina and The Netherlands, and operates leased facilities for 14 Niketowns, over 200 Nike Factory Stores, a dozen NikeWomen stores and over 100 sales and administrative offices. The company now reaches out to most of the planet, operating in regions of the world such as the US, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region and Africa. This significant growth in recent years is shown by the fact that the company provides 26,000 full-time jobs. Nike has also expanded financially and has reported net revenues of $13.7 billion, a 12 percent increase from FY'04.[3]