Company at a Glance
Type : Limited
Founded : 1949
Headquarters : Herzogenaurach, Germany
Key people : Adolf Dassler (Founder)
Herbert Hainer (CEO)
Erich Stamminger (CEO, Adidas Brand)
Henri Filho (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Industry : Sportswear and Sports Goods
Products Footwear
Accessories Sportswear
Revenue : ?€10.084 billion (2006)
Net income : ?€483 million (2006)
Employees : 27,000 (2006)
Slogan : (English) Impossible is nothing
Website : http://www.adidas.com/
About The Company
Adidas – a name that stands for competence in all sectors of sport around the globe. The vision of company founder Adolf Dassler has long become reality and his corporate philosophy the guiding principle for successor generations. The idea was as simple as it was brilliant. Adi Dassler’s aim was to provide every athlete with the best possible equipment. It all began in 1920, when Adi Dassler made his first shoes using the few materials available after the First World War. Today, the adidas product range extends from shoes, apparel and accessories for basketball, soccer, fitness and training to adventure, trail and golf.
Adidas Ltd. AG (ISIN: DE0005003404) is a major German sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, Taylormade golf company, Maxfli golf balls, and Adidas golf. The company is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world [2]. Adidas was founded in 1948 and named after its founder, Adolf (Adi) Dassler. Dassler had been producing shoes since 1920, in Herzogenaurach, near Nürnberg and he was helped by his brother, Rudolf Dassler, who later formed the other shoe company Puma. The company registered as adidas AG (with lower case lettering) on August 18, 1949. The company’s clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel stripes, and this same motif is incorporated into Adidas’s current official logo. The company revenue for 2005 was listed at €6.6 billion, or about US $8.4 billion and the 2006 figure was listed at €10.084 billion, or about $13.625 billion.
History
1949
The foundation
18 August – adidas is registered as a company, named after its founder: ‘Adi’ from Adolf and ‘Das’ from Dassler. The Three Stripes are registered as an adidas trademark. Adi Dassler focuses his efforts on new soccer shoes. He produces his first shoes with molded rubber studs.
50s
The ‘Miracle of Bern’
1954 – The ‘Miracle of Bern’ Germany battle Hungary with a competitive advantage. They are wearing adidas soccer boots which for the first time feature removable studs.
60s
Higher
Driven by a desire to help all athletes committed to performance, adidas manufactures equipment for what some consider “fringe sports”. Unconventional high jumper Dick Fosbury launches himself up and over in adidas footwear.
70s
The “adidas” team wins
Crowning moment: Franz Beckenbauer, the “Kaiser”, raising the World Cup in victory salute. Germany had just beaten Holland 2-1 in the 1974 final.
80s
The transition
After Adi Dassler’s death at the age of 51, Adi’s wife Käthe, his son Horst, and his daughters carry on the business.
90s
With a new management
Under the CEO Robert Louis-Dreyfus, adidas is moving from being a manufacturing and sales based company to a marketing company. Flotation of the company on the Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchange in 1995.
1996
A splendid year
The “three-stripes company” equips 6,000 Olympic athletes from 33 countries. adidas athletes win 220 medals, including 70 gold. Apparel sales increase 50%.
1997
Adidas-Salomon AG
adidas AG acquires the Salomon Group with the brands Salomon, TaylorMade, Mavic and Bonfire in December 1997. The new company is named adidas-Salomon AG.
1999
The new brands
The integration of the new brands is gaining momentum. The new Taylor Made FireSole clubs boost sales. Salomon in-line skates take off with high double-digit growth during the first half of 1999.
2000
New management
Following personnel changes, the new management initiates an ambitious Growth and Efficiency Program. Major sports events such as the European Soccer Championship EURO 2000™ and the Olympic Summer Games, where swimmer Ian Thorpe takes three gold medals, contribute to the company’s success.
2005
Sale of Salomon
The Salomon Group (including Salomon, Mavic, Bonfire, Cliché and Arc’Teryx) is being sold to Amer Sports in October 2005. The new adidas Group is focusing even more on its core strength in the athletic footwear and apparel market as well as the growing golf category. The legal name of the company will change to “adidas AG” in May/June 2006.
2006
Adidas-Salomon AG acquires Reebok
The closing of the Reebok transaction on January 31, 2006 marks a new chapter in the history of the adidas Group. By combining two of the most respected and well-known brands in the worldwide sporting goods industry, the new Group will benefit from a more competitive worldwide platform, well-defined and complementary brand identities, a wider range of products, and a stronger presence across teams, athletes, events and leagues.
Special Event
Adidas is very active at sponsoring events, clubs and athletes. It was announced on 20th September 2007 that Adidas will be the sportswear sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games, in a deal worth an estimated $200 million
In 2007, Adidas announced, through advertising, the future production of lacrosse equipment to include shafts, heads and possibly protective gear. Adidas Lacrosse will present the Adidas National Lacrosse Classic, July 18-20, 2008 featuring the top 600 high school underclassmen lacrosse players in the United States. 8 regional. 24 regional teams. 1 National Champion. Adidas National Lacrosse Classic
Adidas’s worldwide line of commercials are stars include present players like Kaká, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Jermain Defoe, Oliver Kahn, Frank Lampard, Shunsuke Nakamura, Lukas Podolski, Michael Ballack, Alessandro Nesta, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jozy Altidore, Raúl, Damien Duff, Juan Arango and so many others.