Founder of Under Armour Turned the Small Georgetown Business into Millions

Under Armour, one of the top athletic apparel companies in the nation, grew from roots in a Georgetown basement.

Kevin Plank started the company at age 23 with just $15,000. The former University of Maryland football player thought of the idea on the field when he was tired of sweating in cotton shirts. In 1996 Plank sat down in his grandmother’s basement and began working with fabrics that could keep athletes cool and dry.

“It was a challenge, and I had to learn to really focus on my business,” Plank told The Washington Post. “But acting like a professional company and running it out of a residential neighborhood is not the easiest thing to do.”

Plank explained that the first shirts were made at a small tailor. He wanted the product to be like a Hanes t-shirt but made out of a stretchy material.

After generating $17,000 in sales the first year from selling from the trunk of his car, Plank’s company continued to grow. Fast forward to the end of 1998 and Under Armour outgrew basement production. The company’s headquarters and warehouse opened in Baltimore that year.

Now, this Georgetown dream has grown into a multi-billion dollar global brand with clothing, footwear and more, worn by athletes across the world, including Olympian Michael Phelps, New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, and Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis.

“I’m incredibly bullish about our future, and I think we have a chance to play a much bigger role than just a typical apparel and footwear supplier,” Plank told the WP.

Read more of The Washington Post feature here.

For more information or to shop the brand visit Under Armour.

Photo Credit: Under Armour Facebook