adidas: Company Timeline

1920

Adolph Dassler manufactures his first sports shoe, made for training, in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

1924

Adi Dassler and his brother Rudolph have their company registered as "Gebrüder Dassler OHG" on July 1, 1924.

1948

The Dassler brothers, Rudolph and Adolph, separate and form two companies. Adi Dassler forms adidas - a combination of his nickname, Adi, and the first three letters of his last name. A lowercase "a" is adopted to further distinguish adidas. He commences production with 47 employees. Rudolph forms Puma, with its headquarters located across town from adidas in Herzogenaurach.

1949

adidas adopts the trademark three-stripes.

1955

The first license is given to a factory in Norway to manufacture adidas shoes.

1966

American sales representative H.B. "Doc" Hughes travels from Dallas to Germany to obtain the first distribution rights in the U.S.

1972

adidas introduces the "Trefoil" logo.

1978

Adi Dassler dies at age 78. His wife Kathe continues operating adidas.

1978

Dassler becomes the first non-American inducted into the American Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.

1984

Kathe Dassler dies, leaving the company to Horst, the Dasslers' first-born.

1987

Horst dies at the age of 51.

1987

Ron Moore is brought in from adidas Canada to run operations and a new facility is acquired in Warren, New Jersey.

1988

adidas is incorporated.

1989

Rob Strasser and Peter Moore of Sports Incorporated present adidas with the "Equipment" concept. The footwear and apparel line is introduced in 1991.

1990

Bernard Taupie purchases 80% of adidas stock.

1993

A group of investors led by Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former head of the British advertising group Saatchi and Saatchi P.L.C., acquires control of adidas. adidas America is formed in February; Rob Strasser is appointed CEO and Peter Moore becomes Worldwide Creative Director.

1993

Rob Strasser dies on October 30. Peter Moore is named CEO of adidas America on November 9, while maintaining his role as Worldwide Creative Director.

1994

adidas moves from eighth to third position in U.S. Footwear Industry Rankings. U.S. Footwear and apparel sales increase by an estimated 75%.

1995

Steve Wynne is named President and CEO of adidas America.

1995

adidas goes public on the stock exchange in Frankfurt-am-Main and in Paris.

1997

Performance Logo becomes the worldwide adidas logo.

1997

adidas acquires the French company Salomon - the world's leading manufacturer of winter sports products. After an extraordinary shareholders meeting, the company is renamed adidas-Salomon.

1997

The acquisition of Salomon broadens the adidas product range to include Taylor Made for golf products and Mavic for cycle components.

1997

adidas achieves record sales and passes the 1 billion dollar mark in gross sales in the United States.

2000

adidas proudly celebrates the 100th birthday of our founder, Adi Dassler.

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