Starter (clothing line): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox company |
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Starter is a sports apparel company who's clothing is mainly worn by American Football Quarterback Tony Romo and poor people who shop at Wal Mart. |
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| name = Starter Corp. |
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| logo = [[File:Starter Corp logo.png|150px]] |
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| caption = |
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| type = [[Subsidiary]] |
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| fate = |
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| predecessor = |
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| successor = |
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| foundation = 1971 |
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| founder = David Beckerman |
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| defunct = |
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| location_city = [[New Haven, Connecticut]] |
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| location_country = [[United States|U.S.]] |
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| location = |
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| locations = |
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| area_served = [[North America]], [[Europe]], [[Asia]] <ref>[http://www.starter.com/history.asp History of Starter - official site]</ref> |
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| key_people = |
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| industry = [[Sportswear (activewear)|Sportswear]] |
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| products = [[Clothing]], [[footwear]] |
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| services = |
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| revenue = |
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| operating_income = $282.7 million <ref name=funding/> |
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| net_income = |
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| assets = |
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| equity = |
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| owner = |
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| num_employees = 619 <ref name=funding>[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Starter-Corp-Company-History.html Starter history at ''Funding Universe'' website]</ref> |
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| parent = [[Iconix Brand Group]] |
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| divisions = |
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| subsid = |
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| homepage = [http://www.starter.com/ www.starter.com] |
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| footnotes = |
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| intl = |
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}} |
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'''Starter''' is a manufacturer of fleeces, footwear, compressions, and other accessories. |
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==History== |
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===Rise and expansion=== |
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Starter was founded in 1971 in [[New Haven, Connecticut]] by David Beckerman, a former basketball player for Southern Connecticut State University, to manufacture team uniforms for high school athletic programs.<ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009579/index.htm "This Coach Knows Clothes"], ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', 1997-03-10</ref> |
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In 1976, the company entered into non-exclusive licensing agreement with a number of professional sports league, paying royalties of 8-10% for the right to manufacture and market copies of professional athletic apparel. Its first retail product was a line of jackets emblazoned with the insignias of Major League Baseball teams. Soon the company expanded its licensed apparel line to include into headgear, activewear and accessories. |
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In 1979, the company became one of the first licensees to supply clothing worn on the field by professional teams through an agreement to manufacture satin jackets for players on Major League baseball teams. Starter incorporated this design into streetwear, and was, in the words of Business Week reporter Tim Smart, the "first to make team jackets out of satin, instead of the usual cheap nylon". |
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Starter had a tremendous growth in the 1980s. In 1980, it began partnerships with major leagues in [[basketball]], [[American football|football]], [[baseball]], and [[hockey]] as well as in 150 colleges and universities. It was the first apparel brand to co-brand with professional, collegiate and [[Olympic sports]]. By 1983, the company had entered licensing agreements with the [[NBA]], the [[NFL]], the [[NHL]] and the Canadian Football League ([[Canadian Football League|CFL]]). As coverage of national sports leagues on cable television expanded, Starter's bright, flashy team jackets became status symbols among kids. But the company's growth during this decade can also be attributed to an aggressive marketing strategy. Not only had the company made licensed sports apparel a fashion status symbol, it also created brand loyalty by making its "S and Star" logo a prominent part of the apparel's design. Starter innovatively placed its embroidered logo on jacket sleeves and on the back of baseball caps. Often, when people wore their baseball hats backwards, a person saw the Starter logo before they even saw the insignia of the team it represented. |
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[[Image:Starter dolphins-jacket.jpg|thumb|250px|Starter [[Miami Dolphins]] breakaway jacket]] |
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In 1986, the company became the first to create NBA locker room t-shirts, first worn on television by the [[Boston Celtics]], and later worn by millions of kids across the United States and Canada. In a similar way, Starter won a contract to create the parkas that coaches wore on NFL sidelines. For the retail market, Starter designed the "breakaway jacket", a pullover jacket that closely resembled the coach's parka and soon became an important wardrobe element of fashion conscious teenagers. The rage for Starter clothing was so strong that some children owned as many as 20 baseball caps; others would pay over $150 for a Starter jacket.{{Or|date=August 2011}} Sales in 1989 were $58.9 million. By 1990, they had more than doubled to $124.6 million. |
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In the early 1990s, Starter began to expand its distribution networks to reach over 25 countries in [[North America]], [[Europe]], and the [[Pacific Rim]]. The baseball jackets gave way to a hooded design with a side zipper, and eventually to a padded half-zip pullover. Starter apparel also expanded beyond sports clubs into styles such as plaid. A famous ad campaign featured Hip-Hop stars such as [[DJ Jazzy Jeff]]. Within two years, Starter's net sales nearly doubled to $356 million. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in April 1993, earning an estimated $98 million. Proceeds from the initial public offering were used to expand sales to Europe and the Pacific Rim and also to launch "Brand Starter", the company's own sportswear line minus team logos. Capitalizing on the high recognizability of its name, Starter went head-to-head against brands such as [[Champion (sportswear)|Champion]] and [[Russell Corporation|Russell]]. |
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Starter's competition in the licensed sports apparel business intensified in 1994 when Logo 7 Inc., the 2nd. licensed sports apparel manufacturer, won a much coveted NFL Pro Line license and beefed up its advertising budget in an attempt to knock Starter from its number one position. Overall, the boom in the licensed sports apparel market began to slacken in early 1994, slowing from an average of 38 percent annual growth to 15 percent annual growth. Starter moved into new markets with its licensed sports apparel, focusing on sales to young children and youth, and signed a new contract to manufacture the center ice jersey for the National Hockey League. The company purchased a retail chain, First Pick Stores, for $5 million of new stock in March 1994, and also established a Hong Kong office to better coordinate relations with manufactures. Beckerman stepped down as president, although he retained the posts of chairman and chief executive. John Tucker, former president and chief executive of a sporting goods and sportswear concern, assumed the position of president. |
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===Restructuring=== |
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Although Starter began 1994 with a 23 percent increase over the first quarter 1993, it suffered a loss of $2.2 million in the second quarter. Second quarter 1994 sales were flat: $57.8 million, slightly lower than second quarter sales from 1992. Starter had predicted the loss, which it blamed on late deliveries from vendors, shipping delays to retailers, additional advertising and personnel costs, as well as start-up and contractor costs for a new Memphis distribution facility.<ref name=funding/> |
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1997 saw Starter become one of three suppliers (along with Champion and then-rival [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]) of uniforms for the NBA, most notably the [[New York Knicks]] and [[New Orleans Hornets|Charlotte Hornets]]. When the original company declined financially, their accounts went to [[Puma AG|Puma]]. In 2000, when 29 other MLB teams switched to the MLB Authentic Collection, the [[New York Yankees]] were the last team to wear Starter jackets. |
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The Starter name was purchased in 1999 by Official Starter Properties and Official Starter. These holding companies were in turn purchased by Nike in 2004 for about $43 million. |
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===Recent years=== |
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Starter has partnered with [[Walmart]]. On November 15, 2007, [[Iconix Brand Group]] bought the Starter brand from [[Nike, Inc.]] In 2009, Starter signed an exclusive endorsement agreement with quarterback [[Tony Romo]], who will be the featured brand ambassador for Starter's national advertising. Starter now manufactures clothing like compression shirts, similar to Under Armour brand compression shirts, compression shorts, basketball shorts, snapbacks for other companies/brands, basketball sneakers, tennis shoes, sport team logo-less jackets, slide sandals, and more. Starter also has a Tony Romo line of track pants, jerseys, jackets, and more. Starter products are only sold at Walmart, becoming like that when Iconix Brand Group bought Starter. They continue to manufacture quality items similar to big brand named manufacturer's products. |
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== Sponsorship == |
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===Current Sponsorship=== |
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====American Football==== |
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=====Players===== |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Tony Romo]] (2009–present) |
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===Former Sponsorship=== |
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====American Football==== |
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=====Teams===== |
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During the 1990s Starter supplied the official uniforms of the following [[NFL]] teams: |
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{{col-begin-small}} |
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{{col-3}} |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[San Diego Chargers]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Dallas Cowboys]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Miami Dolphins]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Philadelphia Eagles]] |
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{{col-3}} |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Atlanta Falcons]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[New York Jets]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Green Bay Packers]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[New England Patriots]] |
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{{col-3}} |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Los Angeles Raiders]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Washington Redskins]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[Minnesota Vikings]] |
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{{col-end}} |
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====Basketball==== |
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Official supplier of the following [[NBA]] uniforms in the 1990s: |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[New York Knicks]] |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[New Orleans Hornets|Charlotte Hornets]] |
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====Ice hockey==== |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} {{flag icon|USA}} [[NHL]] - all teams |
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==Merchandising licensed manufacturer== |
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During the 1990s Starter was a prominent manufacturer in the market of licensed uniforms of the main sports leagues in USA and Canada. The following is a list of the products made and commercialized by the company in those years: |
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===Jackets=== |
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{{col-begin-small}} |
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{{col-3}} |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] - all teams |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} {{flag icon|USA}} [[MLB]] - all teams |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} {{flag icon|USA}} [[NBA]] - all teams |
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{{col-3}} |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} {{flag icon|USA}} [[NHL]] - all teams |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[NFL]] - all teams |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[NCAA]] - all teams |
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{{col-3}} |
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{{col-end}} |
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===Replica Jerseys=== |
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* {{flag icon|USA}} [[NFL]] - all teams (-1998) |
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* {{flag icon|CAN}} {{flag icon|USA}} [[NHL]] - all teams |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.starter.com Official site] |
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*[http://www.iconixbrand.com/ Iconix Brand Group] |
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[[Category:Clothing companies of the United States]] |
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[[Category:Companies established in 1971]] |
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[[Category:Sportswear brands]] |
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[[Category:Clothing manufacturers]] |
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[[Category:Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States]] |
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Revision as of 02:12, 6 September 2012
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sportswear |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | David Beckerman |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North America, Europe, Asia [1] |
| Products | Clothing, footwear |
| $282.7 million [2] | |
Number of employees | 619 [2] |
| Parent | Iconix Brand Group |
| Website | www.starter.com |
Starter is a manufacturer of fleeces, footwear, compressions, and other accessories.
History
Rise and expansion
Starter was founded in 1971 in New Haven, Connecticut by David Beckerman, a former basketball player for Southern Connecticut State University, to manufacture team uniforms for high school athletic programs.[3]
In 1976, the company entered into non-exclusive licensing agreement with a number of professional sports league, paying royalties of 8-10% for the right to manufacture and market copies of professional athletic apparel. Its first retail product was a line of jackets emblazoned with the insignias of Major League Baseball teams. Soon the company expanded its licensed apparel line to include into headgear, activewear and accessories.
In 1979, the company became one of the first licensees to supply clothing worn on the field by professional teams through an agreement to manufacture satin jackets for players on Major League baseball teams. Starter incorporated this design into streetwear, and was, in the words of Business Week reporter Tim Smart, the "first to make team jackets out of satin, instead of the usual cheap nylon".
Starter had a tremendous growth in the 1980s. In 1980, it began partnerships with major leagues in basketball, football, baseball, and hockey as well as in 150 colleges and universities. It was the first apparel brand to co-brand with professional, collegiate and Olympic sports. By 1983, the company had entered licensing agreements with the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and the Canadian Football League (CFL). As coverage of national sports leagues on cable television expanded, Starter's bright, flashy team jackets became status symbols among kids. But the company's growth during this decade can also be attributed to an aggressive marketing strategy. Not only had the company made licensed sports apparel a fashion status symbol, it also created brand loyalty by making its "S and Star" logo a prominent part of the apparel's design. Starter innovatively placed its embroidered logo on jacket sleeves and on the back of baseball caps. Often, when people wore their baseball hats backwards, a person saw the Starter logo before they even saw the insignia of the team it represented.
In 1986, the company became the first to create NBA locker room t-shirts, first worn on television by the Boston Celtics, and later worn by millions of kids across the United States and Canada. In a similar way, Starter won a contract to create the parkas that coaches wore on NFL sidelines. For the retail market, Starter designed the "breakaway jacket", a pullover jacket that closely resembled the coach's parka and soon became an important wardrobe element of fashion conscious teenagers. The rage for Starter clothing was so strong that some children owned as many as 20 baseball caps; others would pay over $150 for a Starter jacket.[original research?] Sales in 1989 were $58.9 million. By 1990, they had more than doubled to $124.6 million.
In the early 1990s, Starter began to expand its distribution networks to reach over 25 countries in North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. The baseball jackets gave way to a hooded design with a side zipper, and eventually to a padded half-zip pullover. Starter apparel also expanded beyond sports clubs into styles such as plaid. A famous ad campaign featured Hip-Hop stars such as DJ Jazzy Jeff. Within two years, Starter's net sales nearly doubled to $356 million. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in April 1993, earning an estimated $98 million. Proceeds from the initial public offering were used to expand sales to Europe and the Pacific Rim and also to launch "Brand Starter", the company's own sportswear line minus team logos. Capitalizing on the high recognizability of its name, Starter went head-to-head against brands such as Champion and Russell.
Starter's competition in the licensed sports apparel business intensified in 1994 when Logo 7 Inc., the 2nd. licensed sports apparel manufacturer, won a much coveted NFL Pro Line license and beefed up its advertising budget in an attempt to knock Starter from its number one position. Overall, the boom in the licensed sports apparel market began to slacken in early 1994, slowing from an average of 38 percent annual growth to 15 percent annual growth. Starter moved into new markets with its licensed sports apparel, focusing on sales to young children and youth, and signed a new contract to manufacture the center ice jersey for the National Hockey League. The company purchased a retail chain, First Pick Stores, for $5 million of new stock in March 1994, and also established a Hong Kong office to better coordinate relations with manufactures. Beckerman stepped down as president, although he retained the posts of chairman and chief executive. John Tucker, former president and chief executive of a sporting goods and sportswear concern, assumed the position of president.
Restructuring
Although Starter began 1994 with a 23 percent increase over the first quarter 1993, it suffered a loss of $2.2 million in the second quarter. Second quarter 1994 sales were flat: $57.8 million, slightly lower than second quarter sales from 1992. Starter had predicted the loss, which it blamed on late deliveries from vendors, shipping delays to retailers, additional advertising and personnel costs, as well as start-up and contractor costs for a new Memphis distribution facility.[2]
1997 saw Starter become one of three suppliers (along with Champion and then-rival Nike) of uniforms for the NBA, most notably the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets. When the original company declined financially, their accounts went to Puma. In 2000, when 29 other MLB teams switched to the MLB Authentic Collection, the New York Yankees were the last team to wear Starter jackets.
The Starter name was purchased in 1999 by Official Starter Properties and Official Starter. These holding companies were in turn purchased by Nike in 2004 for about $43 million.
Recent years
Starter has partnered with Walmart. On November 15, 2007, Iconix Brand Group bought the Starter brand from Nike, Inc. In 2009, Starter signed an exclusive endorsement agreement with quarterback Tony Romo, who will be the featured brand ambassador for Starter's national advertising. Starter now manufactures clothing like compression shirts, similar to Under Armour brand compression shirts, compression shorts, basketball shorts, snapbacks for other companies/brands, basketball sneakers, tennis shoes, sport team logo-less jackets, slide sandals, and more. Starter also has a Tony Romo line of track pants, jerseys, jackets, and more. Starter products are only sold at Walmart, becoming like that when Iconix Brand Group bought Starter. They continue to manufacture quality items similar to big brand named manufacturer's products.
Sponsorship
Current Sponsorship
American Football
Players
Tony Romo (2009–present)
Former Sponsorship
American Football
Teams
During the 1990s Starter supplied the official uniforms of the following NFL teams:
|
|
Basketball
Official supplier of the following NBA uniforms in the 1990s:
Ice hockey
NHL - all teams
Merchandising licensed manufacturer
During the 1990s Starter was a prominent manufacturer in the market of licensed uniforms of the main sports leagues in USA and Canada. The following is a list of the products made and commercialized by the company in those years: