Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded Nike Inc. as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1962 with a handshake. The two man team began the company with a combined investment of $500 each. They reached an agreement with a Japanese manufacturer of athletic shoes, forming BRS/Tiger shoes. Phil Knight started this company selling shoes from the trunk of his car. As the empire grew, the two man team developed the idea to cut overheard. In 1972, BRS and Onitsuka Tiger went different ways and thus Nike was born. "The first shoe was a soccer shoe that bore the Nike brand name, referring to the Greek Goddess of Victory, and the "Swoosh" trademark. A student designed the Swoosh trademark for a fee of $35" [Nikebiz. (2006). Nikebiz [The Inside Story].
. "Nike has its headquarters in Oregon although it doesn 't do any manufacturing locally. Instead, Nike designs and markets its products here in the United States while contracting the manufacturing of all its products in the global network in over six hundred factories scattered around the globe while employing over 550,000 workers" (Charles W L Hill & Gareth R Jones, 2004, C129).In a little over three decades Nike has reportedly increased its earnings from forty million to over fourteen billion dollars annually. Nike 's mission statement was inspired by a man named Bill Bowerman who was not only one of the founders of Nike but a highly respected track and field coach who taught athletes the "secrets of achievement" at the University of Oregon. The mission statement of Nike is one of few words, but huge in meaning: "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete" in the world. [Nikebiz. (2006). Nikebiz [The Inside Story]. Nike 's mission is to continue Bowerman 's accomplishments though his eyes. One of Bill great quote is, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." [Nikebiz. (2006). Nikebiz [The Inside Story. This is the statement of the company, the statement that is supposed to be everything that they stand for.
References: Nikebiz. (2006). Nikebiz [The Inside Story]. Available from Nike, www.nike.com Charles W. L. Hill & Gareth R. Jones. (2004). Strategic Management (6th edition Ed.) (George T. Hoffman, Ed.). Boston and New York, MA and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. (Charles W. L. Hill & Gareth R. Jones, 2004) (Nikebiz, 2006)