Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said in the company’s third quarter earnings call that footwear and apparel manufacturing facilities have yet to modernize like other industries have. He said it requires roughly 150 people to build a single shoe end-to-end, according to The Motley Fool.
Even Nike CEO Mark Parker said that 3D technology couldn’t make the entire sneaker end-to-end and that human intervention would be necessary in several components.
Meanwhile, Plank said that Under Armour has already reduced the number of “human touches” by up to 30% from when it first started, but he says there is plenty of “room to run.”
The athletic apparel company is preparing to open a new facility in Baltimore in 2016 called “Lighthouse,” a 133,000-square-foot renovated city garage that will be the start to Under Armour’s new “Project Glory” manufacturing process improvement.
The Baltimore Sun reported that as of last year, UA apparel and footwear were made by 29 primary manufacturers in 14 countries, with nearly two-thirds of products made in China, Jordan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Plank said during the call that Project Glory will be an “advanced manufacturing innovation hub” that will allow new technologies to be tested and commercialized, then integrated into the company’s existing supply chain.
This, he said, will change the “dynamics of speed to market, pricing, costing and labor.”
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
