adidas AG

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.adidas-group.com
Employees: 46,824
Employee growth: 13.4%

From famous athletes to school kids, adidas wants to help everyone play better. The company sells sports shoes, apparel, and equipment sporting its iconic three-stripe logo in 170 countries. The #2 sporting goods manufacturer (behind NIKE) focuses on football, soccer, basketball, running, and training gear and apparel as well as lifestyle goods including SLVR and Y-3 fashion brands. adidas' wholesale division gets adidas and Reebok products to retailers while the retail group runs its own 2,270 Reebok and adidas shops. The Other Business group includes TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Rockport, Reebok-CCM Hockey, and other brands. Founder Adi Dassler, brother of PUMA creator Rudi, began making shoes in the early 1920s.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2011:
Sales: $17,922.3M
One year growth: 12.8%
Net income: $899.9M
Income growth: 19.6%

Officers:
Chairman: Igor Landau
CEO: Herbert Hainer
Member Executive Board Global Operations: Glenn Bennett

Competitors:
Callaway Golf
NIKE
PUMA SE