Partnership with Russell Athletic

• On June 6, 2018, Augusta Sportswear announced that it had signed a strategic partnership agreement with Russell Athletic.
• As the Exclusive Team Sports Partner of the brand, Augusta Sportswear will “exclusively manufacture, market, and sell team uniforms and other team-specific products.”
• According to the President & CEO of Augusta Sportswear Dave Elliott, the partnership will allow the company to further its “mission to inspire a physically fit lifestyle.”

It’s a Brand New Day Marketing Campaign

• On September 13, 2018, Augusta Sportswear published an article that focused on the company’s “It’s a Brand New Day” marketing campaign.
• According to the Vice President of Marketing at Augusta Sportswear Brands David Goerke, the campaign is “designed to tell our [Augusta Sportswear’s] story and let everyone know we are stepping up in this highly competitive industry.”
• The article also contained a link to the TV spot of the campaign.

Fabric Technologies

• On November 9, 2018, Augusta Sportswear published an article that focused on fabric technologies that it has adopted.
• The product development team is constantly scouring the world to identify the “most innovative, cutting-edge, and on-trend fabric technologies.”
• The article also contained a link to Augusta Sportswear’s YouTube playlist that featured the company’s Storm Dfend technology and its fabric technologies adoption strategies.

Partnership with the American Youth Soccer Organization

• On July 2, 2019, Augusta Sportswear published an article that talked about the company becoming one of the uniform and retailer partners of the American Youth Soccer Organization’s (AYSO) recreational, playground, schoolyard, all-star, and summer camp programs.
• The article mentioned that Augusta Sportswear looks forward to “supporting AYSO’s comprehensive efforts to grow the great game of soccer and help make playing in a league easier and more affordable than ever for families across the US.”
• The partnership, which also included online retailer SOCCER.COM, will officially start on January 1, 2020.

Acquisition of Pacific Headwear

• On August 1, 2019, Augusta Sportswear announced that it had acquired Pacific Headwear for an undisclosed price.
• According to Elliott, the acquisition will allow the company to offer “a compelling head to toe solution that delivers on our [Augusta Sportswear’s] commitment to be a one-stop solution for our customers.”
• As part of the deal, over 200 employees of Pacific Headwear will join Augusta Sportswear.

Work History

•  David T. Goerke is the current Vice President of Marketing for Augusta Sportswear. He has served in this role since January 2018.
•  Prior to working at Augusta Sportswear, Goerke worked as the Vice President of Marketing for VF Corporation and Fanatics, Inc.
• Goerke worked for Coca-Cola for 16 years. From 1998 to 2008, he served as US Marketing Director. From 2008-2015, he served as Senior Global Marketing & Innovation Director.
• In his role as US Marketing Director, he worked with the McDonald's division, one of Coca-Cola's largest global customers.
• As Senior Global Marketing & Innovation Director, Goerke partnered with global brands such as FIFA, MLB, and the Olympic Games to drive business success.

Education

• Goerke attended Longwood University from 1984-1988. He received a Bachelor's of Science in History/Business.
• He was a member of the school's soccer team where he served named All Region Goal Keeper and was a school record holder.

Personal Life

• David Goerke is married to Kendra Goerke, whom he met in college. They have three children: Jackson, Caroline, and Blake.
•  Kendra Goerke is the founder of BackStory Brands, a consulting firm working with manufacturing and design companies.
• Goerke is a longtime volunteer with the Special Olympics and served on the board in Florida. He is also the proud parent of a Special Olympic athlete, Jackson.
• He is also an advocate of autism awareness and has made multiple posts on his Twitter account about the cause.
• His daughter, Caroline, is a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. His son, Blake, also attends Vanderbilt, majoring in economics.

Social Media Profiles

• Goerke has a Twitter profile and Instagram profile. However, he does not seem to update either frequently.

Recent News

• A general press search and a search of Augusta Sportswear's press releases resulted in no recent press specific to David Goerke.
• An article published by ASI Central reported on the recent acquisition of Pacific Headwear by Augusta Sportswear. David Goerke is quoted in the article concerning the operation model of Pacific and the role of the company's leadership after the acquisition.
• A second article in the Register Guard also reported on the acquisition and included quotes from Goerke.

Current and Previous Professional Roles

• Mark Vondenhuevel is currently the SVP of marketing and merchandising for Augusta Sportswear. He has been in the position since September 2017.
• Mark was the SVP of strategic initiatives for Augusta Sportswear from January to September 2017.
• Prior to coming to Augusta Sportswear, Mark worked for Holloway Sportswear for over 22 years. He held the positions of controller, treasurer, executive vice president and president during his time with Holloway.
• Prior to working for Holloway, Mark was a manager for Ernst & Young from 1987 to 1994.

Education

• Mark has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Dayton, which he earned in 1987.
• Mark also has an associate's degree from Edison State Community College.

Recent News

• In August 2019, Mark Vondenhuevel was listed as the contact for questions on an article related to Augusta's acquisition of Pacific Headwear.

Personal Life

• Mark Vondenhueval has social media profiles on Instagram and Twitter.
• He is a fan of the OSU Buckeyes and the soccer team Arsenal.
• He recently attended a concert of Post Modern Jukebox with his wife, indicating an interest in music.
• His Instagram profile has photos of he and his wife on several trips, indicating he likes to travel.
• His Twitter feed references going to breweries, indicating he enjoys craft beer.

Competitors of Augusta Sportswear

1. Champion Teamwear 

•  Champion Teamwear (formerly GTM Sportswear) is Manhattan-based designer, manufacturer, and supplier of custom-embellished uniforms, warm-ups and practice apparel for college, school, and club sports teams.
• Like Augusta Sportswear, Teamwear manufactures and supplies colleges, schools, and clubs across the United States custom-made activewear and spiritwear. Augusta and Teamwear offer the same products to the same in the US market.
•  Teamwear's value proposition is to produce and supply dependable apparel a team needs when they need it and at just the right price.

2. Gear for Sports 

• Gear for Sports, a HanesBrands company based in Lenexa, Kansas produces and supplies a variety of customized sportswear including t-shirts, caps, fleece, luxury men's fashions to performance wear, and performance outerwear.
• Gear for Sports offers sportswear and other apparel including activewear in the United States and International market.
• Gear for Sports pride itself in its ability to confidently produce sportswear best suited to deliver the unique and important message of its client through its talented team within the shortest possible time ("over 70,000 garments a day with a less than one percent return rate.")

3. Teamwork Athletic Apparel 

•  Teamwork Athletic Apparel is a California-based manufacturer of 12 of the world's sports apparel. The Company manufactures athletic uniforms for teams, players, families, and fans.
•  Teamwork Athletic Apparel operates and serves customers in the same market niche (custom-made sportswear and apparel) as Augusta Sportswear in the United States.
• Teamwork's value proposition is simplifying the ordering process ("an easy online ordering process") and providing custom team uniforms with a truly unique look.

4. Mizuno 

•  Mizuno primarily produces and markets sporting goods, including sportswear and footwear. The Mizuno Group, comprising MIZUNO Corporation and its 13 subsidiaries.
• The company offers the same products and services (sportswear) as Augusta Sportswear to both the United States and the International market.
• Mizuno's value proposition is offering superior sporting goods designed to bring happiness and joy to all through the power of sports.

5. Boxercraft Inc 

•  Boxercraft Inc is a privately held sportswear design, manufacture, and distribution company based in Mableton, Georgia. The company produces and supplies colleges, universities, and teams with custom-made sportswear including spiritwear and outwear.
•  Boxercraft operates in the same market niche as Augusta Sportswear. The company through its e-commerce, B2C, and B2B channels serves both the United States and international markets with quality custom-made sportswear and uniform.
• Boxercraft’s value proposition includes same day shipment of custom-made sportswear and uniform with great quality, standard, fitness, and style at affordable price.

6. Majestic Athletic 

•  Majestic Athletic designs, manufactures and markets performance athletic apparel, team uniforms, outerwear, and licensed athletic wear for athletes, coaches, and fans of all ages.
• Majestic Athletic through its e-commerce platform provides customers including schools, colleges, universities, and sport fans the United States and International markets with sportswear including gear and t-shirt.
• The company's value proposition includes its huge stock of varieties of quality sportswear, customer service, shipping, and return policies. Majestic Athletic offers a flat shipping rate ($4.99) and a 365-day hassle-free return policy.

7. Badger Sportswear 

• Badger Sportswear is a privately held sportswear designing, manufacturing, and marketing company founded in 1971 with headquarters in NC, Statesville. The company’s product line includes performance tops and bottoms, fashion activewear and t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, henleys, mesh tops and bottoms, wind wear, outerwear, and team uniforms for most major sports.
• The company through its House Art Department and online market platform markets and offers its products (custom-made sportswear) to customers including colleges, and teams in the United States and international markets.
• Badger's value proposition is to save time, resources, and money through upgrades of its sportswear business model, and this includes a simplified stock pricing system and easy-to-use stock builder.

Research Strategy

Augusta Sportswear

• The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is partnered with Augusta Sportswear Brands for their AYSO Primary recreational, Playground, and Schoolyard programs, as well as their all-star and summer camp programs.
• The Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) has partnered with Augusta Sportswear Brand since 2018 for their spirit wear program and uniforms.
• Customers are eligible for a 5% discount off any order over $3,000. However, this doesn't apply for wool, decoration, samples and discontinued items.
•  Scott Winkler, a US Shot Put Paralympian, is the brand ambassador of Augusta Sportswear. He is dubbed as the hero for Paralympian athletes.

• Augusta Sportswear Brands consists of five different brands, including Augusta Sportswear, Holloway, High Five, Pacific Headwear, and Russel Athletic, in which every brand has its distinct style.
• The shirt sizes for adult males range from XS to 6XL, whereas the available sizes for adult females range from XS to 3XL. The shirt sizes for adolescent males range from XXS to XL, while the sizes for adolescent females range from XS to XL. As for children, the sizes range from XS to 2XL.
• Augusta Sportswear offers the 'N30 Credit Term' payment program for the customers who own credit cards.
• Augusta Sportswear provides many items that are specific to certain sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, soccer, fanwear, tennis, volleyball, LAX or field hockey, track, training, softball, cheer or dance, and yoga.
• This shop also offers custom-made sublimation, varsity jackets, and decorations.

• This shop doesn't offer any bundle or package program, except for High Five items.
• Customers must pay an additional charge of $3.00 for every 3XL item; $4.50 for every 4XL item; $6.00 for every 5XL item; and $7.50 for every 6XL item.

• The revenue of Augusta Sportswear in the first quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $70 million.
• The revenue of Augusta Sportswear in the second quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $70 million.
• The revenue of Augusta Sportswear in the third quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $60 million.

• The return addresses of Augusta Sportswear are located in Grovetown and Sidney.

Champion Teamwear

• Champion Teamwear offers special package pricing and promotion for team orders.
• Champion Teamwear has partnered with RMU Eagles and the members of RMU Eagles will be wearing Champion Teamwear items in the 2019-2020 competitive season.
• This company has also partnered with the Luminosity Gaming where they collaborated to create exclusive apparel that was launched at Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo on October 18 to 20 in 2019.

• Customers are provided help from the staff to create a custom look.
• Champion Teamwear claims to only take two weeks to send a customer's custom-decorated apparel.
• Champion Teamwear provides various selections of design that customers can choose, such as screen print, digital print, embroidery, twill, shimmer twill, twill with rhinestones, twill with sequin, sequin, and many more.
• This company offers many items that are specific to certain sports, such as cheerleading, dance, band, gymnastics, track, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, esports, soccer, golf, wrestling, baseball, and swimming. They also sell many types of sportswear, including tops, bottoms, poms, bodywear, headwear, accessories, glove, socks, shoes, and many more.
• Champion Teamwear offers a sample program where a customer may receive the sample of Champion Teamwear product and must return it within 90 days. If the sample is damaged or not returned within 90 days, the customer is charged the full retail price of the product.
• This company accepts school-issued purchase order s.

• Champion Teamwear considers slight color differences or color inconsistencies a defect, therefore, the return policy can't be applied in this case.
• Champion Teamwear doesn't accept the return or change of non-custom, undecorated items.

• The revenue of Champion Teamwear in the first quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $75 million.
• The revenue of Champion Teamwear in the second quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $75 million.
• The revenue of Champion Teamwear in the third quarter of 2019 is estimated to reach $75 million.

• Champion Teamwear is located in Manhattan, Kansas.

Research Strategy

1. Gear For Sports

Competitive Advantage

• According to the official LinkedIn page of Gear For Sports, the brand has a team of 70 talented in-house graphic artists. The team creates more than 80 thousand custom and new graphics every year.
• The brand claims that its team of graphic artists is the "first to unmask many unique and revolutionary graphic processes that are unmatched and unavailable" to the brand's competitors.
• The brand also has a "state-of-the-art facility" where it produces more than 70 thousand garments in a day. Additionally, the return rate of its garment is less than 1%.

Strengths

• Under Armour, Champion, and Alternative are few of the most powerful sportswear brands. Gear For Sports sells its products under these powerful brands and claims that its 'compelling portfolio' is one of its greatest strengths.
• Gear For Sports provides a single resource to its customers for a variety of sportswear needs. The brand sells different sportswear, including t-shirts, fleece, caps, performance outerwear, and performance wear.
• The brand also considers its team of in-house graphic artists and "exclusive patent-pending decorating capabilities" as some of its strengths.

Perceived Weaknesses

• The brand has not mentioned its weaknesses publicly. However, some weaknesses of the brand can be analyzed from the company reviews on Glassdoor.
• Some employees working at the warehouse of the brand have complained that the warehouse gets heated up in the summer due to the lack of air conditioning. 
• Many employees have admitted that there are fewer chances of promotion and raise at Gear For Sports.

Publicly Available Revenue

• The annual report of the parent company (Hanesbrands) doesn't provide a breakdown of the revenue by different brands. Gear For Sports operates under the 'activewear' category of Hanesbrands, and the revenue of the category was about $1.79 billion in 2018.
• Based on a third-party website called Zoominfo, the revenues of Gear For Sports for the four quarters of 2019 are $181 million, $250 million, $250 million, and $250 million, respectively.

Gear For Sports' Footprints

• The brand operates from Kansas and Texas. It has an office in Lenexa, Kansas, and Pharr, Texas.
•  Champion, a brand manufactured and marketed by Gear For Sports, is supplied across the US.

2. Teamwork Athletic Apparel

Competitive Advantage

• The brand believes that its 'beyond exceptional' customer service for the dealers is what distinguishes the brand from its competitors. The services that the brand offers include same-day shipping, no minimums, in-house decoration, and fast delivery.
• The brand claims that its custom sublimated division called ProSphere provides "the fastest sublimated manufacturing speed in the entire industry with 2 week (10 business days) standard manufacturing, or with two expedited options at an additional charge including 1 week expedited (5 business day), and 3 business day expedited."

Strengths

• The leadership team of the brand is composed of many functional area and industry experts.
• The brand offers a "friendly, casual, fast-paced, and fun work environment."
• Teamwork also considers its diversity and the custom sublimated division (ProSphere) as some of its strengths.
• The brand has products available for a wide range of audiences. Its target audiences include the people from "all levels of recreational, club, intramural, elementary/junior high/high school, and collegiate programs."

Perceived Weaknesses

• The brand has not mentioned its weaknesses publicly. However, some weaknesses of the brand can be analyzed from the company reviews on Glassdoor.
• Some employees of the brand believe that there is a lack of room for growth in the company. They also believe that there are some communication issues in some departments at Teamwork Athletic Apparel.
• Some employees of Teamwork Athletic Apparel have had issues regarding work pressure and deadlines.

Publicly Available Revenue

• Since the brand is a privately-held company, it does not provide its annual reports to the general public. Therefore, the revenue of the company is not publicly available on the company's website.
• According to Zoominfo, the revenues of the brand for the four quarters of 2019 are $62.6 million, $19.6 million, $70 million, and $69.1 million, respectively.

Teamwork Athletic Apparel's Footprints

• According to the official website of the company, it offers its products to dealers in the US.
• The brand has two offices. It has a physical office in San Marcos, California, and a satellite office in Mexico.

Research Strategy

Mizuno

• Mizuno 2018 revenue was ¥178.1 billion ($1.631 billion).
• The company is present in 40 countries in six continents, including Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania.

Competitive Advantage

• The company has over 110 years of experience in making sporting goods.
• They make various sportswear, including swimming, basketball, baseball, gulf, softball, soccer, tennis, and training wears.
• The company has a new swimming suit design that makes it an emerging force in the competitive swimming space.
• Mizuno Corporation has leading research & development and innovative technology used in making the best irons for sporting activities in the world.
• They make their products with the interest of the consumer in mind.

Strength

• The company operates in 40 countries and has 13 subsidiaries worldwide.
• The company makes quality, reliable, and safe items. Their manufacturing processes also meet the international manufacturing standards in terms of labor practices, environmental conservation, and respect for human rights.
• The company has a 100% implementation rate of CSR evaluation with 33 of its factories ranked as tier 1 suppliers post evaluation.
• Mizuno is one of the 2018 “500 Health and Productivity Companies” by the Japan Health Conference in union with the Ministry of Economy.
• The company is also one of Tokyo’s “Model Companies of Sports Promotion” by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for its social contributions in sports and employee encouragement in sporting activity.

Weaknesses

• Mizuno still has some of its factories rated as class C factories because of Corporate social responsibility issues.
• In 2018, the company suffered a 3.9% decrease in revenue from the previous year.
• The company loss also extends to other financial valuations such as the 5.2% and 4.8% decrease in operating & ordinary profits, respectively.
• They also experienced a weak running business in Taiwan and China.
• In Japan, the company's sales decreased, resulting from a weak sales of golf and sporting goods.

Boxercraft Inc.

• Boxercraft Inc. has estimated revenue of $24.56 million.
• The company only serves customers in the United States.

Competitive Advantage

• As an added advantage, Boxercraft offers free shipping to customers using the FedEx SmartPost delivery.
• The company is known for its oversized-fit shirts which include the genuine Pom Pom Jersey.
• The company claims to provide its customers with the “best quality of products at the best value possible.”

Strength

• Boxercraft is perceived to have a healthy relationship with its associates along and business partners in order to promote its ethical practices.
• Boxercraft employees and distributors are subject to standard industry work ethics and environmental practices.
• The company has an efficient and well-behaved customer service agents.

Weaknesses

• According to customer reviews on Amazon, the pullover top lacked durability.
• Compared to Mizuno and other players in the sportswear space, Boxercraft does not have a mobile application.
•  Boxercraft lacks global outreach as the company does not operate outside of the United States.

Majestic Athletic

Competitive Advantage

• Majestic Athletic offers sports gear from several quality brands in different sports. The company offers licensed products from all teams in the NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, and NCAA.
• It prides itself on offering leading shipping and return policies, as well as customer service experience in the sports apparel industry.
• Furthermore, Majestic Athletic offers a flat shipping fee of $4.99 per order, regardless of the total order value or the number of items in an order.

Strengths

• Majestic Athletic has a social media presence with a strong followers count. On Twitter, it has 27.3K followers, 149K followers on Facebook, and 50.4k followers on Instagram.
• The company has a money-back guarantee policy, promo code, and gift card support. 
• It also has a privacy protection policy by using state-of-the-art encryption technology (SSL) to ensure the safety of its customers' card and personal information.

Weaknesses

• A perceived weakness of Majestic Athletic is that it does not explore its social media strengths for digital marketing and communication.
• While it has a strong social media fan base, the company's last posts on its social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) were in 2018, while it's most recent activity on Twitter was a retweet in February 2018.

Revenue

• Majestic Athletic is a private company, as such, does not publish its financial filings. However, reliable third-party sources estimate the company's annual revenue to be about $46.5 million.

Locations

• Majestic Athletic has only one location in Pennsylvania, U.S. 

Founder Sports Group

Competitive Advantage

• With over 48 years of experience in the sports apparel industry, Founder Sports Group offers quality apparel at the 'speed of sports' through the acquisition of four quality brands.
• Badger Sport, Alleson Athletics, Garb Athletics, and Team Work are the four brands that constitute Founder Sports Group.
• The combination of these companies makes Founder Sports Group a leading manufacturer of "superior-quality team uniforms and performance athletic wear, including performance t-shirts, fleeces, shorts, pants, and outerwear that are worn by youth and adult athletes, fans and supporters, and by corporate team members".

Strengths

• The combined strength of the four brands that make up Founder Sport Group ensures that the company offers a wide range of products for "team dealers, decorators, wholesale distributors, and collegiate bookstores."
• Founder Sports Group offers free fright to customers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for orders above $150.
• The company offers a two-day shipping guarantee which offers the customer a 10% discount up to $100 from the next web-order if the company fails to deliver the order within two working days. They also offer
• Furthermore, the company offers a performance guarantee policy, return policy, and promotion discount. 

Weaknesses

• A perceived weakness of Founder Sports Group is that it does not have a social media presence. While it has a LinkedIn profile, the company is yet to make a single post on it.

Revenue

• Founders Sports Group is a private company, as such, does not publish its financial filings. However, reliable third-party sources estimate the company's annual revenue to be about $17 million.

Locations

• Founder Sports Group has only one location in North Carolina, U.S. However, the company's LinkedIn page hints that it has four manufacturing plants and four distribution warehouses around the globe with no specific mention of the cities nor the country.