Jalen Prince
Joseph Messam
Trimell Pearce
Warren Bell

Starting in the small town of Bavaria, Germany Adidas group was founded by Adi Dassler in 1924. The first registered shoe was named the, “Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik” and that is when Mr. Dassler embarked on his mission to provide athletes with the best possible equipment. Two of the first athletes sponsored by the Adidas group were Lina Radke and Jesse Owens. Both who in fact won gold medals while sporting the brand which was the start of an evolution. In 1949, Mr. Dassler remastered his brand and moved the operation to Herzogenaurach with 47 employees. The Adidas group sponsored the German national football team in 1954 against the undefeated and undeniable Hungarians. The German national football team went on to win that game in lightweight football boots with screw-in-studs and made a mark in football pitches everywhere for the next couple of decades. The first piece of apparel offered by the Adidas group was the Franz Beckenbauer’s tracksuit, which was named after a Kaiser. Not only did Mr. Dassler invite athletes to Herzogenaurach for personal invites to tour Adidas but he would actually listen to the athletes and what they wanted in apparel and shoes. Upon research we found out that the Adidas group uses a large amounts of cotton, polyester, leather, recycled polystyrene and fabric. My group members and I will not only name the companies the Adidas group utilizes to manufacture their products but we will also provide graphs and paint a full picture of the process their materials go through. Some of the companies utilized to produce these products for the Adidas group are Better Cotton Initiative, Hwang Yih Textile, and Framas just to name a few. In 1978, the world was hit by the tragic news that Mr. Dassler passed away shortly before his 78th birthday. Even in the fact that he was no longer physically present Mr. Dassler surpassed a striving company to his son, Horst with the support of his mother Kathe. The secret behind the

success of Mr. Dassler was the trust that he had of the athletes he innovated for and that very trust is what has kept this brand alive today.
Suppliers
The main suppliers for Adidas are located in mostly Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, China, and Taiwan. The first supplier and probably the most important is Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), and as you may have guessed they provide the Adidas group with cotton. Cotton is one of the world’s most important natural fibers. There are many uses for cotton and it is utilized nearly by everyone everyday. Cotton is said to be a renewable natural resource, but only if we manage it responsibly. In 2005, a revolution occurred and Better Cotton was invented. BCI’s purpose is to make worldwide cotton production better for the people who manufacture it, also better for the environment it grows in and better for the future of the cotton industry, by developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity. To achieve this mission, BCI works with a large range of stakeholders across the cotton supply chain community to promote reachable and continued improvements for the environment, farming communities and the economies of cotton-producing areas. BCI has four main specific goals reduce the environmental impact of cotton production, Improve livelihoods and economic development in cotton producing areas, Improve commitment to and flow of Better Cotton throughout supply chain and Ensure the credibility and sustainability of the Better Cotton Initiative.
Although cotton makes up a majority of the shoe and serves a very important purpose, the design and development of the shoe has also been essential to the success of the Adidas brand. The development and design of Adidas shoes is headed by Framas. Framas was founded in 1948 as a small family business and now has expanded to a global corporate group. Framas’ objectives include developing and producing shoes to be able to maximize one’s performance in relation to one being active or an athlete. Framas achieve their company’s objectives for focusing on three main components of the shoe: the sole (shoe foundation), heel elements and rear caps, and insoles. Customers, like Adidas, are able to consult with Framas on on any issues they are having/ performance standards they want met and Framas can provide solutions from the advanced practices in manufacturing that their company acquires. Frames states to its clients via their website, “The close integration of our specialists from the product development, the in-house mold design and production guarantee rapid implementation of the idea to series production, in the highest quality and efficiency”. The care and detail that Frames applies towards the designs contribute to the overall success of the Adidas brand and why so many customers are satisfied with all of their products.
Adidas is a company whose clothing and products are used and worn by many throughout the world. A material used to manufacture their products is recycled polyester (PES). This material comes from a variety of post- consumer waste, like used clothing and plastic bottles, that’s reprocessed and spun into usable fibres. The Adidas group corporation has a global supply chain that covers many products. Therefore, by using this type of material to manufacture their products, they are reversing their carbon footprint and saving a lot of money when making, packing, and distributing all over the world. The use of PES helps the world reduce the amount of petroleum waste exerted, into the air, from the many toxins that are used to produce other products from other companies. Adidas, has set the bar extremely high when it has come to most of its production, especially since the manufacturing from raw materials (like recycled polyester) to a distributed product cost way less than those that aren’t processed from raw materials. The Adidas group manufactures their products in 65 countries and has more than 1,200 independent factories around the globe. This has been great for planet Earth as well as provided many (job) opportunities to those all over the world.

Distribution

The USA is home to the world's biggest Adidas Distribution center ever, located in Spartanburg South Carolina. Distribution centers are where products are stored in warehouses that are then sent to local stories or sent to homes if purchased online. Products purchased directly from the company can usually be bought cheaper than from stores because it's (cutting out the middle man) as the call it or out a labor force. Adidas's products distribute from the factory to out of storage and onto a truck, plane, train, or ship. When products are sent out from distribution centers they are redistributed to many different retail stores such as Adidas stores themselves, Nordstrom, Foot Locker, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s and Hibbett Sports. The products usually comes in large pallets shrink wrapped. It is up to employees at these stores to shelve these products for the consumers.

Customers

Adidas supply chain is global and multi-layered structured, with many different types of business partners Adidas has the flexibility across the board, some of whom are directly contracted factories, while others are not. One of the main suppliers for Adidas is HYT. HYT strongly believes that aside from creating the conditions for a lucrative business, a company’s contribution to the community includes the customers, shareholders,, employees, society and th environment is the real measure of success. Since its inception HYT has been committed to upholding labor rights and occupational health and safety standards. HYT ensure that all employees receive a wide range of benefits including health insurance. As for the environmental protection, green product design is a top priority at HYT. Complying with the government‘s rules and regulations. In addition, HYT has strengthened requirements that all internal operations comply with. HYT requires that everyone, within their domain of responsibility, conduct risk analyses for potential hazards while also implementing measures to improve the operational environment. Everyone is also expected to do their utmost to fulfill their duties and prevent occupational safety incidents. Regarded as part of the HYT family, employees as well as contractors are encouraged to do their part in creating a safe occupational environment.