...Introduction According to the Human Rights Watch, “the meat packing industry is considered as the most dangerous job factory job in America.” (Human Rights Watch, 2005). People employed in slaughterhouses are exposed many types of hazards on a daily basis that can jeopardize their health. Since the 1900s, there has been a significant incline in the demand for meat within the United States, which requires more people to work in production. (2013). A majority of these employees are classified as being a minority, having low socioeconomic status, and living in poverty. The conditions of these slaughterhouses are hazardous and dangerous and many employees are prone to exposure to more diseases due to the high rate of unsanitary factors such as animal bodily fluid on floors, hooks, walls, and tools. Injuries often occur in this work environment are due to quick speeds of the process lines and the amount of time employees are given to slaughter each animal. (Food Empowerment Project, 2014). These employees are also vastly underpaid. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In May 2012, the median annual wage for slaughterers and meat packers was $24,330. The median annual wage for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers was $22,830 in May 2012.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). These people endanger their lives every day due to the high volume of work, extended hours, and contact with biological, physical, and chemical agents. This environmental injustice raises...
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...industry was a ground turning point of U.S history, which symbolized meat as a symbol of man’s conquest over nature and the environment. Meatpacking industries were largely concentrated in large cities such as Chicago, New York, Ohio, and Kansas City. The big four companies were known as the Armour, Swift, Morris, and National Packing companies. Live animals would be shipped via railroads and sent directly to the factories in the city, ready to be sliced and prepared. This was during the Industrial Revolution , a time when powerful monopolies and companies took control of U.S.: Standard Oil, U.S. Steel, including meat packing industry. Cincinnati, Ohio originally was the center of the meat processing industry. Environmentally, the industry gained benefits due to the plants located near the Ohio River, allowing easy transport of goods. However, Chicago replaced Cincinnati and demonstrated new unique advantages with the emergence of refrigerated railroad cars, allowing convenient transportation facilities throughout different cities. Despite the fact that the exterior of meat packing industries seemed powerful and rich, the true interior revealed grueling shady harsh atmosphere. It revealed how these strong companies eliminated competition and ruthlessly treated workers as ‘wage slaves’. In fact, most workers earned just a few pennies per hour, worked more than ten hours per day, six days a week. More importantly, the workers were not treated with caution nor rightful care. They...
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...The Horrors of Packingtown Living and Dying in Packingtown, Chicago is an expert from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, which told the story of Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant trying to survive in Chicago. Sinclair wrote The Jungle with hopes to achieve better working conditions all around the United States, but also to show the corruption and evil that come with capitalism. His book was an instant best seller and caused massive reform of the meatpacking industry, however, this reform was focused on health concerns rather than concerns for the workers. “‘I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach,’ he said.” (BLACKWELL) Living and Dying in Packingtown, Chicago opens into the struggles of life at home for immigrant family with the painful death of their child, Kristoforas, who had eaten some tubercular beef which was unfit for export. The family could not afford a grave so the mother, Elzbieta, went in tears to beg from their local neighbors for a proper burial. This opening brings the reader instantly into the situation this family is in and what dire state of poverty they faced. Jurgis, having no job and a family to feed, went to the dreaded fertilizer plants which were talked about mostly in feared rumor. “Few visitors ever saw them, and the few who did would come out looking like Dante, of whom the peasants declared that he had been into hell.” (p. 74) Only the desperate resort to working at the fertilizer plants which was where all the “tankage”...
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...Impacts of The Jungle on American Society As Judith Lewis Herman exhorted in her novel, Trauma and Recovery, "The ordinary response to atrocities is to banish them from consciousness” (“Trauma and Recovery Quotes”). However, a nationwide nerve was struck when the grotesque meat- packing industry was revealed by Upton Sinclair. He blazoned to Americans across the country the lurid details of the industry though his novel, The Jungle, a novel which changed American history. [This scathing review on the meat packing industry with socialist undertones brought an advent of great social and legal change to the United States.] With its stunning entrance into American literature in 1906, The Jungle created an uproar that has endured over a century since its publication. Upton Sinclair was an ardent proponent of socialism in America and yearned to reform the ailing country (Fogel). His novel was produced as a metaphor, comparing a jungle directly to the corrupt meat packing industry based in Chicago. Sinclair sought to expose the unknown atrocities hidden in the meat packing industry, which was not forced to obey any form of regulation (Shafer). Sinclair wrote that, “It was like some horrible crime committed in a dungeon, all unseen and unheeded, buried out of sight and of memory” (Sinclair 56). This fictional piece of literature brought America to a screeching halt. Never before had such a bold statement been made about an industry that affected almost every single American. Upton’s...
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...Case Study: ARMOUR GARMENTS COMPANY BACKGROUND OF THE CASE The Armour Garments Corp. (AGC) was established in 1954 in the Philippines as a manufacturer of high quality undershirts. It had two popular brands, namely: “Armour” and “Marca Troca”. The company started out by copying popular styles and designs from Hongkong. The first ten years was quite profitable. The company grew from 25 workers in 1954 to about 250 workers in 1967. The company sells all of its products to wholesalers in Divisoria who distribute the product all over the country. The products are manufactured in white color only and are generally of superior quality being twice more durable than other brands in the market. Undershirts are worn as a matter of habit to avoid the direct contact of users polo shirts with the body. Product sales is seasonal. Business usually peaks twice a year: in June, with the opening of classes and in December, with the Christmas rush. In the mid 60’s more and more undershirt factories opened. The company faced serious threats in its operation since the Divisoria middlemen were not loyal to brands. All along, AGC was banking on its institutional pride and goodwill being the pioneer in the industry. While sales of the company did not decrease, it also did not substantially increase with the growth of the population. However, this did not bother management since the cash flow was good. No major investments were made during the period. It was business as usual so to speak....
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...Flores, Jireh Micah H. 29 April 2016 Linayao, Jacklyn Care A. FRM 171 H-1L Magno, Mary Angela Sariga, Deborah Keren A. Case Study: Armour Garments Company I. Time Context The Time context of the case was during the year of 1975 when the Armour Garments Company (AGC) is facing stiff competition and financial difficulties. The officers of the company considered liquidation of their business and see if they’ll still be able to continue managing the business. II. Point of View The case will be analyzed from the point of view of the owners of AGC. III. Problem/s identified A. Production * Sewing machines could not be utilized to manufacture other type of garments and because of this the company cannot venture other commodities such as jeans and polo shirts. B. Competition * Other undershirt factories started to open (threat of new entrants *Porter’s five forces) * Its serious threat was the operations in the Divisoria middlemen * The disloyalty of the Middlemen when it comes to lower cost ad longer credit terms in products. * Its sales did not increase nor decrease because of the growth population. The management ignore this and became relax because they still earn the profit. * There was no investment in the company. C. “Blossom” Brand * In 1971, the demand for undershirts went low due to the change of fashion trends. * More factories rise and were more willing to negotiate...
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...has expanded over the years and has become more competitive with more aggressive marketing strategies, in an attempt to achieve growth and increase market share. The Under Armour brand has been built on differentiation, authenticity, and originality. An advanced second skin microfiber under garment to control perspiration and body temperature, for athletes as well as those who lead active lifestyles, is the cornerstone of Under Armour’s business. Since founder Kevin Plank first launched the original Under Armour compression t-shirt in 1996, the company has experienced rapid growth, with distribution to over 500 retail stores, outfitting agreements with athletic teams, and international expansion. Over the past decade, Under Armour has expanded its marketing efforts and has not limited itself to only athletic wear by increasing its product offerings to include footwear, accessories, children’s wear, and women’s active wear. Problem Statement Under Armour has excelled in its product and marketing strategy to date, however the company must seek to improve the future prospects for growth, including, but not limited to, product manufacturing, operations and distribution, and market expansion. Analysis With the growing popularity of collegiate and competitive sports and physically active lifestyles Under Armour has experienced continuous growth and success, despite the many competitors saturating the sports apparel market in recent decades. Such notable success and exponential...
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...The Armour Garments Corp. (AGC) was established in 1954 in the Philippines as a manufacturer of high quality undershirts. It had two popular brands, namely: “Armour” and “Marca Troca”. The company started out by copying popular styles and designs from Hongkong. The first ten years was quite profitable. The company grew from 25 workers in 1954 to about 250 workers in 1967. The company sells all of its products to wholesalers in Divisoria who distribute the product all over the country. The products are manufactured in white color only and are generally of superior quality being twice more durable than other brands in the market. Undershirts are worn as a matter of habit to avoid the direct contact of users polo shirts with the body. Product sales is seasonal. Business usually peaks twice a year: in June, with the opening of classes and in December, with the Christmas rush. In the mid 60’s more and more undershirt factories opened. The company faced serious threats in its operation since the Divisoria middlemen were not loyal to brands. All along, AGC was banking on its institutional pride and goodwill being the pioneer in the industry. While sales of the company did not decrease, it also did not substantially increase with the growth of the population. However, this did not bother management since the cash flow was good. No major investments were made during the period. It was business as usual so to speak. In 1971, the market for the undershirt suddenly...
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...organizations process of defining who they are, what they do, who they do it for, and how they do it. It provides a strategy and direction for molding company policies, products and services. The strategic planning process focus on understanding the organizations relationship to its stakeholders using four main concepts: Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategy. This project will focus on the strategic design of Under Armour, Inc. The Purpose of Under Armour The Under Armour sports gear and equipment was born in 1996 by a University of Maryland football captain named Kevin Plank who is still chairman and CEO of the company (Google Finance UA, 2013). The first plan was to create a superior t-shirt that would provide compression and keep perspiration off of the skin as opposed to absorbing it. His plan was to create a shirt that would work with the body and regulate the body’s temperature as well as enhancing the athlete’s performance. Kevin created tight fitting sportswear that is made in base layers. The gear was designed for contact sports. The company uses ArmorGrip technology that is designed to hold the clothes in place and prevents movement of the clothes on the body. The sportswear is made with a thin material designed to be easy to put on and to fit comfortably under sports shirts or jerseys. The material varies for each garment. The material is also designed to wick sweat away from the body, keeping the body temperature cool and preventing clothing from getting wet. The...
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...and to live longer. This becomes a demand in the market, leaving a space for companies to fill in the supply. There was also an increase in the purchase of athletic wear not only for fitness activities but to simply give a perception of a healthy lifestyle, which in turn increased demand for these products. Technological Factors: Technology plays a key role in the industry and thus drives the creation of new fabrics that lead to a better design for athletic attire. Trademark fabrics such as luon, luxtreme and silverescent all have different specifications that would address the different needs of consumers in the market. Advances in market intelligence allow companies to track trends in the market and consumer behaviours. Changes in shopping habits also become relevant, not only with trends but also with the growth of e-commerce and the convenience of purchasing anything online in the matter of seconds. The desire to be able to shop online has become a growing industry, leaving consumers with the satisfaction to shop at any time and place. Lululemon had reported 10.6 percent of sales to be website based in 2012, and as consumers become tech-savvy, the number is likely to increase. Legal Forces and Factors: The working conditions and labour laws play a huge role in the macro-environment and in the success of a company. Restrictions and regulations in different countries make it important for companies to adhere to these rules as...
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...MQM 385 Summer 2008 Under Armour Strategic Analysis Team 2: Paul Huston. Ryan Marchand. Eric Webster. Rachel Eberle. Irén Ganèva. Lamar Wooley. Margaret Kobel. Table of Contents Executive Summary ___________________________________________________________2 External Analysis _____________________________________________________________3 Value Chain…………..…………………………………………………………………….3 Key Success Factors ……………………………………………………………………...7 Porter’s 5 Forces ……………...……………………………………………...…………..9 External Analysis Conclusion …………………………………………………………...12 Opportunities in the environment …………………………………………….....12 Threats from the environment …………………………………………………...14 Internal Analysis_____________________________________________________________16 Financials & Cash Flow Analysis ………………………………………………………16 Cash Position ……………………………………………………………………16 Financial Indicators ……………………………………………………………..16 Cash Flow ……………………………………………………………………….16 Internal Analysis Conclusions …………………………………………………….…….17 Strengths ………………………………………………………………………...17 Weaknesses ……………………………………………………………………..17 Competitive Strategies ________________________________________________________19 Current Corporate Strategy ….………………………………………………………..19 Integration position ……………………………………………………………...20 Diversification position …………………………………………………………21 Current Business Strategy ….…………………………………………………………23 Product positioning ………………………………………...………...…………23 Current Functional Strategy …….…...
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...Kevin Plank, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Under Armour (UA), is an entrepreneurial hero that was recently added to the Forbes 400 list. He is also seen on other lists such as Forbes 40 under 40 and America’s 20 most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under. The youngest of five brothers, Plank always had the entrepreneurial spirit and a competitive drive to win. He started shoveling snow at the age of ten and held several jobs throughout his school days. He even had a small annual business, Cupid’s Valentine, which sold roses for Valentine’s Day. Plank says he put away $17,000 from the rose business, which was used as the start-up money for UA. Plank played football for Maryland, and as recalled by his teammates, he wasn’t the “biggest guy” or the “fastest guy,” but the one who “worked harder than anyone.” What he learned over the years on the football field is still used by him and has helped make him one of the most successful entrepreneurs today. In all the stories about Planks childhood, schooling, athletic, and professional careers, he is described as an outgoing, people person. On the Big Five Personality Trait chart, he would be high on extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. He always wanted to win, was good at motivating his teammates, he got along well with everyone and he was original and daring to take a risk and start up his own business. His internal locus of control probably contributed to him starting his own sports apparel...
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...Problems…………………………………………………………………………….P.10 Income Statements………………………………………………………………….P.11 Ration Analysis……………………………………………………………………..P.12-16 Work Cited…………………………………………………………………………P.17 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….P.18 Worked Cited………………………………………………………………………P.19 Brief History One of the biggest name in American sports clothing and accessories is Under Armour. This company focuses on providing hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes, but they also have a large range of sportswear and casual apparel for others. Kevin Plank founder and CEO of Under Armour, he first carne up with the ideas for Under Armour in 1995. Plank was the special teams' captain on the University of Maryland football team. He noticed after every game him and his teammate cotton T-shirt were heavily soaked in sweat. He told himself "there has to be something better". He also noticed that his synthetic fabric short in wore in practice stay dry. After graduation from Maryland, Plank set out to corne with a product that sports have never seen before. On a trip to New York City famous garment district for fabric samples, Plank create is first prototype. The first prototype he created was given to old teammates at Maryland and friends who now plays in the NFL. The feedbacks that he received, prompt he to create a better product. He went back to work and quickly carne up with a revolutionary new T-shirt made from microfibers that wicked moisture and kept athlete cool, dry, and...
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...UNDER ARMOUR Ecomonic Analysis Wisniewski, Angela Table Of Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Company History and Analysis 3 a. Strengths 4 b. Weaknesses 4 c. Opportunities 5 d. Threats 5 3. Microeconomic Analysis 5 4. Macroeconomic Analysis 7 5. Market Structure- Monopolistic Competition 8 e. Consumer Demand 9 6. Market Competition 9 7. Managerial Recommendations 11 8. Conclusion 13 9. Works Cited 14 Executive Summary Under Armour is in the Textile- Apparel Clothing industry, in the consumer goods sector. The market has been driven by economic recovery, new product offerings and a rising degree of consumer confidence. This is a diverse industry, with specialized companies and competitors. Under Armour is a developer and distributor of athletic apparel, footwear and accessories for all ages and sexes. In November of 2005 Under Armour went public with an IPO and has since grown into a multi-billion dollar company gaining brand recognition through contracts with the Notre Dame Program and partnering with large nationwide retailers. The company primarily markets to consumers in North America. Internationally the company sells products to countries in Europe and a third party licensee sells products in Japan. Under Armour still faces heavy competition and competitors include large apparel, footwear and sporting goods companies with...
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...Under Armour Case Study Source: Hogan, 2013 Table of contents Detailed Timeline 3 Business and Corporate Level Planning 4 Brief Summary of the Company Situation in their Competitive Environment, Issues they Face and Clear Problem Statement to Analyze 6 Key Leadership 8 Types of innovation and Evidence of Entrepreneurship 10 Global Presence and Effects 11 Ethics - Examples of Social Consciousness/Corporate Social Responsibility 12 Responsible Wealth Creation 14 Engagement and Plan Alignment & Corporate Culture 15 Wild Card 16 Internal Analysis 17 External Analysis 20 SWOT Analysis 24 Recommendation 27 Bibliography 33 Appendix 37 Team Member Roles 46 Detailed Timeline It all started in 1995 when Kevin Plank, the special teams captain on the University of Maryland football team, noticed that the cotton T-shirts he and his teammates wore underneath their pads were always soaked and filled with sweat (Under Armour, 2012). “There has to be something better,” he believed (Under Armour, 2012). That statement soon launched the performance apparel industry (Under Armour, 2012). That statement also became Under Armour’s generic strategy, which was to develop a better product than there was in the market. While Plank was perfecting his t-shirt after he graduated, he needed funds to launch his apparel line, so he maxed out his credit cards to the tune of $40,000 and set up a company in his grandmother’s basement in Washington, DC (Under Armour, 2012). In...
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