Russell Brands

Russell Brands, LLC, headquartered in Bowling Green, KY, is a manufacturer of sports equipment, which markets its products under many brands and subsidiaries, including Russell Athletic (its flagship brand), Spalding, Huffy, and Brooks, amongst others.

Formerly a publicly traded company, Russell Brands has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 2006.

History

The beginning: Russell Manufacturing Co.

Russell Corp. established

The original "Russell Manufacturing Company" company founded by Benjamin Russell become "Russell Corporation" in 1973, under the presidence of Eugene C. Gwaltney, who had taken over in 1968. .

By 1990 the company owned and operated 13 sewing plants outside of Alexander City and employed 15,000 workers. Since 1976 sales revenues had increased by 13 percent annually. With the acquisition of two subsidiaries, Quality Mills in North Carolina and Cloathbond Ltd. in Scotland, in 1988 and 1989 respectively, the company had become a global contender in the sportswear industry.

Under President and CEO John C. Adams, Russell Corporation had become the top manufacturer of athletic uniforms in the nation. In 1992 the company was awarded a five-year contract to serve as the exclusive producer and marketer of athletic uniforms for most MLB teams. The contract also stipulated that the company held the exclusive right to manufacture and market replicas of major...
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