NIKE PARTNERS WITH APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT ON APPAREL MANUFACTURING IN THE AMERICAS

Athletic lifestyle brand Nike, Inc. and global alternative investment manager Apollo Global Management, LLC have entered into a strategic partnership regarding the apparel supply chain in the Americas. This partnership will increase regional manufacturing capabilities, enable quicker delivery of more customized product to consumers, and drive investment in sustainability.

While terms of the agreements were not disclosed, Apollo announced the new supply chain company has acquired two businesses to form the cornerstone of this strategy: the apparel manufacturer, New Holland; and the embellishment, warehousing and logistics operator, ArtFX. The investment is made by the Apollo-managed Special Situations I fund.

Josh Harris, co-founder and senior managing director of Apollo, said: “We see a tremendous opportunity to meet the rising demand for responsive apparel manufacturing to serve increasing consumer expectations for products delivered when and where they want them. We intend to work with management to develop a regional supplier capable of servicing the needs of a wide variety of customers, and we are particularly enthusiastic to be working with such an iconic brand as Nike. While Nike has not made a capital investment in the company, this strategic partnership is a testament to Nike’s commitment to increasing regional manufacturing capabilities, driving investment in innovation and creating long-term growth.”

“We are excited to be working with Apollo to rethink a new supply chain model to revolutionize apparel manufacturing in the Americas,” added Eric Sprunk, chief operating officer at Nike. “The new company, under Apollo’s leadership, is committed to embedding sustainability and transparency into the business, investing in new technology, vertically integrating critical elements of the supply chain and delivering the best Nike performance product to our retail and sports partners.”