UNDER ARMOUR RECEIVES FIRST SBA HALL OF CHAMPIONS AWARD

Baltimore-based retail giant Under Armour and its CEO and founder, Kevin Plank, were honored the first Small Business Adminstrations’ Hall of Champions award on Wednesday, October 12 at Under Armour’s global headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and a member of President Obama’s cabinet, joined Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to present the award, which honors successful U.S. companies that commenced with the support and foundation from SBA.

Plank started his company as a student at the University of Maryland, where he was special teams captain for the University’s football team. and later received a loan from the SBA. Since its beginnings in 1995, Under Armour has grown from a small business with $17,000 in sales in its first year to a multibillion dollar global performance brand.