NIKE

DESCRIPTION

Bauer NIKE Hockey outfits the biggest players who showcase their talents on ice. Previously a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIKE but now owned by investors, the firm makes ice and roller hockey equipment including sticks, custom-made sticks, skates, helmets, protective gear, and apparel under the NIKE, Mission, ITECH, and Bauer brand names. Bauer NIKE Hockey sells its products worldwide in more than 9,000 stores in some 35 countries. It's one of the most widely purchased brands among the National Hockey League and other leagues. After more than a dozen years together, NIKE sold the company for about $200 million to a group of investors, including Canadian entrepreneur W. Graeme Roustan and Kohlberg & Company.

ADIDAS

DESCRIPTION

Jesse Owens and Muhammad Ali broke records in their adidas athletic shoes. The heart of the adidas product line is athletic shoes, but the three-stripe logo appears on apparel and other jock accoutrements. Bankruptcy once had the company on the ropes, but it made a comeback by shifting production to Asia and beefing up its marketing. The #2 maker of sporting goods worldwide, behind NIKE, it has inked deals with football and basketball athletes, as well as the New York Yankees. The firm won sponsorship rights to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Its purchase of Salomon, the French maker of ski and golf gear, was short-lived. It sold the unit to Amer Sports Corp. and bought Reebok in 2006 for some $3.8 billion.