Under Armour, the Baltimore-based sportswear giant, this week opened a
manufacturing and development facility in its hometown.
The American sporting clothing and accessories brand is bringing a portion
of its production close to home in a bid to offer USA-made collections and
invest in technology to advance its tech product categories.
The new 35,000 square feet facilities will house Under Armour’s product
developers, engineers, designers and operators of cutting-edge machinery in
a vast former city bus depot.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Under Armour is collaborating with partner
companies at Lighthouse to create a new model for manufacturing, using
state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers that make sneakers, a
full-body scanner that measures individuals for custom clothing and robotic
machinery for more efficient production.
“Today, unfortunately, much of our manufacturing is done outside the U.S.,”
said Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. “We’d like to reinvent the process. By
coupling incredible machinery, technologies and material sourcing under one
roof, UA Lighthouse will offer immediacy in manufacturing and will allow us
to be more responsive to the needs of athletes in the local community. This
venture will allow Under Armour to make product better, faster and more
efficiently,”
Current manufacturing standards for sportswear relies on a century old
technology. New technology will enable products to be made for smaller
production runs, improving efficiency and product quality, while reducing
the time it takes to create new designs and distribute to consumers.
Image: Under Armour Facebook page