When David W. McCreight took over as president of Under Armour more than a year ago, he came to a company that in many ways was the polar opposite from where he was working at Lands' End.
Lands' End was nearly a half-century old with roots in the catalog business and looking for ways to revive, grow and stay relevant. Under Armour was an up-and-coming, vibrant company with marketing campaigns that resonated with the younger generation and plans to expand its line of athletic wear.
"It was really sort of a once-in-a-generation sports brand opportunity," said McCreight, 46, who said the job allows him to combine his passion for sports with that of running a company.
But he also took over at a challenging time for the 13-year-old company, as the country works to pull itself out of the worst economy since the Depression. Consumers are spending less, and the retailers that sell Under Armour products are cutting back on inventory. Much of the company's success has come from entering retail categories that had been untapped or had room for improvement, such as compression wear and cross training shoes.
Under Armour is entering categories that are more competitive and harder to break into, and that could determine how well the company is suited to continue to compete against giants such as Nike and Reebok. Under Armour recently said it was revamping its running shoe and replaced its head of footwear after sales were not up to expectations.
McCreight recently sat for an interview with The Baltimore Sun and talked about taking over the helm of Under Armour. The job arose after founder, chairman and CEO Kevin Plank split his duties in a continued effort to beef up management ranks as the company becomes a bigger player in sports apparel.
"Unlike other companies that I had the chance to work with, the more time I spent at Under Armour I actually realized there was more opportunity than I ever realized when I got here," he said. "More often than not, you enter a company, and you talk about that honeymoon period that eventually ends."
McCreight acknowledges that times are hard, but said Under Armour is still growing and hiring, and will expand into new offices in December. The additional 135,000 square feet is across the street from company headquarters at Tide Point in South Baltimore and will include showrooms as well as offices.
