Nike, Inc.





Nike, Inc. (NKE - NYSE) started with the sports shoes and is now in about
every aspect of sports and sports related equipment. The company is named
after the Greek goddess Nike meaning 'victory'.

   * 1962 Bill Bowerman, a track coach at University of Oregon, and Phil
     Knight, an accounting student and middle-distance runner had the dream
     of bringing low-priced, high-tech athletic shoes from Japan to the U.S.
     At the time German shoes dominated the industry. That year, after
     entering business together, shoes from Onitsuka Tiger were sold in the
     U.S. by Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

   * 1965 Jeff Johnson, a former rival on the track of Knight's, joined as
     the companies first full time sales man. He was busy selling shoes out
     of the back of his van to High Schoolers at track meets. Then in 1966,
     at 3107 Pico Blvd., in Santa Monica, California, Johnson opened the
     company's first retail outlet.

Bowerman's desire to improve on Tiger's designs, and Knight's drive to drive
to do more landed them with a new direction. Johnson gave this new company
the name Nike and Bowerman gave them new designs. Within thirty years time
Nike is a leader the sports and fitness industry.

   * 1971 the Nike Swoosh design was created by a graphic design student
     Carolyn Davidson. At the time she was paid the sum of $35. She worked
     for Nike for a few years until they needed a full ad agency.

   * 1979 Nike's Air technology is introduced. Nike used gas-filed bags
     inserted into the sole of running shoes to specialize their shoes for
     different uses.

   * 1980s Nike's "Just Do It" slogan and trademark Swoosh achieves
     unmatched branding thanks to the help of professional athlete
     endorsements.

   * 1983 Carolyn Davidson received a gold Swoosh ring with an embedded
     diamond at a luncheon in her honor has recognition for her design of
     the Swoosh logo. She also received a certificate and an undisclosed
     amount of Nike stock.

   * 2003 Nike made a successful bid to buy rival Converse Shoes for $305
     million.

Nike continue to import their shoes from factories overseas. They have been
subject to much critical coverage of the often poor working conditions and
the exploitativeness of the cheap overseas labor employed in the Free Trade
Zones where their goods are typically manufactured. Sources of this
criticism include Naomi Klein's book No Logo.

Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.