BusinessWeek Logo
Everlast

Getty Images

Everlast


Owner: Sports Direct
Country: Britain

Having begun as a swimwear manufacturer in 1910 in the Bronx, N.Y., the Everlast brand for decades has been closely associated with boxing—that most American of pastimes. In 1917, a young Jack Dempsey asked the creator of Everlast to design protective headgear for him that could last 15 rounds in the ring. Today, from the energy of New York's Madison Square Garden to the dizzying lights of Las Vegas, Everlast is an indelible and visible fixture in the sport. The company was acquired in September 2007 by Brand Holdings, a subsidiary of British sporting goods giant Sports Direct, which operates retail stores and also owns the Dunlop, Slazenger, and LA Gear athletic brands.