Purple Rangers top confirmed as new 3rd strip

[colinstein 294]

who owns Puma ?

[pete 2,499]

who owns Puma ?

 

The brother of Adi Dasler(Adidas)

Edited July 16, 2015 by pete

[pete 2,499]

who owns Puma ?

 

Background

 

Christoph von Wilhelm Dassler was a worker in a shoe factory, while his wife Pauline ran a small laundry in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, 20 km (12.4 mi) from the city of Nuremberg. After leaving school, their son, Rudolf Dassler, joined his father at the shoe factory. When he returned from fighting in World War I, Rudolf received a management position at a porcelain factory, and later in a leather wholesale business in Nuremberg.

 

Rudolf returned to Herzogenaurach in 1924 to join his younger brother, Adolf, nicknamed "Adi", who had founded his own shoe factory. They named the new business "Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik" (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory). The pair started their venture in their mother's laundry. At the time, electricity supplies in the town were unreliable, and the brothers sometimes had to use pedal power from a stationary bicycle to run their equipment.[5]

 

Adi drove from Bavaria to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin with a suitcase full of spikes and persuaded United States sprinter Jesse Owens to use them, the first sponsorship for an African American. Owens won four gold medals. Business boomed; the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes annually before World War II.[6]

Company split and creation of Puma

 

Both brothers joined the Nazi Party, but Rudolf was slightly closer to the party. A growing rift between the brothers reached a breaking point during a 1943 Allied bomb attack. Adi and his wife climbed into a bomb shelter that Rudolf and his family were already in. "Here are the bloody bastards again," Adi said, apparently referring to the Allied war planes, but Rudolf was convinced his brother meant him and his family.[7] When Rudolf was later picked up by American soldiers and accused of being a member of the Waffen SS, he was convinced that his brother had turned him in.[5]

 

The brothers split the business in 1948. Rudolf moved to the other side of the Aurach River to start his own company. Adolf started his own sportswear company using a name he formed using his nickname—Adi—and the first three letters of his last name—Das—to establish Adidas. Rudolf created a new firm that he called "Ruda", from "Ru" in Rudolf and "Da" in Dassler. Rudolf's company changed its name to Puma Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler in 1948.[8]

A pair of Puma sport-lifestyle shoes with the company's distinctive "Formstripe" design

Early years and rivalry with Adidas

 

Puma and Adidas entered a fierce and bitter rivalry after the split. The town of Herzogenaurach was divided on the issue, leading to the nickname "the town of bent necks"—people looked down to see which shoes strangers wore.[9] Even the town's two football clubs were divided: ASV Herzogenaurach club supported Adidas, while 1 FC Herzogenaurach endorsed Rudolf's footwear.[5] When handymen were called to Rudolf's home, they would deliberately wear Adidas shoes. Rudolf would tell them to go to the basement and pick out a pair of free Pumas.[5] The two brothers never reconciled, and although both are buried in the same cemetery, they are spaced apart as far as possible.[citation needed]

 

In 1948, the first football match after World War II, several members of the West German national football team wore Puma boots, including the scorer of West Germany's first post-war goal, Herbert Burdenski. Four years later, at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1500 metres runner Josy Barthel of Luxembourg won Puma's first Olympic gold in Helsinki, Finland.

 

At the 1960 Summer Olympics Puma paid German sprinter Armin Hary to wear Pumas in the 100 metre sprint final. Hary had worn Adidas before and asked Adolf for payment, but Adidas rejected this request. The German won gold in Pumas, but then laced up Adidas for the medals ceremony, to the shock of the two Dassler brothers. Hary hoped to cash in from both, but Adi was so enraged he banned the Olympic champion.[6]

[Bearman 9]

I was a bit peeved about the all black strip used a few years back then got to quite like it.

 

This purple one has me feeling the same way...nothing to do with Rangers traditionally and lacking in oomph!

 

In saying that I love the Puma kit, very professional looking and better than that awful 'new balance' effort, and I'm not just saying that because you know who are now donning it.

 

Going back in time to just 3 years ago, the Rangers team kit looked very poor and shabby under Umbro, the Puma kit is very tidy and their styling is pretty impressive...

 

I'm not a fashion guru or anything, just saying the Rangers kit is very professional and fitting for today's modern athletes.

 

If I was to buy one it would look ridiculous on me as I'm getting ever closer to an XL, so it's not really meant for the general supporter who prefer steak and ale as opposed to train or fail, the unfortunate Kris Boyd was found out as soon as he put it on...get my drift?

 

Anyway, the Puma kit for me sorts out the achievers from the heavers.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Bearman

[pete 2,499]

To answer the original question I should have added this.

Takeover by PPR

 

In February 2007 Puma reported that its profits had fallen by 26% to €32.8 million ($43 million; £22 million) during the final three months of 2006. Most of the decline in profits was due to higher costs linked to its expansion; sales rose by more than a third to €480.6 million.[19]

 

In early April 2007 Puma's shares rose €29.25 per share, or about 10.2%, at €315.24 per share.[20]

 

On 10 April 2007 French retailer and owner of Gucci brand Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) announced that it had bought a 27% stake in Puma, clearing the way for a full takeover. The deal values Puma at €5.3 billion. PPR said that it would launch a "friendly" takeover for Puma, worth €330 a share, once the acquisition of the smaller stake was completed. The board of Puma welcomed the move, saying it was fair and in the firm's best interests.[21]

 

Since 17 July 2007 PPR owns 62.1% of Puma stock. While PPR owns the majority of Puma's stock, Puma remains an independent company.

 

In July 2011 the company completed a conversion from an Aktiengesellschaft (German public limited company) to a Societas Europaea, the European Union-wide equivalent, changing its name from Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport to Puma SE.[22] At the same time, Franz Koch replaced the long-serving Jochen Zeitz as the firm's CEO, with Zeitz becoming chairman.