Baltimore News Journal

American businessman-turned-entrepreneur, billionaire, and philanthropist Kevin Plank recently revealed his new vision for his beloved Sagamore Farm, located in Baltimore, Maryland. The new chapter involves moving from racing champion thoroughbreds to producing one of the world’s best rye whiskeys: his signature Sagamore Spirit Rye.

Kevin Plank is the founder and the current the Brand Chief of Under Armour, Inc., a multibillion-dollar brand that is in the business of making sports and casual apparel, and footwear.  

The journey that leads to Plank’s latest enterprise is forged in a trail of aspiration, innovation, and creating new opportunities. Know more about burniva: phentermine vs adderall blog article.  

Kevin Plank loved playing football in his youth.

Kevin Plank’s childhood home was in Kensington, Maryland. He and his five brothers loved playing sports. Plank later attended the University of Maryland where he played college football. He led the college football players there as a special team captain.

While playing the full-contact sport, one thing he and his teammates agreed upon was that their cotton T-shirts did nothing to block the excessive sweating from playing the game. To stay cool and dry, strictlygirlz.com they had to change their T-shirts several times in the day. It was then that Plank was inspired to invent a superior sweat-wicking shirt.  

The founding of Under Armour.

Plank began by experimenting with different materials to create a base layer. He finally settled on a synthetic material that worked well for the layer and then designed it to actually wick away the moisture from the skin.

Where did Plank begin trying out all of these ideas that he had for his invention? In the basement of his grandmother’s house located in Washington. He operated his headquarters for his start-up business Under Armour, from her home during his time in college.

He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor of business administration degree in 1996. A collection of products evolved including clothing for cold weather, long-sleeve shirts, and eventually shoes for cross-training and football.

 A blockbuster movie launches new opportunities for Under Armour.

Plank moved the location for Under Armour to Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. Within a year, an amazing opportunity opened even more doors for the company. The blockbuster motion picture about professional football “Any Given Sunday” by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx, featured products by Under Armour.

From there, Plank grew the business to being named the official supplier of the National Hockey League. Under Armour flourished with licensing deals with USA Baseball and Major League Baseball.

Next, Under Armour goes public.

By 2005, Under Armour’s notoriety, marketing, and sales expanded well beyond the sports leagues and into the consumer market place at large. Kevin Plank decided to go public with Under Armour. The company thrived and sales exceeded and broke the $1 billion mark within five years, in 2010.  

Today, Under Armour continues to break ground by making the world’s first spacesuit for soon-to-be space sightseers.

Kevin Plank’s a new vision for Sagamore Farm.

Kevin Plank founded Sagamore Racing when he purchased the 500-rolling acre Sagamore Farm in 2007. Once notorious for the Vanderbilt family’s famous thoroughbred racehorses Native Dancer, Bed o’ Roses, and Discovery, the Sagamore Farm had fallen into disrepair.  

Plank purchased the property and was determined to restore the buildings and go one step further… fulfill a vision of revitalizing thoroughbred horse racing in Maryland. He has done that. His commitment to restoration, reestablishing horse racing to fame and distinction on the farm, and to revitalizing its community has been accomplished. 

Shared Account and Global Champion.

Over a span of fourteen years, Sagamore Farm’s revitalized horse racing heritage produced the likes of Shared Account, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, a $2 million-dollar race. Shared Account won the race in a field of some of the finest horses in the world.

Another of Shared Account’s wins is the Juvenile Fillies Turf. A notable accomplishment is that Shared Account also produced an offspring, her daughter Sharing, that is also a Breeder’s Cup Winner. A notable accomplishment as there only a small group of Breeder Cup winners… four to be exact… that have done so.

 Global Champion racing performance turned heads when he won the Peter Pan Stakes at the Belmont Park. He showed with third place at the Saratoga track in the Jim Dandy Stakes.

Kevin Plank’s vision for transitioning to whiskey is already producing a winner.

As Sagamore Farm’s horse racing endeavor is winding down, the production of whiskey is in gear and off to an excellent start. The Sagamore Distillery is already famous for its line of award-winning Sagamore Spirit Rye whiskey. Plank’s plans are to expand the distillery on the farm by adding plans to grown rye and corn on the property. It is well on its way to blazing a new trail to notoriety and success.