UNDER ARMOUR ON INC. 500Under Armour Performance Apparel ranks second on the 2003 Inc. 500, an annual rating of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Founder & President Kevin Plank is featured in the magazine's December cover story, where he describes Under Armour's road to success.

The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies across all industry segments according to sales growth over the past five years. Under Armour reported 12,753% growth over that period. Founded by Plank in 1996, the company is headquartered in Baltimore and is the official supplier of performance apparel to Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, USA Baseball and the US Ski Team. Under Armour gear is worn by players on 30 NFL teams and nearly 100 Division I-A college football programs. The company exceeded $50 million in sales in 2002, and is on pace to break $110 million in 2003.

"The entrepreneurs you'll find on the Inc. 500 have the type of attitude we need to get this economy moving again," said Inc. editor-in-chief John Koten. "For them, a tough market is not an excuse for poor performance, but an opportunity to innovate and rise above the competition."

To be eligible for this year's Inc. 500, companies had to be independent and privately held through their fiscal year 2002, have had at least $200,000 in sales in the base year of 1998, and their 2002 sales had to exceed 2001 sales. Inc. verifies all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountant and by conducting interviews with company officials.

Other recent accolades for Under Armour include: Kevin Plank was named Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Winner for Maryland in 2003 in the Manufacturing category; Under Armour was listed among Fast Company's "Fast 50" in the March 2003 issue; and this year, Under Armour was named Sporting Goods Business Apparel Supplier of the Year.