On January 31, 2006, adidas-Salomon AG acquired Reebok International Ltd. The closing of the Reebok transaction marks a new chapter in the history of the adidas Group. By combining two of the most respected and well-known brands in the worldwide sporting goods industry, the new Group will benefit from a more competitive worldwide platform, well-defined and complementary brand identities, a wider range of products, and a stronger presence across teams, athletes, events and leagues.
The new adidas Group has more than 25,000 employees worldwide, with more than 2,000 working at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach. A team of designers, product developers and experts for biomechanics and material technology carries out research in Portland and at adidas’ second technology centre in Scheinfeld near Nuremberg.
In Scheinfeld models, prototypes and made-to-measure performance products are also manufactured and tested. It is here that adidas maintains the only sports shoe production facility still in existence in Germany.
More than 80 subsidiaries guarantee marketplace presence for adidas products around the world. Sales and distribution of adidas products is grouped in four regions worldwide: Europe/Emerging Markets, North America, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. Today, adidas is Europe’s biggest supplier of athletic footwear and sports apparel.