Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, which later became Nike. They introduced the Nike brand in 1972 and went public in 1980. Nike has since grown significantly, with over $18 billion in global sales in 2013. Nike is headquartered near Portland, Oregon and employs over 10,000 people worldwide, contracting with suppliers across Asia and other regions to manufacture its footwear and apparel.