.svg){kind=logo} | |
 Fila store inHong Kong | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| KRX:081660 | |
| Founded | 1911; 114 years ago (1911) inBiella, Italy |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea (since 2007) |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Gene Yoon (chairman) |
| Products | Athletic shoes and clothing, sports equipment |
| Parent | Fila Korea Ltd.[1] |
| Subsidiaries | Acushnet Company |
| Website | fila.com |
Fila (/ˈfiːlə/FEE-lə;Korean: 휠라;RR: Hwilla) is a South Korean-ownedsportswear brand headquartered inSeoul. The company was originally founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 inCoggiola, nearBiella, Italy.[2] Fila Korea acquired the brand in 2007 and launched itsinitial public offering (IPO) on theKorea Exchange in September 2010.
Fila Holdings owns golf equipment makerAcushnet Company. Fila Holdings' largest shareholders include Piemonte Co., Ltd at around 20%, Fila Holdings at 20%, andSouth Korea'sNational Pension Service at around 13%.[3]Gene Yoon (Yoon Yoon-su), who owns a 75% stake in Piemonte,[4] serves as the chairman of Fila Holdings. Thechief executive officer is Yoon Keun-chang.[5]
In 1906, brothers Ettore and Giansevero Fila joined the Giuseppe Regis and Figli di Coggiola wool mill inBiella,Piedmont, Italy. In 1911, the Regis brothers withdrew from the company and the wool mill took the name Fratelli Fila S.p.A.[6] Fila was officially established in 1923. It originally made clothing for the people of theItalian Alps, primarilyunderwear. In 1973 it moved intosportswear, with an endorsement deal with tennis playerBjörn Borg, and the brand became more popular after the transition.[7]
In 1988, Fila changed ownership from Italian chemical companySNIA S.p.A. toFiat-controlledholding company Gemina, later restructured as Holding di Partecipazioni in 1997. In 1991, Fila shifted focus from clothing in Europe to footwear in the US, and completed a buyout of its US license. High-profile sponsorships, including basketball playersGrant Hill andJerry Stackhouse, helped make Fila America's fastest-growing footwear brand by 1995.[7]
In 2003, Holding di Partecipazioni sold the company toCerberus Capital Management, a US-based hedge fund, after the company over-committed itself to expensive athletic endorsements at a time when margins were under pressure. Cerberus owned Fila through holding company Sports Brands International, which owned and operated all Fila businesses around the world with the exception of Fila Korea, which was a separate company operating the brand under license. In January 2007, the brand and all its international subsidiaries were acquired by Fila Korea.[8][9]
In 2009,Anta Sports acquired the rights to the brand in China, Hong Kong, and Macao from then Fila company's Chinese joint venture partnerBelle International. Fila Korea still owned 15% shares of the joint venture company "Full Prospect".[10]
In September 2010, Fila Korea Ltd. launched itsinitial public offering on theKorea Exchange.[11][12][13] In May 2011, it acquired global golf equipment makerAcushnet Company, becoming the new owner of golf brands such asTitleist andFootJoy, for $1.23 billion.[14][15]
In March 2021, Fila China stated that it would continue to source cotton fromXinjiang despite public criticism that such cotton had been produced withforced Uyghur labor in the region.[16]
