Audimas

Audimas is a Lithuanian sportswear manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, and clothing supplier headquartered in Kaunas. Founded in 1931, it is described in the supplied reference material as the largest sportswear manufacturer in the Baltic States. The company developed from a domestic apparel manufacturer into a vertically integrated sportswear business with manufacturing facilities, branded retail, franchising, e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and contract production for other labels. Audimas entered a new phase after Lithuania restored independence in 1991. Its consumer-facing brand expansion accelerated in the late 1990s: the company opened its first own retail store in 1997, introduced seasonal collections under the Audimas name, and began signing sponsorship agreements with sports clubs in 1998. In 2001, it launched its first television commercial using the slogan “Freedom of Movement,” establishing a positioning centered on active lifestyles, mobility, sport, and outdoor activity. The company’s product range covers sportswear and active-lifestyle clothing for women and men. It has included tops, shirts, polo shirts, jackets, trousers, dresses, coats, overalls, swimsuits, cycling jerseys, basketball apparel, underwear, socks, hats, gloves, scarves, belts, backpacks, towels, and other accessories. Collections have been organized around seasonal and activity-based themes, including gym and indoor training, basketball, travel, winter sports, cycling, tennis, swimming, and general everyday activewear. Audimas has also developed special collections with Lithuanian and international designers, including Juozas Statkevičius and other designers named in the reference material. Manufacturing has remained central to the business. Audimas operated production divisions in Kaunas and Jonava and also supplied garments for other brands on a business-to-business basis. The supplied material identifies production or supply relationships involving Assos, Lucas Hugh, Rapha, and other labels, and notes that Audimas facilities previously worked as contractual factories for Nike. In 2014, approximately 40% of apparel production was sold under the Audimas name, with the remainder produced under other brand names. Export activity has included European Union markets, the Baltic countries, the Middle East, and customers in countries including Switzerland, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the United States. Retail expansion proceeded through directly operated stores, franchise locations, wholesale partners, and an online shop. Audimas opened its first store in Latvia in 2002, expanded into Poland in 2007, launched an e-shop in 2008, and returned to Latvia with a Riga store in 2013 after an earlier withdrawal during the economic crisis. In 2014, it sold its first franchise in Ukraine and opened a Kyiv brand store. The company also developed new store concepts combining domestic, natural, and technical visual elements, including plant walls, digital signage, seasonal displays, and separate “home” and “action” areas. Sport sponsorship and technical apparel have been important to Audimas’s identity. Since 1999, it has cooperated with the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania and supplied clothing for Lithuanian Olympic and national-team athletes at several Olympic Games. It also supplied apparel for the Lithuanian Antarctic expedition in 2011 and entered an agreement with the Belarus National Olympic Committee in 2014. Other relationships have included Lithuanian basketball clubs, the Lithuanian athletics federation, and the Latvia national basketball team. In 2018, investment company LitCapital acquired 60% of Audimas. Donatas Pušinskis became chief executive in 2021. The supplied material does not establish the company’s current ownership structure, website, or operating status beyond these historical references.

Audimas was established as a joint-stock company in Kaunas in 1931 and began by manufacturing sportswear. The supplied historical account does not identify an individual founder, but it places the company’s origins in Lithuania’s interwar industrial development. Manufacturing remained a defining part of the enterprise as it developed facilities in Kaunas and later Jonava. Lithuania’s restoration of independence in 1991 created a new stage in Audimas’s commercial development. During the second half of the 1990s, the company began building a consumer brand in addition to its manufacturing activities. Its first company-owned retail store opened in 1997, when the first seasonal collections carrying the Audimas trademark were also introduced. In 1998, the company signed its first sports sponsorship agreements, linking the brand to organized sport and athlete communities. Audimas’s marketing became more visible in the early 2000s. Its first television commercial appeared in 2001 with the slogan “Freedom of Movement.” The company also received Lithuanian business recognition during this period, including export-related awards cited in the reference material. In 2002, it opened its first store in Riga, Latvia. The Latvian operation was later closed amid the economic crisis and higher rental costs, but Audimas returned to Riga in 2013. Product and channel development continued throughout the 2000s. A dedicated winter-sports clothing line was created in 2003. The brand logo was updated in 2007, the same year the company expanded its retail presence into Poland. Audimas launched an online shop in 2008 and stated that its manufactured products were available through the e-shop from 2010. From 2008 onward, its collections were organized into four seasonal releases, covering autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Sports partnerships became a major part of the brand’s public identity. Audimas began cooperating with the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania in 1999 and supplied clothing for Lithuanian athletes at a series of Olympic Games. These included the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, the 2012 Summer Games in London, and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The reference list also identifies Audimas as official Lithuanian Olympic wear for 2013, although that date appears inconsistent with the Olympic cycle and should be checked against an authoritative sports record. The company expanded its technical and design credentials through special projects. In 2011, Audimas designed and manufactured clothing for participants in a Lithuanian expedition to Antarctica. In 2012, designer Juozas Statkevičius presented a women’s outdoor clothing line created for Audimas, and the company distributed a Statkevičius-designed “Muscle suit” associated with his spring 2013 collection. Audimas also worked with several other Lithuanian and foreign designers on special apparel lines. In 2013, it opened two new concept stores in Vilnius, using retail interiors that combined home-like elements with visual references to travel, nature, movement, and technical performance. Audimas operated through several business channels: its own stores, franchises, an e-commerce site, wholesale relationships, and contract manufacturing. The reference material identifies manufacturing and subsidiary activity in Lithuania, Belarus, and Latvia, along with exports to European and Middle Eastern markets. It also describes supply relationships with brands such as Assos, Lucas Hugh, and Rapha, and a past contractual manufacturing relationship with Nike. In 2014, the company reportedly sold about 40% of its apparel under its own label and the balance under other brand names. The company faced a weaker financial period in 2016, when the supplied source reports declines in revenue and net profit. No financial figures are included here because the available material does not provide a directly verifiable financial filing link. In August 2018, LitCapital acquired 60% of Audimas. Donatas Pušinskis became chief executive in 2021. The supplied references do not provide enough current information to establish Audimas’s present ownership, leadership team, website, or operational status with certainty.

1. 2021Donatas Pušinskis becomes chief executive

   Donatas Pušinskis takes on the role of Audimas chief executive.

   Source
2. 2018LitCapital acquires majority ownership

   LitCapital acquires 60% of Audimas.

   Source
3. 2014Ukrainian franchise and Belarus Olympic partnership

   Audimas opens a Kyiv brand store through its first Ukrainian franchise and begins sponsoring the Belarus National Olympic Committee.

   Source
4. 2013Riga return and Vilnius concept stores

   Audimas returns to the Latvian market with a Riga store and opens two new concept retail stores in Vilnius.

   Source
5. 2012Designer outdoor collection and Olympic design recognition

   Juozas Statkevičius presents a women’s outdoor line for Audimas, while Audimas receives a Lithuanian Good Design award for Lithuanian Olympic team wear.

   Source
6. 2011Antarctic expedition apparel project

   Audimas designs and manufactures apparel for participants in a Lithuanian expedition to Antarctica.

   Source
7. 2008E-commerce channel launches

   Audimas opens its first e-shop and begins structuring its offer around four seasonal collections.

   Source
8. 2007Logo update and Polish expansion

   Audimas updates its logo and expands its retail network into Poland.

   Source
9. 2003Winter-sports line is introduced

   The company creates an additional clothing line focused on winter sports.

   Source
10. 2002First Riga store opens

    Audimas enters the Latvian retail market with its first store in Riga.

    Source
11. 2001First television campaign launches

    Audimas introduces its first television commercial and the “Freedom of Movement” slogan.

    Source
12. 1999Olympic Committee cooperation begins

    Audimas begins cooperating with the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania on athlete apparel.

    Source
13. 1998First sports sponsorship agreements

    The company signs its first sponsorship contracts with sports clubs.

    Source
14. 1997First company retail store and branded seasonal collections

    Audimas opens its first own retail store and introduces seasonal collections under the Audimas trademark.

    Source
15. 1991A new post-independence business period begins

    Following Lithuania’s restoration of independence, Audimas begins a new phase of business development.

    Source
16. 1931Audimas is established in Kaunas

    The joint-stock company is established in Kaunas and begins manufacturing sportswear.

    Source

A Baltic sportswear brand combining local manufacturing, functional activewear, outdoor and sports categories, Olympic and team-sport credentials, and a multichannel retail and wholesale model.

• Active-lifestyle apparelSportswear

  Audimas’s core apparel range covers everyday activewear and clothing intended for movement, travel, exercise, and casual use. The range has included shirts, T-shirts, polo shirts, blouses, tunics, skirts, dresses, trousers, jackets, coats, and overalls. Seasonal collections have been divided into activity and style themes, combining practical sports functions with clothing suitable for daily wear.

• Outdoor and winter-sports clothingOutdoor apparel2003

  Audimas developed dedicated winter-sports and outdoor lines, including outerwear and garments for travel, cold-weather activity, and other outdoor pursuits. The company’s outdoor offer has also been used in special design collaborations, including a women’s outdoor collection created with Juozas Statkevičius.

• Cycling and team-sport apparelSports teamwear

  The company produces technical and team-oriented clothing for activities including cycling and basketball. The range includes cycling jerseys, basketball uniforms, and related sports garments supplied to clubs, federations, and other sporting organizations in Lithuania and nearby markets.

• Swimwear and base layersPerformance apparel

  Audimas’s product catalogue has included swimsuits as well as underwear, bras, panties, and socks. These products extend the brand beyond outer sportswear into base layers and apparel for swimming and other active uses.

• AccessoriesSports accessories

  Accessories associated with the Audimas range include hats, kerchiefs, gloves, scarves, belts, bracelets, backpacks, and towels. They support the company’s sports, travel, outdoor, and active-lifestyle positioning.

• Olympic and national-team apparelAthlete and team apparel1999

  Audimas has designed and manufactured official apparel for Lithuanian Olympic athletes and national sporting teams. It has also supplied clothing connected with the Belarus Olympic team and other sporting organizations. These products function both as technical uniforms and as high-visibility demonstrations of the brand’s manufacturing and design capabilities.

• 2014Lithuanian basketball-court renovation project

  Lithuania

  Audimas initiated a street-basketball project involving the renovation of courts in major Lithuanian cities.

  Outcome. The initiative connected the brand with grassroots basketball and public sports infrastructure.

  Source
• 2013Audimas concept-store retail experience

  Lithuania

  Audimas introduced new concept stores in Vilnius using a visual idea that combined a home-like environment with an action and travel area. Plant walls, digital signage, seasonal displays, and technical design elements were used to communicate the relationship between nature, everyday life, and activity.

  Outcome. The concept supported the company’s retail modernization and brand-refresh efforts.

  Source
• 2001Freedom of Movement

  Lithuania

  Audimas launched its first television commercial around the “Freedom of Movement” slogan, expressing the brand’s association with mobility, sport, and active living.

  Outcome. The campaign established a recognizable platform for the brand’s consumer marketing.

  Source

• 2018LitCapital takes majority ownershipM&A

  Audimas operated as a private joint-stock company with several key shareholders.

  What changed. LitCapital acquired 60% of the company.

  Aftermath. The transaction changed Audimas’s controlling ownership, although the supplied material does not describe subsequent strategic or operational effects.

  Source
• 2014Expand international sponsorship and franchisingStrategy

  Audimas was extending beyond Lithuania through regional retail and sports partnerships.

  What changed. The company sold its first Ukrainian franchise, opened a Kyiv store, and began sponsoring the Belarus National Olympic Committee.

  Aftermath. Audimas gained additional visibility in neighboring markets while broadening its franchise and institutional sports relationships.

  Source
• 2013Re-enter Latvia and modernize retailStrategy

  Audimas had previously closed its Latvian store during an economic downturn and faced the need to rebuild its regional retail presence.

  What changed. The company reopened in Riga and introduced new concept stores in Vilnius.

  Aftermath. The moves represented a renewed Baltic expansion and an effort to refresh the in-store brand experience.

  Source
• 2008Expand into e-commerceStrategy

  Audimas was developing a broader direct-to-consumer retail network alongside its manufacturing and wholesale operations.

  What changed. The company opened its first e-shop and later made its manufactured product range available online.

  Aftermath. E-commerce became an additional channel alongside company stores, franchises, and wholesale distribution.

  Source
• 1999Build a long-term Olympic apparel partnershipStrategy

  Audimas sought to connect its manufacturing and design capabilities with elite Lithuanian sport.

  What changed. The company began cooperating with the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania and supplied apparel for Lithuanian Olympic and national-team athletes.

  Aftermath. The relationship continued across multiple Olympic cycles and became a central part of Audimas’s brand credentials.

  Source

• 2021Donatas Pušinskis becomes Audimas chief executive

  Donatas Pušinskis was identified as Audimas’s chief executive from 2021.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2021Donatas Pušinskis became Audimas chief executive

  Donatas Pušinskis was identified as Audimas's chief executive from 2021.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2018LitCapital acquires a majority stake in Audimas

  Investment company LitCapital acquired 60% of Audimas, marking a change in the company’s ownership structure.

  M&A
  Source
• 2018LitCapital acquired a majority stake in Audimas

  Investment company LitCapital acquired 60% of Audimas in August 2018.

  M&A
  Source
• 2016Audimas reported weaker sales and profit in 2016

  Reference material states that revenue declined by 10% to €27.2 million and net profit fell by almost 40% in 2016.

  Other
  Source
• 2014Audimas opens its first Ukrainian franchise store

  Audimas sold its first franchise in Ukraine and opened a branded store in Kyiv.

  Other
  Source
• 2013Audimas returns to the Latvian retail market

  After closing its earlier Riga location during the economic downturn, Audimas reopened a store in Riga and re-entered Latvia’s retail market.

  Other
  Source
• 2013Audimas returned to the Latvian retail market

  After closing its earlier Riga store during the economic crisis, Audimas reopened a Riga location at the end of 2013.

  Other
  Source

1. Audimas