180s will move into its new international headquarters at the Columbus Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Monday, December 22, 2003. 180s has outgrown its 10,800 square foot office building in Canton, which it has occupied since July 2000. The company’s new headquarters will be called the 180s Performance Lab.

180s will occupy the space of the Columbus Center formally known as the Hall of Exhibition, which has been vacant for more than six years, and an area in the back of the hall, which will be used for the company’s R&D department. Beginning in July 2002, 180s worked with Mayor O’Malley’s office, the Baltimore Development Corporation and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to find new office space. On July 1, 2003, 180s finalized a nine-year lease with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute to occupy the Hall of Exhibition space.

The new headquarters will provide much needed space to accommodate the company’s recent growth. The move will increase 180s’ square footage from 10,800 square feet to 48,000 square feet. The R&D space will increase by eight times and will include a temperature control environment for in-house weather simulation, eight fully loaded work stations dedicated to development and a material test area — ensuring quality of 180s products.

Over the past six months, 180s and its founders, Brian Le Gette and Ron L. Wilson II, have received national recognition for the success of the company and its products. Entrepreneur magazine featured Le Gette and Wilson in its December issue, highlighting their ability to create and sustain a growing innovative company that continues to lead the performance wear industry. Fortune magazine rated the 180s Gloves with the Exhale Heating System™ as one of the six best outdoor products of the year.

“We are thrilled to be moving our new headquarters to a local Baltimore building that fits our innovative and unique culture,” commented Brian Le Gette, co-CEO and founder of 180s. “The structure and location of the building is ideal for our team members and will allow us to continue to grow and expand our business. We look forward to sharing our successes with the Baltimore community and our new neighbors in the Inner Harbor, providing additional revenue to the city’s economy.”

180s will bring 90 team members to the new headquarters and plans to add another ten over the next six months. The 180s Performance Lab will offer a number of amenities, including 15 conference rooms and small meeting rooms, graphics and marketing workrooms, new work stations designed by Herman Miller, and a state of the art IT data center. Other perks include a team member café overlooking the Inner Harbor and men’s and women’s locker rooms.

In mid-April of 2004, 180s plans to host an open house and invite the Baltimore community to tour its new headquarters. The 180s Performance Lab will eventually house an on-site store that will be used for consumer testing, showcasing its new products and serving as a destination for local athletes.