Three members of the Feinbloom family came together with a vision of creating a new sportswear business in Rochester, N.Y. The company was started May 6, 1919 as Knickerbocker Knitting Mills. Brothers Bill and Abe Feinbloom inherited the company from Simon in 1922. They changed the name to Champion Knitwear Mills, Inc. and incorporated the company on January 3, 1924. Abe soon established a partnership with Wentworth Military Academy to purchase Champion sweaters as part of their cadet uniform. They were so impressed with the quality they asked Champion to produce their athletic uniforms. They would be the first of many teams Champion would outfit. Champion went directly to coaches and athletes to determine their needs. Instead of selling their products through retailers, Champion built relationships with athletes and their coaches to gain insights on types of products they needed to perform at their best.