JanSport history

VF Corporation went on to acquire H.D. Lee Company which is now popularly known as Lee, in the year 1969.

In 1970 some of Berkshire's unused factory space in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, three miles west of Reading was converted into the first VF factory outlet store.

Meanwhile, in 1971, VF acquired Kay Windsor, Inc., a manufacturer of budget-priced, ready-to-wear women's dresses and sportswear.

In 1973, Health-tex was acquired by Chesebrough-Pond’s Inc., a marketer of consumer products.

In 1977 a VF Corporation International Division was established to manage the company's growing operations overseas.

The Rustler brand had been introduced by Blue Bell in 1979 as a basic jean to be sold through mass merchandisers.

In 1980 Lawrence R. Pugh joined VF as president and chief operating officer.

Manford Lee lost a battle with cancer in early 1982, and Pugh became CEO in addition to president.

Following that record year, Pugh handed down his role as president to Mackey J. McDonald, while still remaining at the company's helm as chairman and CEO. McDonald was a one-time president of the Wrangler division who had worked his way through the ranks since joining VF in 1983.

VF also purchased Bassett-Walker, Inc., a producer of fleece activewear based in Martinsville, Virginia, in November 1984 for $293.3 million.

Health-tex was sold in 1985 in a leveraged buyout to a group of investors who subsequently sold the firm to VF six years later.

By 1989 declining jeans sales finally caught up to VF. In the past, whenever one division’s sales had slowed, VF had managed to survive the slump by relying on strong sales in its other divisions.

Agins, Teri, “Bottom Line: Once-Hot Lee Jeans Lost Their Allure In a Hipper Market,” The Wall Street Journal, March 7, 1991.

The new initiatives helped propel revenues past $1 billion for the first time in 1993.

The year 1994 was also characterized by cooperative endeavors between different VF divisions and other well-known companies.

Jantzen worked with Nike, Inc. to develop a new line of performance swimwear, while Nutmeg readied itself to launch some of its 1995 sports apparel under the Lee Sport name.

Rosenberg, Joyce M. "There's a War out There, and VF Boss Knows It." Associated Press, February 7, 1996.

Then in October 1997 the company announced that it would break with its Pennsylvania roots by moving the corporate headquarters from Wyomissing to Greensboro, North Carolina, in order to locate the corporate staff closer to where much of the firm's marketing and support units were positioned.

VF succeeded in bolstering its intimate apparel lines by acquiring Bestform Group Inc. in February 1998.

Three more workwear companies were acquired in 1999: Horace Small (public safety and postal apparel), Todd Uniform (custom-designed business uniforms), and Fibrotek (clean-room apparel).

VF's acquisition spree continued in 2000.

Restructuring charges for 2001 totaled $236.8 million, as the company aimed to cut its yearly operating costs by $115 million.

The chain reported a 24 percent drop in sales in April 2002 at stores open one year or more.

Television spots for the campaign began running in June 2003.

The campaign was successful in achieving its goals of restoring the cool image of the brand among young men and improving sales, and it won a Silver EFFIE in 2004.

"Moms Are Getting Hip and Hot: Historic Jeans Maker Is Primed; Lee Jeans Touts Its One True Fit Jean the Choice of Hot Moms." PR Newswire, February 1, 2005.

In the year 2007, the company acquired Majestic Athlete, 7 for All Mankind and Lucy Active wear.

Under the guidance of Eric Wiseman, President and CEO since 2008, VF Corp. strives to be innovative and ahead of the curve.

In its five-year growth plan, published in 2011, management targeted an additional $5 billion from organically generated revenues plus carefully selected acquisitions.

In 2012, the company recorded total revenues of $10.9 billion.

On January 14, 2013 the company made a bid for Billabong International Ltd. together with Altamont Capital Partners.