Lee history

Eloesser-Heynemann Company, a workwear maker based in San Francisco, was bought in 1946.

In 1947, the untapped women's jeans market welcomed Lady Lee Riders, “Authentic Cowboy Pants, button-fly, Sanforized, 8 oz. coarse weave denim.”Made with the same button-front fly, 5-pocket construction as men's Riders, Lady Lee Riders came with the same guarantee to fit or your money back.

A family-owned and operated company since 1948, The Lee Company continues to carry out our founder’s vision of providing innovative solutions to some of industry’s toughest problems.

Also in 1949, Lee introduced Lady Lee Riders for women, specifically designed to fit women better than standard men's jeans.

The company left the food business altogether in 1950 when it turned over its grocery division to Consolidated Grocers of Chicago for about $3 million.

One new factory, built in the town of Chetopa, Kansas, gave its name to a new heavy-duty twill fabric that Lee began to market in 1952 under the name Chetopa Twill.

In 1954, the company introduced "Leesures," its entrant in the new and rapidly growing leisure sportswear market.

In 1961, the style of this line was further refined with the addition of center creases and narrower pants legs.

In 1964, five years after its establishment of an international division, Lee opened its first overseas factory, in Sint Niklaas, Belgium.

Lee's directors turned down an offer from the Work Wear Corporation in 1967, as well as a proposal from United States Industries the following year.

In 1973, Lee introduced jeans designed especially for women under the "Ms.

Industry-wide, sales for denim pants peaked in 1981, and then went into a steady decline.

In 1986, the company introduced "Frosted Riders," for which Turkish pumice stones were used to soften the fabric.

The company opened a new distribution facility in Mocksville, North Carolina, in January, 1990, to warehouse and ship its products.

By 2006, the EFS Division had expanded again, adding an additional 70,000 square feet of manufacturing space to accommodate the company’s continued growth.