Union Underwear Co Inc history

In 1928, Fruit of the Loom started licensing their brand to manufacturers of finished clothing lines.

In 1930, Goldfarb was approached by promoters who were looking for an industry that would create jobs and increase the tax base for the city of Frankfort, Kentucky during the ongoing depression.

The Union Underwear Company established a second factory which began producing boxer shorts shortly before the beginning of World War II. In 1941, when the United States joined the Allied effort, the company was contracted to produce millions of pairs of G.I. shorts.

The licensee had actually become larger than Fruit of the Loom itself, and to ensure that the trademark would remain available, in 1961, Philadelphia & Reading purchased the Fruit of the Loom Licensing Company.

Northwest Industries purchased the patent owned by Union Underwear in 1968.

In 1969 the company contracted sportscaster Howard Cosell to appear in five television commercials over three years.

Union Underwear launched an extremely successful advertising campaign in 1975 when it introduced its Fruit of the Loom Guys.

The Union Underwear Company acquired the BVD trademark in 1976.

In an effort to promote its move from department stores to discount merchandisers, Hanes introduced “Inspector 12” into its advertising campaigns in 1982.

The company launched that division in 1984 and led the category with a ten percent share within four years.

The Fruit of the Loom label was applied to sportswear in 1987.

Capital improvements left Fruit of the Loom strapped with debt, and interest expenses consumed huge portions of annual sales revenues—10 percent in 1989.

Farley and Holland predicted that Fruit of the Loom would invest $125 million in new equipment and increase the workforce by 3,000 at plants in the United States, Canada, and Europe in 1992.

Also in 1993, Fruit of the Loom acquired Salem Sportswear.

Also in 1994 it bought the bankrupt sportswear maker Gitano Group, Inc., for $100 million.

In 1995 Fruit of the Loom closed 9 plants in the United States, laid off over 6,000 employees, and began moving operations to Central America and the Caribbean.

In 1996, Fruit of the Loom was the fourth largest United States apparel company and the fourth largest licensed apparel maker.

"tiny briefs mean big news for fruit of the loom." business wire, 28 september 1997.

business rankings annual, detroit, mi: gale research, 1998.