Kellwood Apparelis an American apparel manufacturer. Founded in 1961, Kellwood's portfolio of Women's, Juniors, and Girls' apparel includes Parker, Devlin, Briggs NY, Democracy, Jax, Rewind, My Michelle, and licensed brands. Kellwood became an affiliated company ofSun Capital Partners,Inc. in February 2008. In December 2016, Kellwood Company was acquired by an unnamed Hong Kong investor group for an undisclosed amount.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | City of Industry, CA |
Key people | David Falwell, CEO; Caren Belair Group President, Lifestyle & Juniors; Adrian Kowalewski, CFO; Henry Paradela, CIO; XiaoPei Chin, President of Production and Sourcing; Mary Yap, Director Human Resources. |
| Products | Apparel |
| Website | Kellwood |
History
editFormation in 1961
editIn 1961, fifteen independent suppliers ofsoft goodstoSears, Roebuck and Cowere merged to form Kellwood Company. Taking its name from two former Sears' executives, Charles H. Kellstadt andRobert E. Wood,The first officers included Maurice Perlstein, president and treasurer; Fred W. Wenzel, vice president; Stanley M. Guthunz, vice president; Ovide de St. Aubin, Jr., vice president; and Howard Michaelson, Jr., secretary.[2]The 15 original companies were Ahoskie Manufacturing Co., Albert of Arizona, Biltmore Manufacturing Co., Calhoun Garment Co., Garver Manufacturing Co., Greenfield Manufacturing Co., Hawthorn Company, McComb Manufacturing Co., Monticello Manufacturing Co., Ottenheimer Bros. Manufacturing Co., Oxford Manufacturing Co., Rutherford Garment Co., Siler City Manufacturing Co., Southern Foundations, and Spencer Manufacturing Co.[3]
Growth
editThe company experienced its greatest success under the leadership of William John McKenna, who served as COO and later CEO from 1982 to 1996. For Kellwood Company, McKenna acquired Smart Shirts, Cape Cod-Cricket Lane, American Recreation Products Ltd., Crowntuft Manufacturing Corporation, Slumberjack Inc., D Corporation Inc., California Ivy, Inc., A.J. Brandon, Inc., Parsons Place Apparel (now Sag Harbor), E Z Sportswear (now Melrose), En Chant'e Inc. (now ENC), Goodman Knitting Company, Inc., Dotti and Sierra Designs, and launched a Kathie Lee Gifford clothing label. Also under McKenna's term, Kellwood's sales surpassed $1 billion.[4]
In 1965, Bob Swanson and George Rudolph leftTrailwise/Ski Hut[5][6]in Berkeley, California and foundedSierra Designsat 137 Tewksbury in Point Richmond.[7]In 1968, Sierra Designs introduced the 60/40 Parka from a fabric with a blend of cotton (58%,warp) and nylon (42%,weft).[8]
In 2005, chairman Hal Upbin stepped down as the company's CEO, passing the title on to Kellwood's president, Robert Skinner. After he retired as a CEO, Upbin became Kellwood's adviser in specific areas such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and operational projects.[9]
In 2008, Gerber Childrenswear, a division of Kellwood Company, entered into a licensing agreement withJockey International.[10]
In 2012, Jill Granoff was appointed as Kellwood Company's CEO.[11]
Acquisitions
editIn February 2008, Kellwood Company became an affiliated company ofSun Capital Partners, Inc.[12][13]In January 2010, Kellwood Company acquired ISIS,[14]an award-winning outdoor company focused on women's performance and casual apparel.[15]In January 2011, Kellwood Company acquiredRebecca Taylor,a contemporary sportswear brand created byNew Zealand-bornfashion designerRebecca Taylorand her business partner Elizabeth Bugdaycay.[16]In July 2011, Kellwood announced its acquisition of Zobha,[17]a high-performance yoga and fitness apparel and accessories company.[18]
On November 22, 2013, Kellwood andSun Capital Partnerscompleted theinitial public offeringof Vince under the ticker VNCE on theNYSE.[19]In July 2014, Kellwood Holding, LLC announced its acquisition of Parker.[1]Clothier Vince announced in late April 2017 that it might not remain in business over the next year after a severe decline in revenues and stock value.[20]In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor reported that Vince Holding was nearing a potentialChapter 11 bankruptcyfiling.[21]
In 2016, Kellwood was acquired by a Hong Kong–based investor group previously operated bySun Capital Partners.Following the acquisition, David Falwell was promoted from Executive Vice President to the company's CEO.[22]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^"Kellwood Co. Sold to Hong Kong Investor Group".Retrieved2017-09-01.
- ^"Kellwood Company - Company History".Fundinguniverse.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 8. St. James Press, 1994
- ^"Profile Kellwood".Apparelsearch.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^https:// patagonia /stories/remembering-peter-noone/story-71523.htmlo
- ^"Trailwise Ski Hut Berkeley products".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-10-20.
- ^"About Sierra Designs".typeF.Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2011.Retrieved26 August2023.
- ^https://web.archive.org/web/20181020113953/http:// oregonphotos /SierraDesigns1.html
- ^"Outdoor financials: Kellwood net earnings drop 50 percent, plus Deckers, Saucony, Quiksilver, Eddie Bauer".SNEWS.2017-05-12.Retrieved2020-01-20.
- ^"Jockey and Kellwood Company Announce Licensing Agreement".RIS News.2008-01-01.Retrieved2020-01-17.
- ^"Seasoned apparel exec named CEO of Kellwood Company".Chain Store Age.2012-07-05.Retrieved2020-01-17.
- ^"McDermott - Press Releases - Kellwood Company Acquired by Sun Capital Securities Group".Mwe. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-20.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^"Kellwood Company: Private Company Information - BusinessWeek".Investing.businessweek. Archived fromthe originalon August 15, 2009.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^"ISIS for Women | Women's Performance Outdoor Jackets & Clothing".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-26.Retrieved2020-02-15.
- ^Business Wire (2010-01-11)."Kellwood Acquires ISIS".Business Wire.Retrieved2012-02-20.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^"Kellwood Acquires Rebecca Taylor - ST. LOUIS, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/"(Press release). Missouri: Prnewswire.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^"Women's Fitness Clothing - Yoga and Exercise Clothes Online - Zobha".
- ^"Kellwood Acquires Zobha - ST. LOUIS, July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/"(Press release). Missouri, California: Prnewswire.Retrieved2012-02-20.
- ^https:// nyse /about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=VNCE[dead link]
- ^Platt, Eric (April 28, 2017)."Clothier Vince warns of 'substantial doubt' that it will stay in business".Financial Times.RetrievedApril 30,2017.
- ^"11 retailers at risk of bankruptcy in 2023".Retail Dive.October 2, 2023.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
- ^Donaldson, Tara (2016-12-26)."Kellwood Company Sold to Hong Kong Investor as Part of Growth Plan".Sourcing Journal.Retrieved2020-01-17.