Pistol Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Canada stands to lose even more than the US. Levi Strauss closes American plants By Lauren Foster in New York Levi Strauss, the iconic jeans brand that has been worn by generations of Americans, on Thursday announced plans to close its four remaining North American manufacturing and finishing plants, with the loss of almost 2,000 jobs. The world's largest branded clothing maker said the closures were part of a shift away from owned-and-operated manufacturing that began several years ago. "We're in a highly competitive industry where few apparel brands own and operate manufacturing facilities in North America," said Phil Marineau, the chief executive. "We need to focus our resources on product design and development, sales and marketing and our retail customer relationships." Levi Strauss said it would close its San Antonio operations by the end of the year and its three Canadian facilities by March 2004 and shift production to its global sourcing network. Bruce Raynor, president of Unite, the largest apparel workers' union in North America, said the job losses and plant closures were the result of US trade policies that allowed companies to "scour the globe for the cheapest, most vulnerable labour" they could find. Over several years of restructuring, the company has closed six US factories and two in Europe and shifted most of its production to Asia and Latin America. In an effort to reverse market share losses after consumers started deserting its jeans, Levi has also overhauled its product range and its marketing. But this week Moody's, the credit rating agency, downgraded the 150-year-old San Francisco-based company, citing concerns about "the rapid decline in the company's financial flexibility" and disappointing sales, cash generation and debt levels for the year to date. Despite tough conditions, including deflation in clothing prices, Levi earlier this month released estimated financial results showing a 6 to 7 per cent rise in third-quarter sales to about $1.08bn. Sales have been boosted by the launch of the Levi Strauss Signature brand through Wal-Mart stores - the first time Levis have been sold through a mass-market discounter. Levi bonds tumbled in April after a lawsuit from two former high-level tax managers accused it of inflating its profits by hundreds of millions of dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!@#$% Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 blue jeans achieved world domination mission accomplished. shut em down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 universe imploding in 3... 2... 1... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted September 25, 2003 Author Share Posted September 25, 2003 Anyone know if they still got that tour in Frisco? Shit was cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon X Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 That sucks. I’ve noticed that they don’t carry my 535s in certain colours anymore. They stopped with my preffered brand of khakis too. Too bad for the job losses, and too bad for me, because Levi’s is the only pants I wear after Hilfiger and Guess started going in another direction years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mental invalid Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 you now how you keep jobs at home.....make sure that the standard of living is much better in other countires, and then it is not economically viable to have production there.... then again does anyone wanna pay 100 for a pair of levis??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest im not witty Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 arent their commercials all about how much a part of americana they are?:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadawhat Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 i haven't owned a pair of levi's since middle school... definatley won't be buying any now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClueTwo Posted September 25, 2003 Share Posted September 25, 2003 Ok, this might have pissed me off a few years ago, but now that I work in the electronic replacement field nothing is made in America. So what's one more company going off-shore? Really nothing..Since the pass of the trade act every company is willing to reduce their costs of production of up 75% in some cases. More money for me..WoooHooo!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Quickwood Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 they should lower their prices accordingly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburbian bum Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 i dont think i have ever owned a pair of levis. But at urban outfitters they have levi's premium. And they are like 125 bucks. But they look pretty nice. But for that price i would rather have some diesels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcia_vega Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 the world is fucked. why give anybody a job in america when you can pay someone 85 cents a day to do the same job somewhere else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClueTwo Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Originally posted by suburbian bum i dont think i have ever owned a pair of levis. But at urban outfitters they have levi's premium. And they are like 125 bucks. But they look pretty nice. But for that price i would rather have some diesels. Those are the only one's actually made in AMERICA..That's exactly why it's 125.00 fuckin dollars for a pair of LEVI'S!! That's absolutely out of this world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest keep Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 ok from a business perspective it makes perfect sence to have the factory in some 3rd world where you only have to pay the works like $1 or 2 a day. but living here and trying to find a "good" job with not being able to go to collage fucking sucks. before to long nothing is going to be made here. "proud to be american, where everything is made in china" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kido Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Sorry but.. What the hell are Diesels?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest keep Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 Originally posted by kido Sorry but.. What the hell are Diesels?? expensive westcoast jeans, think over priced crap and your not to far off..... if you wanna see then go to www.diesel.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter N0rth Posted September 26, 2003 Share Posted September 26, 2003 they done make life savers in america anymore either. only fags where deisels. but look at the bright side, the abanoned factories and wearhouses will make bad ass paint spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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