VF Corporation SuccessStory

VF Corporation is a US based company that specializes in clothing and footwear. The company which has its headquarters at Greensboro, North Carolina, has more than 30 well known brands to its credit. These brands have been broadly divided into five different apparel categories, namely Contemporary Brands, Sports Wear, Outdoor and Action Wear, Jeans Wear and Image Wear. Some of the well known brands of the company are Wrangler, Lee, Reef, Eagle Creek and Ella Moss

History

VF Corporation was first established in the year 1899 by John Barbey and few other investors. The company was initially named Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company and was based in Pennsylvania. It was started on a capital of $11,000 and the factory premises were leased out at a monthly rent of $60. The company started manufacturing undergarments in 1919. It was during this time that the owners decided to change the name of the organization to Vanity Fair Mills. The shares of the company were sold to the public in the year 1951. Later when Vanity Fair Mills acquired H.D. Lee Company, it changed its name to VF Corporation, keeping in mind different products that were now being manufactured under one roof.

Acquisitions

VF Corporation went on to acquire H.D. Lee Company which is now popularly known as Lee, in the year 1969. Later, in 1986 they acquired Blue Bell Inc., which manufactured famous brands like Wrangler, JanSports etc. With this acquisition, VF Corporation’s size just doubled and it went on to be the largest public owned clothing organization. In the year 2007, the company acquired Majestic Athlete, 7 for All Mankind and Lucy Active wear. They also acquired Timberland in the year 2011. With these acquisitions, the company diversified into a number of clothing lines and became extremely popular around the world.

Brands

VF Corporation has more than 30 brands to its credit. These brands have been classified into various categories like Image Wear, Action and Outdoor Wear, Sports Wear, Jeans Wear and Contemporary. Some of the well known Image Wear brands include Red Cap, Chef Designs, Horace Small, Majestic Athlete and Bulwark Protective Apparel. Leading Jeans Wear brands of the company are Wrangler, Lee, Rustlers, 20X, Chic, 7 for all Mankind and Rock & Republic. The reputed Sports Wear brands of the company are Nautica and Kipling U.S. When it comes to Outdoor and Action Wear, the most reputed brands of the company are Eastpak, Timberland, Lucy, Eagle Creek, JanSport, Reef, Napapijri, The North Face, Vans and Kipling Europe. It also has a few contemporary brands to its credit like Splendid and Ella Moss.