Levi Strauss Closes Its Last Two Plants in United States

The Associated Press ^ | Jan 8, 2004 | By T.A. Badger

[tongue-tied]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Levi Strauss & Co., the California Gold Rush outfitter whose trademark blue jeans have been an American clothing staple for generations, on Thursday closed its last two sewing plants in the United States. The financially troubled company has been steadily shifting production to overseas contractors for several years to cut costs and invigorate drooping sales in the ultra-competitive apparel market.

About 800 workers at the 26-year-old San Antonio plants have lost their jobs in the move, which was announced in September. Jeff Beckman, a Levi Strauss spokesman, said the 150-year-old company was making a delayed but ultimately unavoidable business decision.

"We tried to do our best to maintain manufacturing in the United States, but we have to be competitive to survive as a company," he said.

[lelio]

Was it for the Boy Scout thing?

There's no evidence that this is due to a lack of sales, rather they're producing the product where labor is cheap.

[The_Pickle]

....and thus I have bought my last pair of Levi's.

[TheBattman]

Which brings up an interesting question....

How can a company make a product for an average cost of $5.00 per item, add another $1.50 per item for marketing, and then the product sells at retail for $50-65, and not make a profit?

So now they will make the same product overseas for a total of $2.50 per item and suddenly make a fortune?

[alisasny]

So you rads ran out Levis



You probably think it good and I am sure the asians are laughing.

Keep busting on Dean too, you may just get Hillary : )))

[tongue-tied]

huh??
Either one, Dean or Hillary, will lose BIG

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

I stopped wearing them and switched to GAP jeans and Wranglers for the same thing.

[Rebelbase]

"I switched to Wranglers years ago."

My girlfriend thanks you. She works for Wrangler and has has seen firsthand the trauma of massive plant closings in Va and OK this past year.

Its all being made in Mexico and China now.

Bizaare note about Mexico, she says that freqeuntly entire truckloads of denim are hijacked on thier way to the sewing plant. When that happens the plant has to close for a day or two.

[mpreston]

"There's no evidence that this is due to a lack of sales"

from article "invigorate drooping sales"

huh?

I also stopped buying Levi's when they overtly stopped supporting the 2nd amendment and took positions against the BSA. As far as I'm concerned they can go belly up.

[KEVLAR]

I stopped buying Levis when the FIRST plant moved out of the US.

[axxmann]

Same here. Wore Levis every day for 15 years, then they pulled their funding from the Boy Scouts and I've never worn a pair since. Got two pairs for christmas, I took them back and exchanged them for Lee.

[FLcitizen]

I second that motion! I stopped my support of their products for the same reasons.