The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Workwear favorite Dickies, thriving under new owner, sees founding family member step aside
Filed under Retail at Jul 11
Maria Halkias, Retail Writer
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Two years after it was bought by apparel giant VF Corp., Fort Worth-based work and lifestyle brand Dickies is posting sales increases and its longtime CEO and fourth generation of the founding family is stepping down.
After 36 years in the business, Philip Williamson is moving into a non-operating role as a "brand ambassador." He's being replaced by Denny Bruce as global brand president. Williamson will continue to be available to management of the former privately held company known as Williamson-Dickies Mfg. Co. with roots back to 1922, the company said.
Dickies operations will continue to be in Fort Worth, and a spokeswoman for VF confirmed that Bruce is moving his family to Texas. The brand that dresses Big Tex, a fixture character of the State Fair of Texas, is making a fresh shirt and new pants for the 55-foot statue to wear in September.
Dickies remains entrenched in Fort Worth and put its name on Dickies Arena, a new 14,000-seat, multipurpose facility in Fort Worth's Cultural District that's scheduled to open in November.
VF, which also owns North Face, Vans, Wrangler, Lee and Timberland, paid $820 million for Williamson-Dickies in 2017 to expand its workwear brands.
Big check for Big Tex shirtmaker — Fort Worth-based Dickies bought for $820 million
Dickies posted a 4% sales increase in its most recent quarter, and the company told Wall Street in May that it expects to grow in the range of 4% to 6% this year.
Of the 20 brands owned by VF, one of the largest U.S. apparel makers, Dickies is the company's fourth largest by revenue. VF's sales last year were almost $14 billion.
While Dickies has been worn by generations of U.S. workers, it's also been a lifestyle brand since the 1990s. The blue-collar brand's $30 work pants, worn by restaurant and construction workers alike, are often spotted on celebrities. Last summer, there were reports of Kanye West, Kaia Gerber and Justin Bieber wearing the brand.
Bruce will tap VF's international teams to explore new growth, said Curt Holtz, executive vice president and group president over workwear. Bruce's prior experience includes executive positions at Traeger Pellet Grills, Skullcandy, Vans and Burton Snowboards.
Twitter: @MariaHalkias
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