Hanes
John Wesley Hanes' brother Pleasant H. Hanes founded the P.H. Hanes Knitting Company in 1901. The brothers previously operated a tobacco manufacturing business, that they sold to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1900. The P.H. Hanes Knitting Company merged with Hanes Hosiery in 1965. The P.H. Hanes Knitting Company complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Consolidated Foods (later renamed Sara Lee) announced its purchase of Hanes in 1978.
Lucky Brand Jeans
In 1978, Gene moved to enter into the Los Angeles fashion industry. With partner Michael Caruso he started Bongo and ran the brand for 15 years. After leaving Bongo, Gene teamed up with his old business partner Barry Perlman in 1990 to launch Lucky Brand.