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.

[international american]

Off to Bejing!!

[Willie Green]

ping

[tongue-tied]

Please delete dupe. Sorry for the duplicate.

[Spok]

For political reasons, I switched to Wranglers years ago.

[agitator]

Quality control on Levis has sucked for years and they're cheazing out on things like belt loops. I stopped wearing them years ago, Lee makes a better product and I don't wear pansy Dockers anyway. I won't miss them.

[zarf]

Shouldn't that read "Closes last two pants"?

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[FeliciaCat]

I remember the old Gap ads..."Fall Into The Gap....."

I'm surprised they are having problems..its seems there is a Gap on every corner here in NYC.

[international american]

Just goes to show the left wing ba$tards at Levi are ho's too!!

[TalBlack]

I'll be damned! Was it for the Boy Scout thing?

Back when Levi's came out against the Boy Scouts I stopped buying their product. I haven't bought ANY Levi's prod. since then. I never even mentioned it to anyone. I wonder how many others stopped buying Levis since then?

[Rebelcajun]

Somehow these people must learn that when they stop their support of something like the Boy Scouts of America, there will be repercussions. I once used NOTHING but Levi and Dockers, and since I worked in them, I used a lot of them. No more. Their stance on the Boy Scouts has caused my non use for now and the future. Their loss is therefore, nothing to me. Sorry for the workers though.

[RiflemanSharpe]

For political reasons, I switched to Wranglers years ago.

Me too.

[Wheee The People]

For political reasons, I switched to Wranglers years ago.

Me too.

Me 3.

[Dan from Michigan]

ANOTHER reason I don't buy Levis or Dockers.

They are also anti-2nd Amendment.

[Spok]

"I'll be damned! Was it for the Boy Scout thing?"

The company's position on the BSA would have done it, but my boycott predated that. The company became politically correct long ago, probably as much from geographical influence as anything else, being headquartered in SF.

[JustAnAmerican]

" Back when Levi's came out against the Boy Scouts I stopped buying their product.

Add me and everyone I know to that list(made sure they heard me :)). Haven't looked or worn anything connected with Levis since.

[Ides of March]

For political reasons, I switched to Wranglers years ago.

Me, too. Levi's and China deserve each other.

This morning on NPR (yes, I occasionally eavesdrop on the opposition), the hand-wringing narrators were distraught about this news.

[Weimdog]

The Gap doesn't sell Levi's like they used to.

All product sold in Gap stores is The Gap's own private label.

[ArrogantBustard]

They are also anti-2nd Amendment.

Which did it for me, several years ago. I told them, by email, that I would no longer buy their products because of their anti self defence politics ... big mistake. I eventually closed that account because of excessive Levi's spam.