Fruit of the Loom creates 600 new Ky. jobs

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear Thursday visited the Bowling Green Fruit of the Loom operation to celebrate the near completion of the company’s expansion of its world headquarters facility.

The expansion includes the relocation of all sales, marketing and management support operations for its subsidiaries of Russell Brands LLC and Vanity Fair Brands LP from Atlanta and Alpharetta, Ga., and Alexander City, Ala.

The Bowling Green expansion is expected to be finalized in early 2011, and, when complete, will have created an additional 600 jobs and a $47 million investment in the Commonwealth.
“The expansion of such an iconic company, whose name and products are recognized and worn by people across the world, is a strong testament to the quality of Kentucky’s business climate and workforce,” said Beshear.

“Once completed, the 600 new jobs and $47 million investment will have a tremendous economic impact on the entire Commonwealth. Kentucky is proud to be the home of this world headquarters project and looks forward to being a part of Fruit of the Loom’s continued success.”

Fruit of the Loom Inc., a leading international, vertically integrated basic apparel company, operates as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and marketers of men’s and boys’ underwear, women’s and girls’ underwear, casual sportswear and printable T-shirts and fleece for the activewear industry. Fruit of the Loom apparel is found throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Within the apparel category, Fruit of the Loom Inc. also owns Russell Brands LLC, a leading branded athletic and sporting goods company marketing athletic apparel, uniforms, footwear and equipment for a wide variety of sports, outdoor and fitness activities. Vanity Fair Brands LP is also an integral part of the Fruit of the Loom brand portfolio.

“We are proud to have been a part of the Bowling Green community for over 70 years,” said John Holland, president and CEO of Fruit of the Loom Inc.

“Consolidating the key management group for these brands with our Fruit of the Loom and BVD management team will strengthen our ability to correlate growth strategies within different distribution channels, utilizing the variety of brands and products available from these recent acquisitions in our U.S. and international markets. We are also fortunate to have many of our people within these operations make the decision to relocate their families to Bowling Green.”