Ash City Worldwide’s Garry Hurvitz Named International Person of the Year

May 2012 - Canadian entrepreneur, Garry Hurvitz, Founder and President of Ash City Worldwide who started the company over 35 years ago, was presented with the award for International Person of the Year by Counselor Magazine.

This annual award is presented with distinction to an individual who has significantly contributed to increasing international business activity and relationships within the corporate promotional products industry.

Hurvitz spends much of his time in Asia where he focuses on building relationships with vendor partners that allow Ash City Worldwide to lead the industry in style and innovation. It's was this time spent in Asia that led to this recognition.

“I would like to thank Counselor Magazine, the Ash City Family and all the Ash City Fans for this recognition," said Hurvitz.

Fersten Worldwide Announces Addition of Customer Service Supervisor

May 2012 - Fersten Worldwide pleased to welcome back Matthew Michelin to the team as Customer Service Supervisor.

Matthew returns equipped with several years of sales and customer service experience in the corporate promotional products industry. FW is thrilled to have Matthew back on board to contribute to the company's continued growth and success. His insight and expertise combined with his strong business relationships in the industry will no doubt impart real added value to the FW team and its customers.

Gildan Activewear Reports Second Quarter Results

May 2012 - Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL)(NYSE:GIL) announced its financial results for the second quarter of its 2012 fiscal year, and announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the common shares of Anvil Holdings, Inc. (Anvil) for approximately U.S. $88 million, on a debt-free basis.

Second Quarter Results

Gildan's net earnings amounted to $26.9 million or $0.22 per share (all figure U.S.) on a diluted basis for its second fiscal quarter ended April 1, 2012. This was compared with net earnings of $61.7 million or $0.50 per share in the second quarter 2011. The decline compared to last year was due to higher cotton costs, which impacted EPS in the second quarter by close to $0.70 versus 2011's fiscal Q2.

Net sales in the second quarter were $482.6 million which represents a 25.9 per cent increase from the same quarter last year. Sales for the Printwear segment amounted to $360.9 million, an 11.5 per cent increase, while sales for its Branded Apparel segment were up 104.2 per cent amounting to $121.6 million. The growth in sales for the Branded Apparel segment was due to the impact of the acquisition of Gold Toe Moretz, together with higher net selling prices, partially offset by the continuation of weaker retail market conditions and inventory destocking by retailers.

Net sales for the first six months of fiscal 2012 are up 10.1 per cent from compared to same period last year.

Acquisition of Anvil Holdings Inc.

Gildan also announced that agreed to acquire Anvil Holdings, Inc. (Anvil) for a total purchase price of approximately $88 million. The acquisition will be financed by utilization of Gildan's bank credit facility. Gildan will not assume any of Anvil's currently outstanding indebtedness.

Anvil is a supplier of high-quality basic T-shirts and sport shirts for the printwear market. It has positioned itself as a supplier of high-value branded niche products within the U.S. distributor channel, including products such as Anvil Organic®, Anvil Recycled® and Anvil Sustainable®.

For its fiscal year ended January 28, 2012, Anvil generated EBITDA of approximately U.S. $17 million on sales revenues in excess of U.S. $200 million.

The acquisition immediately provides Gildan with higher market share in the U.S. distributor channel, for the same investment that would be required to support the incremental sales revenues from the acquisition if they were generated through organic growth. Subsequent to the acquisition, Gildan intends to continue to pursue further sales growth in the printwear market, through leveraging the combined strengths of the two companies.

Anthony Corsano, President and CEO of Anvil, will join Gildan's Branded Apparel division as part of the senior management team and focus on the continuing development of Anvil's strategy to grow its business of providing high-volume quality products for non-retailer brands.

"We believe that the acquisition of Anvil and the combination of the compatible cultures and strengths of our two companies will position Gildan to further enhance our product offering for our printwear customers and build further on our leadership position in this market", said Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. "In addition, the projected economic returns from the acquisition are highly attractive and are expected to create further value for our shareholders."

Polyconcept Announces New CEO

May 2012 - Dutch-based Polyconcept announced the appointment of Michael Bernstein as its new Chairman and CEO. Berstein takes over from Phillipe Varnier who has been with the company for more than three decades. 

“I’m extremely pleased to hand over my position to Michael who, besides being the most experienced and seasoned CEO we could dream of for the role, has become a personal friend of mine,” Varnier said in a statement. “I truly believe that after 34 years with Polyconcept, the time is right for me to take some distance and appoint a new leader to leverage its full potential and take it to new heights. Polyconcept and Michael can count on my full support not only during the upcoming transition period, but also for the mid term as I will continue to serve on the group’s board of directors and be available as an advisor while remaining a significant shareholder,” added Varnier.

Michael Bernstein, who Leed’s in 1992, led the transformation of the company from a US bags importer for the retail market to a leading gift and promotional products supplier. After five years of strong and profitable growth, he joined Polyconcept in 2005 through its acquisition of Leed’s and became the group’s vice chairman and CEO of Polyconcept North America.

Bernstein points to the following as his goals for moving the company forward: “Polyconcept, under Philippe’s leadership, is a recognized leader and innovator in the promotional products industry. I will seek to continue to grow and evolve the Company in the years ahead. I’m extremely proud to be trusted with the stewardship of a Company with such legacy and thank Philippe for his ongoing support.”

Polyconcept, the parent company of Leed's, Bullet, Journalbooks and Trimark Sportswear, announced that its executive management team will remain unchanged under Bernstein’s leadership.

PVH Corp. Announces Landmark Agreement on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh

May 2012 - PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) announced landmark agreement with coalition of non-governmental organizations and Labour Unions regarding fire and building safety in Bangladesh’s apparel factories.

The agreement establishes a two-year program to be led by a multi-stakeholder task force for the purposes of establishing an in-factory training program; facilitating the creation of factory health and safety committees; reviewing existing building regulations and enforcement; developing a worker complaint process and mechanism for workers to report health and safety risks; and advising a Chief Inspector.

The agreement recognizes the need for the Bangladeshi government, the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry, brand owners and retailers, and labor to work together to create a safe and sustainable work environment within the Bangladeshi RMG industry.

"We wish to commend Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium, The International Labor Rights Forum, Maquila Solidarity Network and the international and Bangladeshi unions for their commitment and insight in helping to create this landmark agreement. We hope this agreement will find cooperation from the Bangladesh Manufacturers & Exporters Association, its members and the Bangladeshi Government to put into effect its terms and that it will result in safer factories and establish a benchmark for fire and building safety standards and practices throughout Bangladesh,” commented Emanuel Chirico, Chairman and CEO of PVH.

The program, which will be financed by the participating companies, will go into effect when at least three other well-known international brand owners or retailers sign onto the agreement. PVH has committed up to $1.0 million to underwrite the program. PVH has committed to using good faith efforts to advance the purposes of the agreement on its own if other brand owners and retailers do not join the agreement.

PVH Corp. markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY, Ike Behar and John Varvatos.

Stahls' Canada Hosts Eastern Canadian Open House Series

April 2012 - Stahls' Canada is bringing its innovative product line to customers in astern Canada with three free open houses designed to illustrate the benefits of heat printing in a personal, relaxed atmosphere.

Attendees will learn more about new products and services, including custom patches, custom Sport Stitch, the new Roland® BN-20 print/cut system, and the extensive line of CAD-CUT® heat transfer materials.

Upcoming dates and locations:
Quebec City:
Monday April 30, 11 am - 7 pm
Agence Sportive C.L. Inc.
255 Fortin, Local 80
Quebec City, Quebec, G1M 3M2

Montreal:
Tuesday May 1, 5 pm - 9 pm
Wednesday May 2, 9 am - 5 pm
Park Inn Hotel - Dorval Room, First Floor
7300 Cote de Liesse
Saint Laurent (Montreal), Quebec

Ottawa:
Thursday May 3, 11 am - 7 pm
TC Sports Marketing Office
250 City Centre Avenue, Bay 108
Ottawa, Ontario

For more information, please contact Stahls' Canada at 800.521.5255 or visit www.stahls.ca/

HanesBrands Releases First Quarter 2012 Financial Results

April 2012 - HanesBrands announced a net loss for the first quarter of 2012 of $0.27 per diluted share, and net sales of $1.01 billion (all figures US), which represents a decrease of 3 per cent compared with $1.04 billion a year ago. The results were better than the company's previous guidance of an EPS loss of up to $0.35 and net sales of approximately $1 billion.

"We are tracking consistent with our expectations, and now with the worst of the cotton inflation behind us, our operating profit margin for the remainder of the year should average in the low double digits," said Richard A Noll, chairman and chief executive officer for Hanes. "Sales, profits and cash flow are running consistent with, or better than, our plans. When coupled with the visibility of our pricing and costs for the rest of the year, we feel very good about our momentum and are confident in our ability to achieve our full-year financial goals."

The Outerwear segment, which includes the company's promotional products branch - Hanes Imagewear - experienced an overall 9 per cent decrease. Excluding the promotional segment, Outerwear sales for the quarter actually increased 4 per cent. HanesBrands attributed a majority of the sales decline to its Hanes Imagewear business, with the quarterly loss in equivalent of $0.18 per share, and the company continues to expect a full-year imagewear loss of approximately $0.30.

"We’ve made good progress repositioning our U.S. Imagewear to focus more on branded sectors and de-emphasized the low end commodity segments," added Noll, who explained that the company is ahead of its plan to reposition imagewear to focus on branded product categories and de-emphasize the promotional sector, which is expected to result in a smaller, more profitable and less volatile operation in the longer term.

SanMar Canada is On the Move into a New Facility

April 2012 - SanMar Canada / The Authentic T-Shirt Company has announced it is moving it's Mississauga office to a new, bigger facility located at:
• 6100 Kenway Drive, Mississauaga, ON, L6T 2N3.

The move is effective as of April 23, will help SanMar Canada better service its client base. All contact information remains unchanged. For more information, please visit www.sanmarcanada.com

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney sits down with CNBC.

April 2012 - In his first business interview in years, American Apparel CEO Dov Charney sits down with CNBC and talks about the company's financial resurgence and their domestic manufacturing model.

To watch the video or to read the full article, please click here

Perry Ellis International & Callaway Golf Expand Apparel Agreement

April 2012 - Perry Ellis International, Inc. announced that it has expanded its license agreement to design, manufacture and distribute apparel and related accessories with Callaway Golf Co.

Perry Ellis International, Inc. will assume all distribution channels in the western hemisphere (US/Canada/Caribbean/Mexico/Central & Latin America) including sporting goods, national accounts, green grass, tournaments, specialty golf stores, and
e-commerce channels. The Company will continue to service better department & specialty stores, and the corporate wear market as per its original agreement with Callaway.

Leed's Partners Up with Cross

April 2012 - Leed's, the Pennsylvania-based supplier and a member of Polyconcept North America, recently announced the addition of Cross to its expanding line of retail brands. 

"The (Cross) brand has long been a symbol of success and achievement, making its products a wonderful way to exhibit appreciation for valued clients and colleagues," said Shannon Malaspina, category manager for pens at Leed's.

"Cross is excited to solidify our commitment to the corporate gift market by announcing our new partnership with Leeds," said Andy Boss, national sales manager for Cross. "The combination of this excellent service and the superior craftsmanship of Cross will be a winner for all parties involved."

Visit leedsworld.ca/cross to see all the new products and to learn more about the Cross brand.

Charney Signs New Three-year Contract with American Apparel

April 2012 - American Apparel founder, chairman and chief executive officer Dov Charney has signed a new contract with the company that will see him continue in his roles with the company for the next three years, as reported in the company's Security and Exchange Commission filing this week.

Charney will continue to serve as CEO for an initial term of three years, beginning April 2, 2012 and the agreement will automatically extend for successive one-year periods after that term.

The announcement comes the on the heels of three successive months of increased sales for American Apparel, including substantial increases in the wholesale business.

For more information, please visit www.americanapparel.net