December 2011

Comparable Store Sales up 10% in November

merican Apparel, Inc. (NYSE Amex: APP), provided an update related to fourth quarter sales and other business initiatives at its presentation at Wedbush Securities' 12th Annual California Dreamin' Consumer Management Access Conference which was held on December 6, 2011.

The Company reported that it continues to see improvements in monthly retail sales performance thus far in the fourth quarter. Comparable store sales increased 10 per cent in November from a 7 per cent increase in retail stores and a 32 per cent increase in online sales. For October, comparable store sales increased 4 per cent including a 3 per cent increase from retail stores and a 6 per cent increase from online sales.

On a quarter-to-date basis through November 30, 2011, the Company achieved a 6 per cent comparable sales increase including a 5 per cent increase in comparable sales from retail stores and a 16 per cent increase in online sales.

Wholesale net sales were flat quarter-to-date through November 30, 2011, a result that was substantially in-line with management's expectations. On an overall basis, total net sales increased 7 per cent through November 30, 2011.

“We are pleased with the momentum that is building in our core businesses,” said Dov Charney, Chairman and CEO. “Our retail channels, both in store and online, are seeing sales growth indicating a revitalized connection to our customer. We are excited about this trend, we feel it is long-lasting, and it is one we can meaningfully build upon. Other positive signs include improved efficiency at our manufacturing facilities, stabilization of world cotton prices and improved profitability at our average retail store,” added Charney.

December 2011

Morantz to Retire; Grobisen and Harris Promoted

Polyconcept North America announced that Craig Morantz will be retiring from the promotional products industry after seven years as Vice President of Sales to pursue new personal and business interests.

“Craig has been a key member of the PCNA team since he joined us in 2004. He was instrumental in building our industry-leading sales team and driving several key initiatives that remain critical elements of our market strategy,” explained David Nicholson, President of Polyconcept North America. “Craig is a true innovator and entrepreneur, and his perspective will not be easily replaced within the PCNA organization. We certainly wish him all the best as he pursues his next venture.”

With Morantz’s retirement comes an opportunity to realign the PCNA sales organization, and we are pleased to announce the promotion of David Grobisen to Vice President of Sales and Erin Harris to National Sales Manager for Canada.

Rounding out the PCNA sales management team are Scott Anderson, National Sales Manager, and Steve Gelernter, Regional Sales Manager North East. Both Anderson and Gelernter will now report to David Grobisen.

December 2011

Now in its second year, the Gildan “I Support…” program has drawn nominations for over 130 different charities from members of the apparel and promotional products industry while positively impacting over 90 charities in North America with donations exceeding $87,000 US year to date.

With the announcement of the top 10, the program moves to phase two, where a panel of judges will select 5 of the 10 to receive additional donations from Gildan totaling $100,000.

This year, as an exciting addition to the campaign, participants from the US that nominated a registered 501 (c) 3 charity were also able to direct an immediate $50 donation from Gildan to their favorite charity via Gildan Good Cards® resulting in over $87,000 in donations to date.

The top 10 charities in the “I Support…” 2011 campaign are:

Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society Amizade Global Service-Learning Angel Covers Break Away: The Alternative Break Connection Inc. Camp Dreamcatcher Forgiven Ministry Inc. Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society REVOLUTION457 Ronald McDonald House of Rochester, MN Inc. YESIWUAH Inc.

Five of the charities announced will be chosen by a panel of judges to receive donations ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 US from Gildan based on their demonstration of the characteristics of Accountability, Sustainability and Impact, lynchpins to the Gildan Genuine Stewardship philosophy that serves as the impetus for the “I Support…” program. Recipients of the donations will be announced in January of 2012.

For more details on Genuine Stewardship, the “I Support…” timeline and selection process, please visit http://www.facebook.com/genuinegildan.

November 2011

Kobe Sportswear and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association are pleased to announce an exciting jersey program for local hockey associations.

Kobe Sportswear authorized dealers will offer local hockey associations a choice to purchase an official OMHA branded jersey complete with STOP patch and OMHA crest in one low cost package.

  “Kobe Sportswear is proud to team up with the OMHA in presenting the Official OMHA Branded Jersey Program,” said Kobe Sportswear Marketing Executive, Will Chen.  “With our vast network of dealers across Ontario, every local association will have the chance to outfit their teams in quality Kobe jerseys while proudly supporting the OMHA.”

November 2011

Joto will be expanding its current distribution in Canada to include Mississauga, ON.

This is in addition to its current distribution center located in Vancouver, BC.
Joto’s new distribution center is scheduled to open early October with plans to stock the vast majority of its digital imaging product line.

By locating its new distribution center in Mississauga, which is two-day ground shipping to the majority of the cities in Eastern Canada including Manitoba, they will be able to provide fast and cost effective shipping to their customers.
"Improving service to our customers is a top priority," said Mark Collister, President of Joto.

“The convenient location of our new distribution center will allow us to achieve this goal by reducing the delivery time and cost for our products to our Eastern Canadian customers.”

“We have a strong customer base in Eastern Canada and with this new distribution center we will now be able to serve the Eastern Provinces with a greater level of efficiency,” added Michael Stark, Sales and Marketing Manager for Joto.

“We plan on gradually ramping up our distribution activities and ultimately we will offer our full line of products from this facility.”
Initially, Joto will offer its full line of transfer papers, cuttable and printable transfer media, sublimation inks and systems, cutters, heat presses and blank imprintable items from Mississauga.

For more information, please visit www.jotopaper.com

November 2011

Twiga Industries Inc. is proud to announce that it has officially been named as an AMANN-HFK distributor for the Ontario province.

Products such as ISACORD embroidery threads and a wide range of embroidery supplies will be warehoused in Twiga's new Mississauaga, Ontario facility located at 3535 Laird Rd Unit # 2.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to offer a wide range of great new products from AMANN to our clients," said Alnoor Remtullah, president of Twiga Industries Inc. "Our clients, both new and existing, will now be able to purchase all their parts and embroidery supplies from one reliable source," he added.

For more information, please contact (877) 507-7979 or visit www.TwigaInd.com.

September 2011

Vancouver-based sports apparel company FIRSTAR has announced a two-year personal services contract with the newly-signed Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer.

Reimer is a fan of FIRSTAR?s technically advanced performance sportswear and he looks forward to developing a signature line of clothing on behalf of FIRSTAR. The addition of a Toronto athlete is no coincidence, as FIRSTAR is building its retail network in leading independent hockey retailers in Ontario.

“We are pleased to have a deal in place with James Reimer,” says John Catliff, President of FIRSTAR. “He will be a first star in Toronto for years to come and, with his affable and down-to-earth style, is a perfect fit with FIRSTAR’s roster of young and upcoming hockey stars.”

FIRSTAR, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of performance sportswear, made a splash last fall when it introduced RK17 – an exclusive Ryan Kesler-inspired collection of apparel that included shirts, jackets, hats and other fashionable sportswear. s.

Reimer joins a growing stable of professional athletes that choose FIRSTAR for its proprietary apparel technologies. “We want to create a clothing line that gives hockey fans the chance to wear something that is cool and contemporary and, most importantly, technically superior,” says Catliff. “It will be exciting to launch our FIRSTLINE collection into Ontario, working with high-level athletes like James Reimer. James will also give us invaluable input and feedback through his playing skills and experience. We have designs in the works that will be announced toward the start of hockey season,” added Catliff.

For more information, please visit www.firstarsports.com.

August 2011

Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX, NYSE) and ESPN recently announced a multi-year title sponsorship that will begin with the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl. For consumers, Gildan hopes this move will help them recognize a relationship they’ve had for years with their favorite concert, event and sports T-shirts. To further build the Bowl excitement, Gildan is planning brand activation activities which will include contests, promotions and events leading up to and during the game.

“Gildan’s sponsorship of the New Mexico Bowl is a way to build a relationship between the consumer, our product and our brand,” said Rob Packard, Vice President, Retail Marketing for Gildan Activewear. “With close to 600 million shirts and over 600 million pairs of socks sold in North America last year, Gildan is already a part of the lives of families and student-athletes across the US. This sponsorship, and the related events in the weeks preceding the football game, is a way for us to support active living, take part in the community, and share our passion for football with all fans.”

The entitlement of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl is part of a collegiate partnership reached by ESPN Regional Television (ERT) and Gildan. The sixth annual game will kickoff at noon MST (2 PM EST) on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the University Stadium in Albuquerque.

July 2011

RB Digital, a division of Rubenstein Bros., is proud to announce that it has been granted distribution rights to M&R ‘s full line of Screen Printing Equipment in Western Canada. “We at Rubenstein Bros. in our 147th year of operations in Canada have always brought the best of products to our customers from around the world,” said Kevin Price, President of the Western Region. “We currently have on our management team several staff members who have managed a full in house screen printing operation. With this knowledge as well as extensive product education we at RB Digital will be able to offer our customers a total solution for their garment decorating needs, from screen printing to embroidery and from Digital printing to digital cutting,” added Price.

RB digital now represents some of the finest lines in the industry from Tajima, M&R, Brother, Mimaki and GCC Laser sytems. The M&R Companies are the world’s largest manufacturer of screen printing equipment. The M&R Division manufactures a wide range of textile & graphic presses and dryers, and a full line of pre-press, on-press, & post-press equipment. NuArc produces an extensive line of exposure units & vacuum frames. Amscomatic makes a wide variety of folders, printer/labelers, printer/taggers, standalone labelers &taggers, card insert systems, conveyors, auto-baggers, sealers, & stackers.

For more information, please visit www.rbdigital.ca.

June 2011

Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL; TSX and NYSE) today announced record financial results for the second quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, and also increased its sales and earnings projections for the full fiscal year.

Record Second Quarter Sales and Earnings
Net earnings for the second fiscal quarter ended April 3, 2011 were $61.4 million (all figures U.S.) or $0.50 per share on a diluted basis. Net earnings included a restructuring charge of three cents per share related to the consolidation of U.S. distribution activities and the closure of the company's remaining U.S. sock manufacturing operations.

The growth in net earnings compared to 2010 was primarily due to higher net selling prices for activewear and growth in activewear unit sales volumes, as well as the impact of more favourable income taxes. Net sales in the second quarter were up 17.3 per cent from a year earlier, amounting to $383.2 million,

Year-to-Date Sales and Earnings
Net sales for the first six months are up 30.6 per cent to $714.5 million from the first six months of fiscal 2010, with net earnings for the first six months of 2011, up almost 27 per cent to $97.3 million. Gildan is now projecting full year sales revenues of approximately U.S. $1.8 billion, up from its previous projection of approximately $1.6 billion.

Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification
Gildan also announced that it has renewed its certification under the stringent Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 for its entire branded product line, including T-shirts, sport shirts, fleece, socks and underwear. Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is an internationally recognized testing and certification system for textile and apparel production that guarantees products are free of harmful substances.
“We are pleased to once again achieve certification of 100% of our products,” said Garry Bell, Vice President, Global Marketing. “Gildan’s rigorous Environmental Code of Practices reflects our commitment to environmentally responsible processes in all of our manufacturing centers. We also remain driven to innovate and adopt technologies that reduce our environmental footprint at each stage of the manufacturing process,” he added. Gildan has renewed its Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certification yearly since 2004.

May 2011

Twiga Industries' inaugural Technical Seminar and Open House was hit among attendees who headed to the company's headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario on May 13-14, 2011.

The two-day event centered around targeting technical issues that embroiderers typically go through on a daily basis, followed by open forum discussion which gave attendees an opportunities to glean information specific to issues facing their business.

"We found this seminar to be extremely helpful," said Dan Desaulniers, from Guleph, Ontario-based Unisync. "This seminar gave us a forum with which to have an open dialogue about the most common problems we encounter."

Twiga Industry President Alnoor Remtullah was very happy with the event's turnout. "We found that the open forum we set-up is the best way to accommodate the broad range of user expertise," he said, adding that the interaction between customers goes a long way it gives attendees an opportunity to pick up a lot from one another.

The event went over so well, that Twiga Industries is planning to set up recurring seminars to aid help its clients. Dates for future events will be announced at www.imprintcanada.com and www.twigaind.com.

April 2011

American Apparel Inc., has struck a deal with a group of Canadian investors for up to
$40-million (U.S.) of financing, including more than $14-million up front, in exchange for shares.

The group of Canadian investors is led by Delavaco Capital, a private equity firm run by Toronto oil and mining financier Andrew DeFrancesco, and Michael Serruya, the Toronto creator of the Yogen Fruz World-Wide Inc. chain who later co-founded Canadian ice cream giant Cool Brands Inc.

While that may not seem like a large sum, it provides American Apparel with the operating funds needed for manufacturing and distribution as the company was hampered by rising cotton prices and a dispute with the U.S. government that forced it to lay off thousands of workers who did not have proper immigration documentation. Under the terms of the deal, the Canadian investors will get shares at 90 cents a piece in exchange for about $14.2-million of immediate funding. The investors also have warrants to buy about $27-million worth of additional shares at that price.

American Apparel's shares hit an all-time low of 74 cents three weeks ago. However the stock rallied in the past few weeks amid talks of a restructuring to close at $1.24 on Thursday April 21. After the deal was announced, shares jumped nearly 25 per cent to at $1.60 as of April 25.

According to the Globe and Mail, sources indicate the group of Canadian investors also includes Dynamic Power Hedge, Front St. Capital, Power One Capital Markets, Sentry Select Capital and Edgehill Partners. As well, sources close to the company said there may also be an effort to restructure the company’s long-term debt, held by Lion Capital of the U.K.

April 2011

BIC APP, the parent division of Norwood and BIC Graphic North America, has reported its 2011 first quarter sales of Advertising and Promotional Products fell 8.8 per cent to €58.9 million compared to €69.7 million in the first quarter of 2010. This decrease is in contrast to the company’s consumer business, which saw a 9.8 per cent increase in sales for the same period.

BIC Group CEO Mario Guevara indicated that although Q1 was challenging for BIC APP sales performance, the company is beginning to see benefits from the integration plan savings and are confident that sales growth will resume in 2012.

March 2011

Polyconcept North America (PCNA), a division of the global promotional products supplier Polyconcept, announced it has acquired Ontario's Trimark Sportswear Group.

PCNA has purchased a controlling interest in Trimark from Weston Presidio, a private equity investor focused on growth. This deal marks Polyconcept North America?s fourth acquisition since its start in 2005 and its first move into the promotional apparel category. With the addition of Trimark, PCNA becomes Canada?s largest supplier spanning both apparel and hard goods under four industry leading brands, comprised of Leed?s, Bullet, JournalBooks and now Trimark.

“We are thrilled to have Trimark join the PCNA family. We identified Trimark early on as an ideal partner as part of our long-term goal of expanding into the apparel category,” said David Nicholson, president of Polyconcept North America. "PCNA has assembled a well-known portfolio of supplier brands and Trimark fits our profile perfectly. It has a proven management team, an innovative product range and is a clear leader within the Canadian promotional market. We see great opportunities to work together to build even stronger distributor relationships,” added Nicholson.

Trimark will continue to operate as a separate entity with no change in regards to their management or sales teams. Trimark?s Chief Executive Officer, Derrick Milne, and President/Chief Operating Officer, Will Andrew, will continue to lead the organization and will serve on Polyconcept North America’s management committee. Additionally, the Milne family and Andrew have increased their investment in the company as a part of the transaction. All distributor programs, policies and terms will remain in place and there will be no change to Trimark?s daily operations. “We are excited to be associated with Leed?s, Bullet and JournalBooks,” explains Milne. “The opportunity to be a part of the clear global market leader in promotional products, Polyconcept, in an industry that is consolidating,fulfills an important long term strategic goal. We will only strengthen relationships with our distributors by sharing information, best practices, purchasing power and decorating expertise with Polyconcept.”

March 2011

Gildan Activewear Inc. announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the common shares of Gold Toe Moretz Holdings Corp. (Gold Toe Moretz) for a total purchase price of approximately $350 million (all figures US). Gildan will not assume any of Gold Toe Moretz's currently outstanding indebtedness.

Gold Toe Moretz is a leading supplier of high-quality branded athletic, casual and dress socks for mass-market retailers, national chains, price clubs, department stores and specialty sporting goods stores in the U.S. Gold Toe Moretz's company-owned brands. Gold Toe Moretz is also the exclusive U.S. licensee for Under Armour(R) and New Balance(R) branded socks. The majority of the purchase price will be represented by intangible assets, including the value of these brands.

"The acquisition of Gold Toe Moretz represents an important and exciting step in Gildan's ongoing strategic development", said Glenn J. Chamandy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gildan Activewear. "In addition to the introduction of leading consumer brands, the acquisition provides Gildan with enhanced brand management experience and expertise, best-in-class merchandising and strong technical innovation and design capabilities to complement Gildan's existing competitive strengths for retail. These capabilities can also be utilized to further the development of our own Gildan brand."

Gildan believes that the combination of the competitive strengths of the two companies, and Gildan's support for the further development of Gold Toe Moretz's owned and licensed brands, will create a strong platform for further organic sales growth in socks and other retail product categories. In addition, Gildan currently expects to be able to achieve $10-$15 million of annualized cost synergies, which would be gradually realized over the next 24 months.

The acquisition will more than double Gildan's current revenues from the sale of socks and will significantly expand and diversify its customer base and channels of distribution within the U.S. retail market.

March 2011

Kobe Sportswear has been named the official sponsor to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s Outreach Program.

As part of the agreement, Kobe Sportswear will supply all Outreach staff with its latest 8800 style warm-up jackets and all on-ice participants through the Outreach program will be outfitted in Kobe’s exclusive 5400 series practice jerseys.

The Outreach Program aims to introduce the game of hockey to communities that may never have played before. It will consist of on-site event activation aimed at introducing participants to some basic hockey skills, providing information on equipment, skating programs and general hockey knowledge.

“We are very excited to be partnering with one of the largest Minor Hockey Associations in North Amercia”, says William Chen, Marketing Executive, Kobe Sportswear. “Bringing awareness and education to the non-traditional hockey communities will make great in-roads into the continuation of the Canada’s National Sport.”

March 2011

AnaJet has announced that its management has partnered with Chicago Growth Partners (CGP), a major private equity group, which led a growth capital investment of the company.

“AnaJet has rapidly grown in the last four years, and the financial sponsorship by CGP can facilitate our further accelerated growth in the coming years," said Dr. Chase Roh, AnaJet’s founder and president. "Direct-to-Garment printers are emerging as the major force in the garment decoration industry, and now we are even better prepared to serve the industry,” he added.

Dr. Roh will continue as Anajet’s chairman, and no material change is expected in the company’s operations.

"AnaJet specifically caught our attention as it is the best of the breed in a growing market, and its business model presents barriers to entry due to the company’s technology and method of doing business,” said Rob Healy, Managing Partner of CGP.

February 2011

In response to the growing public concern regarding the use of hazardous chemicals and metals in everyday consumer and trade products, Debco has has purchased an XLT Niton analyzer gun to randomly check products before they leave their doors and into your customers hands. This device allows Debco to ensure its products are compliant with hazardous substance standards.

Debco has made available an element analysis to its customers on request at no charge for products for which an order has been placed. The testing includes detection of Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Antimony and Selenium, and is reported in PPM (parts per million). This can be easily compared to the acceptable standards of these elements as determined by government regulations. You will receive a printed report that gives you the content (or lack thereof) of each of the above heavy metals. The test takes approximately 30 minutes to perform.

By randomly testing incoming overseas shipments and outgoing, domestically printed orders, these tests are the most pertinent as they provide real time reports for a variety of contaminants. The Niton XLT provides the most reliable and timely assurance that the products are below the acceptable standardized levels of a number of possible carcinogens.

February 2011

Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL)(NYSE:GIL) announced record first sales and earnings for the first quarter of 2011.

Net earnings for the fiscal quarter ended January 2, 2011 were $35.9 million (all figures U.S.) or $0.29 per share on a diluted basis, including a restructuring charge of $0.01 per share related to the consolidation of U.S. distribution activities announced on December 10, 2009. Excluding the restructuring charge, adjusted net earnings for the first quarter were $36.6 million or $0.30 per share, up 25.3% and 25.0% respectively from adjusted net earnings in the first quarter of fiscal 2010.

Net sales in the first quarter amounted to $331.3 million, up 50.3% from $220.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Sales of activewear and underwear amounted to $270.1 million, up 76.7% from fiscal 2010, and sales of socks were $61.2 million, down 9.3% from last year.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company is currently projecting net sales revenues of approximately $375 million, up approximately 15% from the second quarter of fiscal 2010, and gross margins of close to 27%, compared to 27.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

January 2011

The 11th annual Toronto Imprint Canada Show was an energy-packed event from start to finish, as nearly 3,100 buyers attended the two-day show, despite a harsh snowstorm on the second day.

The Show took place January 7 & 8 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The morning of the 8th saw southern Ontario hit with a heavy snowstorm that caused havoc on the roads and delays at the airport. Despite the conditions, nearly 1,200 attendees came to the Show, following up on the roughly 1,900 who attended January 7th.

More than just the numbers however, there was a definite buzz on the Show floor, with an encouraging enthusiasm among attendees and exhibitors, suggesting 2011 should be a bright and sunny year for the Canadian imprintable promotional products industry.

Congratulations to Sean Oakley of Stahls Canada, who was awarded the annual Robert L. Scott Memorial Award at the Show, for his dedication and contributions to the industry. Fersten Worldwide was awarded Best Sales Environment at the Show, as voted by attendees. Buyers also chose Whiteridge for Best Booth Design.

Krista Macleod of Pat´s Stitch N´ Sew in Bancroft, Ontario won free beer for a year, courtesy of Westmount Distributors. Kathleen Pluzak of Eurographics (London, ON) and Henny Arends from Notice It! (Waterford, ON) were winners in Twiga Industries' VIP Night contest. Dona Birtwistle of Toucan Punchworks in Woodstock, ON won $500 in the North American Logistics Putting Contest. Congratulations to all winners of these and other contests held at the Show.

The Toronto Imprint Canada Show will return January 6 & 7, 2012.

January 2011

With the successful close of its first annual ¨ I Support…¨ campaign, Gildan proved that a T-shirt can indeed make a better world. Gildan Activewear is pleased to announce Homeboy Industries as the recipient of its $100,000 donation.

Homeboy Industries was voted into the top ten of the ¨I Support…¨ campaign via public voting on www.GenuineGildan.com. Homeboy Industries, along with the other top 10 charities, then submitted responses to a standardized questionnaire to Gildan for individual consideration. A panel of judges that included influential and successful business people from within our industry as well as from the Charitable Giving industry then selected Homeboy as the charity from the top 10 that best illustrated the characteristics of Accountability, Sustainability and Impact.

Located in Los Angeles, California, Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention and re-entry program in the US. Their organization has become a role model for similar programs around the world with an astounding 70 per cent retention rate for individuals who enter their programs. They facilitate and enable young people to redirect their lives from the hopelessness of a gang lifestyle to become contributing members of society through a variety of services, but primarily through their jobs training and placement program that offers education, skills and actual practical work experience to put on a resume.

Gildan presented the donation to Homeboy Industries on January 13, 2011 at PPAI Las Vegas, booth #2173 where representatives from Homeboy, Gildan and several of the participating judges were in attendance.

Initiated in 2010, the ¨I Support…¨ promotion was funded via sales of Gildan´s best selling T-shirt, Style 2000, and asked industry partners and customers to share their thoughts on deserving charities in North America to help guide the $100,000 donation. With well over 100,000 votes from visitors throughout the industry and beyond to the www.GenuineGildan.com website, the response reinforced Gildan’s objective that a T-shirt can help make a better world.

January 2011

Gildan Activewear announces top 10 charities vying for $100,000 donation in the
“I Support…“ campaign

And the top 10 are…

American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Corporation Culturelle Latino-Americaine de L'amitie
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Discovery!
Drew Hildebrand Teen Benefit Fund
Home Boy Industries
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of West TN
Palm Beach County Motorcyclist Toys for Tots
Snowball Express

Gildan initiated the “I Support…“ campaign at the beginning of 2010 as a way to recognize and support the great work being done by charities across North
America. Using their www.genuinegildan.com website, the company reached
out to industry and business partners to ask “Who do YOU support?“ and
ultimately developed this list of deserving and relevant top 10 charities through
the collective knowledge and experience of the apparel and promotional products industry.

“The response we received was both inspiring and humbling“ said Garry Bell, Vice President of Global Marketing for Gildan. “With close to 3000 individual stories submitted to the site plus well over 100,000 views and votes we feel that the campaign has been very successful in generating awareness and is a reflection of a concerned and caring community.“

The top 10 were based on the number of stories, views and “likes“ submitted to the GenuineGildan website. With their announcement the “I Support…” campaign moves into the judging phase where one charity of the 10 will be selected to receive a $100,000 donation from Gildan in January, 2011.

The selection will be made by a panel of qualified judges who will determine which of the top 10 most closely reflects the values that are core to Gildan’s corporate position of Genuine Stewardship, both in how they manage and administer the charity as well as the impact they have in the community.

For more details on Genuine Stewardship, the “I Support…” timeline and selection process, please visit http://www.facebook.com/genuinegildan.