Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business.

History

One of Levi's customers was Jacob Davis, a who frequently purchased bolts of cloth from Levi Strauss & Co.'s wholesale house. After one of Jacob's costumers kept purchasing cloth to reinforce torn pants, he had an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners and at the base of the button fly. Jacobs did not have the required money to purchase a patent, so he wrote to Levi suggesting that they both go into business together. After Levi accepted Jacobs' offer, on May 20, 1874, the two men received patent #139,121 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the blue jeans was born.

Related Topics:
Jacob Davis - May 20 - 1874 - United States Patent and Trademark Office - Jeans

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They were the first U.S. apparel company to use radio and television to market products. They were also early adopters of new media, funding a 1997 Internet-only soap opera called They Go On based on an advertising campaign of the same name.

Related Topics:
Radio - Television - Early adopter - New media - 1997 - Internet - Soap opera - They Go On - Advertising campaign

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In 1992, Levi Strauss & Co. became the first Fortune 500 company to extend full medical benefits to domestic partners of employees.

Related Topics:
1992 - Fortune 500 - Domestic partners

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Levi Strauss received a 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index released by the Human Rights Campaign starting in 2003, the second year of the report.

Related Topics:
Human Rights Campaign - 2003

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After seven years of declining sales, the company closed its last U.S. sewing plant on January 8, 2004. The closure of their San Antonio, Texas plant continued an industry trend towards overseas contract production.

Related Topics:
January 8 - 2004 - San Antonio, Texas

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On May 12, 2004 a spokesperson announced the intent to sell their Dockers division of men's slacks, conceivably as a cost-cutting measure.

Related Topics:
May 12 - 2004 - Dockers

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