Dickies
- For the Los Angeles punk rock band, see The Dickies.
- For the restaurant, see Dickey's Barbecue Pit.
| Dickies Logo | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothing |
| Predecessor | U.S. Overall Company |
| Founded | Bryan, Texas (1918) |
| Founder | C.N. Williamson and E.E. "Colonel" Dickie |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 5 Retail Stores |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Philip C. Williamson. Chairman, President, and CEO |
| Products | f.e. Back packs, Steel-toe boots, Belts, jeans, uniforms |
| Owner | Family (Williamson) |
Number of employees | 5,100 |
| Website | dickies |
Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company, more commonly referred to as Dickies (after its product brand), is originally an American company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas that manufactures and sells work-related clothing and other accessories, including back packs, steel-toe boots, and belts. Its major competitors are Ben Davis and Carhartt.
Beginnings
C.N. Williamson and E.E. "Colonel" Dickie began their business careers in the "vehicle and harness" business in Bryan, Texas. In 1918, they and a few friends established the U.S. Overall Company. Then, in 1922, C. Don Williamson joined with his father and cousin to buy 100% of the overall company on a one-third-each basis and renamed it Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company.
From its early years, Williamson-Dickie enjoyed steady growth which was slowed only by the Great Depression, and during World War II, the company produced millions of uniforms for the nation's armed forces. In converting to civilian production after the war, C. Don Williamson began a strategy of geographical expansion and established new production facilities, warehouses, and sales territories throughout the United States. In the late 1950s, Williamson-Dickie became an international company by expanding into the European market and the Middle Eastern market - where Texas oilmen introduced the Dickies brand to Middle Eastern oil fields.
Present day
Dickies is currently sold in all 50 states and throughout the world in countries such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia, Russia, Chile, South Korea, Japan, Iceland, Canada, Germany, France, Italy,Ireland with COH Sales Ltd, Croatia, Poland and Mexico.[1]
In 2008 Williamson-Dickies acquired the Canadian Kodiak Group Holdings Inc.[2] In 2013 Dickies acquired Walls.[3]
In 2014, Jerry Leigh of California became the exclusive licensee for Dickies Girl juniors’ apparel. [4]
Williamson-Dickie Europe Ltd are based in the UK in Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Previously known as Dickies UK, this division of the company now operate across the entirety of Europe and the Middle East for both the workwear and streetwear product ranges.
References
- ^ Dickies history site
- ^ "Dickies® Acquires Kodiak Group Holdings Inc.", Business Wire, April 01, 2008
- ^ "Dickies® Acquires Walls Industries." Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company, June 03, 2013
- ^ "Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. Signs New Junior Apparel License" Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company, Dec 10, 2014