Hampshire Group Ltd. has penned a master supply agreement with Levi Strauss & Co., expanding its existing arrangement as a Dockers tops licensee to include production of all the brand’s knit and woven shirts and sweaters worldwide.
New York-based Hampshire continues to hold the license for Dockers men’s tops and sweaters in the U.S., Mexico and several markets in Central and South America. In April it expanded its relationship with the brand to include Dockers women’s tops and bottoms for the U.S. in the spring of 2015 and the additional territories of Mexico and Canada in fall 2015.
The expanded arrangement takes the relationship beyond the Americas and into all markets in which Dockers does business. Production of non-licensed categories had previously been handled by Dockers.
“Sharing the same vision and blending our complementary skill sets have made for a successful partnership that we now look to extend around the globe,” said Paul Buxbaum, chief executive officer of Hampshire. “The additional volume associated with this new international agreement will leverage Hampshire’s existing production and sourcing platform.”
Hampshire has held the license for Dockers men’s sweaters since 2003 and for Dockers men’s tops since 2012.
The Dockers brand accounted for about 12 percent of Levi Strauss & Co.’s $4.68 billion in volume last year, or about $560 million. The licensing of the brand’s tops and subsequent global production arrangement correspond with Levi’s management’s commitment to focusing on its most profitable core products, which include Dockers men’s casual slacks.
Hampshire’s production assets include Rio Garment SA, a Honduras-based manufacturing firm acquired in 2011.