Fruit of the Loom headquarters building in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters are based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. One manufacturing facility still remains in Jamestown, Kentucky, and several other facilities are located across the Southeastern United States, from Louisiana to the Carolinas. Other facilities exist in Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Europe and North Africa. Until the late 1990s, much of the manufacturing was done in the United States. A private company is a company that is independently owned. ... Location of Bowling Green within Warren County in Kentucky. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA, NYSE: BRKB) is a conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1122x984, 288 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fruit of the Loom ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1122x984, 288 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fruit of the Loom ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... A pair of mens briefs Undergarments, also called underwear or sometimes intimate clothing, are clothes worn next to the skin, usually under other clothes. ... Location of Bowling Green within Warren County in Kentucky. ... Jamestown is a city located in Russell County, Kentucky. ... The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a Southeast region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a Southeast region to fit their needs. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Carolinas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the states of North and South Carolina together. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Fruit of the Loom is a leading apparel company, emphasizing branded products for consumers ranging from children to senior citizens. The company is one of the largest manufacturers and marketers of men's and boys' underwear, women's and girls' underwear, printable T-shirts and fleece for the activewear industry, casualwear, women's jeanswear and childrenswear.

The company sells its products to all major discount chains and mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and screenprinters. The company also sells to many department, specialty, drug and variety stores, national chains, supermarkets and sports specialty stores.

Fruit of the Loom is unique in offering an unconditional guarantee on all the products it sells. The brand has significant market share for basic apparel. The familiar logo with the apple, purple grapes, green grapes, currants and leaves is ranked one of the most recognizable trademarks worldwide. The company is a vertically integrated manufacturer. It has been suggested that Vertical expansion be merged into this article or section. ...

The company also controls another long-known underwear brand, B.V.D. (Bradley, Voorhees, and Day). Other brands also manufactured and sold by the company are Funpals, Screen Stars and Underoos. Brands once owned or marketed by Fruit of the Loom include Gitano, Munsingwear, Salem Sportswear, and Pro Player, which once had the naming rights to what is now Dolphin Stadium (originally Joe Robbie Stadium) in Miami, Florida from 1996 to 2005, despite bankruptcy by the parent company in 1999. BVD is a brand of mens underwear, which are commonly referred to as BVDs. ... Funpals is the 1990s and 2000s sucessor to Underoos. ... Wonder Woman Underoos Underoos are childrens cartoon underwear. ... The Gitanos are Roma people living in Spain. ... Naming rights are the right to name a piece of property, either tangible property or an event, usually granted in exchange for financial considerations. ... Interior of Dolphin Stadium, football configuration Dolphin Stadium (previously known as Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium[1], and Dolphins Stadium) is a football, lacrosse, soccer and baseball stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb north of Miami. ... Joseph Joe Robbie (July 7, 1916 - January 7, 1990) was an American lawyer and entrepreneur. ... Miami redirects here. ...

Hanes and Jockey are the main competitors to Fruit of the Loom. is an offical leading brand This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Jockey International, Inc. ...

The name "Fruit of the Loom" is interpreted by many as a play on words with respect to a part of the Hail Mary prayer: "...blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." (cf. Gospel of Luke 1:42) The two phrases are unrelated: it is merely a coincidence that "womb" rhymes with "loom".

History

The Fruit of the Loom brand dates back to 1851 in Rhode Island when Robert Knight, a textile mill owner, visited his friend, Rufus Skeel. Mr. Skeel owned a small shop in Providence, Rhode Island that sold cloth from Mr. Knight's mill. Mr. Skeel's daughter painted images of fruit and applied them to the bolts of cloth. The ones with the fruit emblems proved most popular. Mr. Knight thought the labels would be the perfect symbol for his trade name, Fruit of the Loom. Providence redirects here. ... For other uses, see Loom (disambiguation). ...

In 1871, just one year after the first trademark laws were passed by Congress, Mr. Knight received patent number 418 for the brand, Fruit of the Loom.

Much of its athletic outerwear was sold under the "Pro Player" label, a now defunct division.

The company was part of Northwest Industries, Inc., until NWI was purchased by William F. Farley in 1985 and renamed Farley Industries, Inc.

The Fruit of the Loom Guys, popular advertising characters from the 1980s.

William F. Farley, the company's former chairman, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer was forced out prior to bankruptcy in late 1999, after having piloted the company into massive debt and unproductive business ventures. Image File history File links Fruitoftheloom. ... Image File history File links Fruitoftheloom. ... A Chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... “Chief executive” redirects here. ... A Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a corporate officer responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the corporation. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ...

Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999 shortly after posting a net loss of $576.2 million. Its 66 million shares of outstanding common stock dropped in value from about $44 per share in early 1997 to just more than $1 by the spring of 2000.

The company was brought from bankruptcy by Berkshire Hathaway Corporation, controlled by legendary investor Warren Buffett, who wanted the valuable brand. He agreed in January 2002 to purchase the company for approximately $835 million in cash. The deal was concluded on April 29, 2002. A condition of the purchase required that former Chief Operating Officer and the then interim CEO, John Holland, remain available to be the CEO for the company. ^[1] Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA, NYSE: BRKB) is a conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. ... Warren Edward Buffett (b. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

The company purchased Russell Corporation, effectively taking the former competitor private in a deal that was completed August 1, 2006. Russell Corporation(NYSE: RML)started in Alabama, is a manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The company announced the purchase of VF Corporation's intimate apparel business for $350 million in cash on January 23, 2007.^[2] VF Corporation NYSE: VFC is an American apparel corporation. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Corporate Mailing Address:

Fruit of the Loom, P.O. Box 90015, 1 Fruit of the Loom Drive, Bowling Green, KY, 42102-9015

References

Warren Edward Buffett (b. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sources

• Related Textile History - Lippitt Mill Retrieved August 27, 2005.
• History of Chicago Retrieved September 13, 2005.
• Farley looks for Congressional help Retrieved September 24, 2005.
• Berkshire Hathaway Announcement of Fruit of the Loom Acquisition Retrieved August 27, 2005.
• Buffett's Berkshire to buy Russell Retrieved January 23, 2007.

is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Fruit of the Loom underwear
• Fruit of the Loom wholesale distribution
• Official Fruit of the Loom Microsite for The Fruit Guys, including videos, mp3 downloads, lyrics, and behind-the-scenes featurettes
• Video Featuring the Fruit of the Loom Guys. Company site.
• Oxford University calls to boycott Fruit of the Loom

v • d • e Berkshire Hathaway
Board of Directors	Warren Buffett • Charlie Munger • Howard Graham Buffett • Malcolm Chace • Bill Gates • David Gottesman • Charlotte Guyman • Donald Keough • Thomas S. Murphy • Ronald Olson • Walter Scott, Jr.
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Materials and Construction	Acme Brick • Benjamin Moore & Co. • Clayton Homes • ISCAR Metalworking • Johns-Manville • MiTek • Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc. • Shaw Industries
Furniture	CORT Business Services • Jordan's Furniture • Larson-Juhl • Nebraska Furniture Mart • RC Willey Home Furnishings • Star Furniture
Apparel	Fruit of the Loom • Russell • Garanimals • Fechheimer Brothers • Acme Boots • H.H. Brown Shoe Group • Justin Brands
Transportation	NetJets • FlightSafety International • Forest River • McLane Company • XTRA Corporation
Food	Dairy Queen • Orange Julius • The Pampered Chef • See's Candies
Other	Ben Bridge Jeweler • Blue Chip Stamps • Borsheim's Fine Jewelry • The Buffalo News • Business Wire • CTB Inc. • MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company • World Book Encyclopedia
Annual Revenue: $98.539 billion USD · Employees: 217,000 · Stock Symbol: NYSE: BRKA, NYSE: BRKB · Web site: www.berkshirehathaway.com