One of Fort Worth’s oldest family businesses, Williamson-Dickie has been acquired by the owner of Wrangler brand for $820 million. VF Corporation and Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. have jointly announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement that is expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter of this year.
Well-known Williamson-Dickie brands include: Dickies, Workrite, Kodiak, Terra, and Walls. These brands will join VF’s current workwear offerings including: Wrangler RIGGS Workwear, Timberland PRO, Red Kap, Bulwark, and Horace Small. Upon closing, Williamson-Dickie will become part of VF’s Imagewear coalition. Philip Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Williamson-Dickie will remain with the company, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
“When we introduced our 2021 global business strategy earlier this year, reshaping our portfolio to accelerate growth was our highest priority,” said Steve Rendle, President and Chief Executive Officer of VF. “The acquisition of Williamson-Dickie is another meaningful step that delivers on that commitment and further demonstrates our focus on being an active portfolio manager to drive transformative growth for VF and value creation for our shareholders.”
“For nearly a century we’ve worked hard to judiciously grow our company and portfolio of strong brands to maintain our leadership in the global workwear marketplace,” said Philip Williamson. “Today’s announcement is an authentic and natural next step as we look to combine the strengths of our two companies to create significant opportunities for our employees, vendors, retail partners, and ultimately our customers. We expect that under VF’s leadership, we’ll be able to experience the next wave of growth and better meet the needs of workers everywhere.”
“This acquisition combines two great companies and a group of iconic brands to create a global leader in workwear with approximately $1.7 billion in annual revenue,” Rendle continued. “Williamson-Dickie has a proud history and heritage, and has served a loyal consumer base for nearly 100 years. VF is the ideal steward to honor that heritage while providing a platform for growth that ensures continued success for another century. We look forward to welcoming Williamson-Dickie and its 7,000 dedicated employees to the VF family.”
