Gold Toe Brands
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Gold Toe Brands, Inc., is the third-largest United States–based producer of socks.[1]
History
[edit]Gold Toe was founded by Fritz S. Stern, Fritz Bendheim, and J. Kuglemanin in Bally, Pennsylvania on September 18, 1919, under the name Great American Knitting Mills.[2] In 1923, Rudolf Abrams, a cousin of Fritz Stern's wife, joined the company.[3]
During the Great Depression, Gold Toe began manufacturing men's socks from high quality Irish linen, making their product resistant to holes and fraying.[1] In the 1930s, the company added gold acetate thread to the toes of its socks to make them visually distinctive on store shelves.[1]
The manufacturer changed its name to Gold Toe Brands Inc. in 2002.[2]
Gold Toe merged with competitor Moretz in 2006 to form Gold Toe Moretz. Gildan Activewear acquired the company in 2011. The following year, they partnered with the advertising agency, DeVito/Verdi, to “revitalize and contemporize” the brand.
Operations
[edit]The company's headquarters are located in Burlington, North Carolina, with executive headquarters in New York City.[2] Gold Toe Brands, Inc. has shifted much of its manufacturing to China, particularly the Zhejiang province.[4]
Vice-president Trish McHale intended to create affordable socks primarily for men.[5][6][4] Although its primary market is men's dress socks, Gold Toe Brands has expanded into other areas of the sock market.[2] In 1983, it added a line of women's socks, and in 1986, it began producing boys' socks. In 1992, the brand started making women's tights.[2]
Gold Toe produces 140 million pairs of socks annually[1] and is on the American Podiatric Medical Association's approved list of brands for foot health.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Katya Andresen, Kate (FRW) Roberts (2006). Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 86–87. ISBN 978-0-7879-8148-8. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ a b c d e Goldtoe Brands Inc. "Goldtoe's History". Goldtoe Brands Inc. Archived from the original on 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ 75th anniversary Collection of Memories, Great American Knitting Mills
- ^ a b Ted C. Fishman (2005). China, Inc: how the rise of the next superpower challenges America and the world. Simon and Schuster. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-0-7432-5752-7. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ Givhan, Robin (2006-07-24). "Blue-Chip Socks: Haute Hose by Vivek Nagrani, Just the Thing to Cool Your Heels". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ Harvard Medical School (2005). Foot Care Basics: Preventing and Treating Common Foot Conditions (Second ed.). Harvard Health Publications. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-933225-76-0. Retrieved 2009-04-28.