Newspapers / The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, … / July 30, 1970, edition 1 / Page 12
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M*5 i.e ^cu a/ie cobctiaMy ivwited to aMend a ecia i Previ evu * Co. Sr oYW rs>? ^v" t^r*? s ??? ?? ?oo '* ^ v00? ^ \V!0P ** , ttO*? *<*** * FREE SOUVENIRS for men, women and children GUIDED TOURS of the new plant Pants The Levi Strauss story began in 1850 when Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant, boarded a sailing ship in New York and joined the gold rush to California. He was 20 years old and he carried a small stock of dry goods with him, including some canvas, material which could be sold to the hordes of prospectors in the Mother Lode country. On landing in San Francisco by chance he learned that the prospectors were hard on pants, shredding them to rags in a few days of working the creeks and gulches where the precious yellow metal was found. Strauss had a idea and soon his canvas had been converted into sturdy pants, whose new owners bragged to other prospectors about "those pants of Levi's." And they are still known by that name today - Levi's ? the West's most famous brand. Strauss set up shop in San Francisco and soon switched from canvas to a tough cotton fabric originally made in Nimes, France and known as "serge de Nimes." The name soon was shortened to "denim", the fabric supplied to Levi Strauss & Co. in a special Indigo blue color which has been used ever since. In addition to its famous Levi's jeans, the company has expanded production to include Lady Levi's, Western Style shirts, jackets and riding pants. In the 19S0's Levi Strauss & Co. entered the men's casual slacks field and in the 1960's brought out what were soon called "White Levi's" although the garments, fashioned after the original blue jeans, now come in a variety of colors. In 1963 the company introduced Stretch Levi's and in 1964, satisfied with its research and development in permanent press garments, brought out its own Levi's Sta-Prest process. In December of 1963 Levi Strauss & Co. began operations in Murphy, starting with IS employes working in the Alverson Building on Regal Street. The payroll increased and by 1967 had reached a steady 225 workers. The size of the operation was growing also, with warehouse facilities on the campus of the Murphy Elementary School, a cutting room in the old gym at the Fairgrounds and a parts department in the basement of Smoky Mountain Heating and Air Conditioning Co. on Andrews Road. Construction of a large new plant building on Andrews Road began late in Summer of last year. This past March all operations were moved into the new plant and new workers were hired to staff the million-dollar facility. Horace Cannon, plant manager, says the plant is presently working about 450 people and plans to eventually have a payroll of more than 550. The Murphy plant made men's casual pants under the Trim-Cut. Sta-Prest labels for several years, he said, but is now making pants for boys and young men. The boy's Swinger is produced here in sizes 6-12 and the local Levi's plant is also turning out Hopster pants for young men. with wide belt loops and bell-bottoms. More than six millions pairs of pants, which are sold all over the United States and in 50 foreign countries, have been made in the Murphy plant since it began. Prospectors in the West today are wear the tough pants they wore then - perhaps not as numerous as the days of genuine Levi's jeans, known 'round the the California gold rush but they still world. Betty Jones, left, and Sue Payne, office workers, display variety of garments by Levi's.
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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July 30, 1970, edition 1
12
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