Dickies, Hip Lifestyle and Workwear Brand, Thriving Under VF Corp. as Longtime CEO Steps Aside

Two years after it was purchased by VF Corp., Fort Worth-based work and lifestyle brand Dickies is posting sales increases as its longtime CEO and fourth generation of the founding family steps down.Denny Bruce has been named global brand president for Dickies and Phil Williamson, who was CEO for 36 years, moved into a non-operating role as a "brand ambassador." Williamson will continue to be available to management of the former privately-held company known as Williamson-Dickies with roots back to 1922, the company said.Dickies operations will continue to be in Fort Worth and a spokeswoman for VF confirmed that Bruce is moving his family to Texas. The brand that dresses Big Tex, a fixture character of the State Fair of Texas, is making a fresh shirt and new pants for the 55-foot statue to wear in September.Dickies remains entrenched in Fort Worth and put its name on Dickies Arena, a new 14,000-seat, multi-purpose facility in Fort Worth's Cultural District that's scheduled to open in November.VF, which also owns The North Face, Vans, Wrangler, Lee and Timberland, paid $820 million for Williamson-Dickies in 2017 to expand it workwear brands.  Continue reading...