Fort Worth-based Dickies Sold to VF Corp., Parent Company of Wrangler and Lee Jeans for $820 Million

Williamson- Dickie Mfg. Co., one of Fort Worth's oldest family-owned businesses said Monday that it is is being acquired by VF Corp. for $820 million in cash.VF is one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the U.S. It owns major brands including The North Face, Timberland, Wranger and Lee.Williamson-Dickies, the official outfitter of the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex, has been a leader in the work wear business for almost 100 years and had annual sales of $875 million.Philip Williamson, chief executive officer of Williamson-Dickie is staying with the company which employs 7,000 people and it will remain headquartered in Fort Worth."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 said in a press release. "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."Twitter: @MariaHalkias  Continue reading...