| HISTORY Mid-Seventies by Eric Lowry Click here for The Earlier Years Click here for 1980's and later |
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History
The Early Years 1980 and the later years Chronology Ulster Hosiery Ltd, Dundonald Manufacturing Fully fashioned Stockings Seamfree Tights Knitwear Processes Yarn Styles & Stitches Skills Sales History Factory Life Galleries Fully Fashioned Stockings Seamfree Stockings & Tights Knitwear Sales Conferences Sales Team Slimfold Pack Sales Visitors Sales Promotion Shop floor Early Colleagues Employees International Conferences Locations VF Service Awards Contact us Memories Press Reports Links |
Lee Clothing Division
Eric Lowry was transferred back to Donaghadee Road before the end of 1976, reporting to Alex Fetherston for the development and operation of the newly formed Clothing Division. Russ Payne left to take over as managing director of Dunluce Knitwear in Coleraine and new management was recruited for the Dundonald facility. Control of the Lee jeans plant in Greenoch was transferred from Belgian control to the new UK Lee Clothing Division. Manufacturing plants were established at Comber Road, Newtownards, Springtown Industrial Estate, Londonderry and in Ardee, Co Louth with a National Distribution Centre for UK sales of Lee products at Jubilee Road, Newtownards.
New offices were constructed for management and administration at thenewly acquired Comber Road factory in 1978 with an outlet store (factory shop) open to the public. Production of denim products at Dundonald, Springtown and Ardee initially came under the production management of Sam Condit while the Distribution Centre was managed by James Brownlie up to his retirement in 1984. Robert Charters was recruited to take over production management at Greenoch and was subsequently appointed director in charge of all VF (UK) denim manufacturing and distribution until his departure with the buy out of the Greenoch manufacturing operation.
VF Corporation (UK) Ltd The subsequent closure of the Greenoch factory resulted in a prolonged sit in which only eventually finished with a management buy out by a team of VF (UK) management consisting of Robert Charters, Ewart Shields and Nick Semple. Chief Executive Alex Fetherston’s retirement in 1979 coincided with the establishment of a management group set up in Maidenhead to co-ordinate and control the activities of the Belgian and UK operations. The tenure of the Maidenhead headed by John Usher proved to be short lived.
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