http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E2D71239F936A25756C0A960958260
http://www.lostmag.com/issue14/things.php
Last edited by Marc Grayson (2008-11-04 07:52:57)
About 6 or 7 years ago Hathaway shirts were still being made by Ike Behar/Cline at a plant in Prescott, Ontario. Now the Prescott location is reduced to a defunct "factory" outlet, with product from a factory in Guelph, Ontario, I think.
Sad to see another iconic brand bite the dust.
I'd rather we had bailed out Hathaway than a bunch of banks and insurance companies.
We could pull together a Buff's Bastards Private Equity Group to purchase the company. It worked for Allen Edmonds.
In all seriousness, I think Hathaway just fell into that niche that made it particularly vulnerable to competition from third world countries. I don't think I've ever owned a Hathaway shirt or ever even seriously considered purchasing one..
I can still get them, for sure in Prescott and maybe in Guelph, if I take the time to find the outlet. Not sure if it would be worth the effort, however.
I've Hathaway made for Press or Press made by Hathaway (probably the latter I think) according to misterman from the mid 80's. Lovely stuff! Imported End-on-End, 3 button BD, flap pocket. Real class!
J.
http://www.directmarketinginstitute.com/HathawayShirtAd.htm
I know I have told the story before, but I remember being a college student shopping at the old Stackpoole, Moore and Tryon (or was it STM?) in Hartford, CT. One of the great men's store's in the country. I was searching though one pile of Hathaway shirts and I take a glance sideways and there is an over 6 feet tall 70 year old guy in a navy cahmere? overcoat with a fur collar wearing literally a top hat, puffing on a small cigar, sorting through the other pile of Hathaway shirts.
At that time there were Sero and Gant in New Haven. Hathaway since 1840 in Waterville Maine. When did Hathaway die? 8 years ago? The workers are still there. Never highly paid, but a decent wage for the people who worked there.
Today McDonald's is one of the Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks (along with Walmart). Are we really better off living in a country that doesn't make anything? Do we really need 10 dollar shirts from China?
OK: I wear shirts until the cuffs are unspeakable. I still have a Hathaway shirt with frayed cuffs and I have what I know is a Press Hathaway shirt from many years ago from last year when they gave away a bunch of old stock.
But the issue is a large one. Are we better off having a large industrial base. Or must we export are industries to the cheapest bidder? I still think we need to make things like American cars. Better management and a pittance compared to what the banks got would go a long long way.
(Fair disclosure: I own a fair number of Ford shares bought way above today's closing price. I don't think the Family will let the company drown. As I understand it the family will have the final say about bankruptcy. they are in much better shape than GM. don't understand why the stock is lower than GMs).
Last edited by tom22 (2008-11-07 19:28:56)
I know that is the talk on Wall Street. But I still love American cars. I drive a Buick Lucern. I would match it up against any so called japanese luxury car. But I don't want to live in an America that doesn't produce American cars.
I think we can kick Asian ass five ways from Sunday producing cars. All those people do is imitate what we do. Ask anyone in China.
The unions are what they are. These days they are extremely sophisticated about American industry. The managers chose the SUVs.
I think Mr. Mullaly has a better grasp of the industry than most.
Mark: these companies are coming back. they just have to get beyond 2010. The demographics of the retirees work in their favor after that. And they can still design cars that every American boy lusts after. Can you say Cadillac CTS? (the Japanese have made an industry by appealing to American women. They are the masters of the boring automobile) Get back to me when they invent an original car.
Last edited by tom22 (2008-11-07 21:08:22)
Speed and style. OK, they can make handmade cars with speed and style in Italy. Tough to get the parts though. I know what Consumer Reports says, but they can not produce these cars in Asia. America at it's best can turn them out in droves. GM needs better management. Ford, I think, is pretty safe.
I can't quarrel with that. And I may be foolish. But I believe that we are a country that HAS to produce the greatest cars ever.
We are the country that loves the automobile. We have made the cars that everyone envies. and everyone still imitates. We invented tech. This should be easy for us. Who else in the world grew up dreaming about driving America's open roads?
Mark: we need to take back the auto industry. This stuff is in our blood. We need to make something: and it should be AMERICAN cars!
Let's take it over and ask Anne to be our Hathaway brand ambassador!
the problem with Hathaway, was that they kept trading down in quality.
At one point Walmart was keeping Hathaway busy. they wanted a made in the USA Garment
I think they were paying $12.00 a shirt and selling it for $11.95. yes at a loss.
If Hathaway had attempted to trade back up, they might still be in business.
Carl
That would have been the early 1990s. They were owned by a conglomerate that went bankrupt. I owned the stock so I think I have blocked out the name from memory. They did try to move back up at the end when they were owned by series of much smaller owners, some of them local. At the end the shirts were quite decent. I always tried to look for them but it became harder and harder to find them. The answer is more complicated than just losing quality.
Last edited by tom22 (2008-11-14 17:37:54)
http://www.colby.edu/colby.mag/issues/current/articles.php?issueid=44&articleid=754&dept=news