VF, Williamson-Dickie Combine in Megadeal

VF Corp., Greensboro, NC, and Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co., Fort Worth, TX, jointly announced on Aug. 14 that the two companies have signed a definitive merger agreement, according to a news release.

The transaction is expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter of this year and VF will pay Williamson-Dickie shareholders approximately $820 million in cash. On a trailing 12-month basis, Williamson-Dickie generated approximately $875 million of revenue.

Well-known Williamson-Dickie brands include Dickies®, Workrite®, Kodiak®, Terra®, and Walls®. These brands will join VF’s current workwear offerings including Wrangler®, RIGGS Workwear®, Timberland PRO®, Red Kap®, Bulwark®, and Horace Small®. Upon closing, Williamson-Dickie will become part of VF’s Imagewear operating unit. Philip Williamson, Williamson-Dickie CEO, will remain with the company.

“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,” Williamson said. “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.”

Steve Rendle, president and CEO of VF, said that, “When we introduced our 2021 global business strategy earlier this year, reshaping our portfolio to accelerate growth was our highest priority. The acquisition of Williamson-Dickie is another meaningful step that delivers on that commitment and further demonstrates our focus on being an active portfolio manager to drive transformative growth for VF and value creation for our shareholders.

“This acquisition combines two great companies and a group of iconic brands to create a global leader in workwear with approximately $1.7 billion in annual revenue. Williamson-Dickie has a proud history and heritage, and has served a loyal consumer base for nearly 100 years. VF is the ideal steward to honor that heritage while providing a platform for growth that ensures continued success for another century. We look forward to welcoming Williamson-Dickie and its 7,000 dedicated employees to the VF family.”

To read the full release, click here.