5
DAILY NEWS RECORD
188
17t
JUNE
1969.
Report Farah Will Make Line of Sport Shirts
EL PASO.
By JAKE FULLER
There are strong reports in the market here that Farah Manufacturing Co. will enter the sport shirt market. Farah now makes only slacks.
William Farah, president, when reached at the firm's giant plant here and asked about the report said, "I prefer not to make a statement about this at this time."
However, reports indicated that the slacks maker has made the decision to move into shirt production the only question that now remains is when.
It is believed that the definite decision to go into shirts is a new position. Also, this plan is contrary to a statement Farah made at the firm's annual meeting in March when he said, "Slacks are the largest dollar volume category in men's wear. This is one reason for our discipline to this product."
One report is that Farah plans to go into shirt mak- ing when his volume reaches $400 million. Present con- servative estimates say Farah is running at a rate of $115 million for fiscal 1969 which ends Oct. 31, 1969. More liberal estimates place the firm's annual rate, at this time, as high as the $140 million level.
During the next decade, the future breakdown is said to be something like this: At $400 million Farah hopes to be doing $200 million with the nation's top 200 stores and $200 million with other smaller specialty and department stores around the country.
However, the shirt making time-table possibly has been pushed up and it is conceivable that the El Paso mak- er will move into shirt production as soon as 1970 or 1971.
The shirts, and it is reported that sport shirts will be the first areas to be penetrated followed by dress shirts, will be sold under the Farah brand name.
One El Paso sportswear maker said, "Farah could easily gear up for shirt production. With existing automated shirt machinery on the market augmented with his own, Farah could be in this end of the business in a fairly short time."
One source said that Farah may convert its San An- tonio plant, either total or in part, to shirt production. An- other executive, however, believes that William Farah will build or buy a separate plant site here as to be on the scene daily to supervise and get any "kinks” worked out.
"Whenever he starts making shirts," one competitor said, "you can be sure of one thing damn good."
the product will be
RECEIVED... REGISTRY No.51 30 JUN 1940
LUKK 6|304||