Re: Off Topic: Basic Assumptions

[Margaret Tarbet <tarbet@swaa.com>]

NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Levi Strauss Americas, a
division of Levi Strauss & Co., said Monday it will
close 11 of its 22 manufacturing plants in North
America and lay off about 5,900 people, or 30
percent of its work force.  Levi Strauss has a total of 19,900
employees in the United States and Canada.
                
The San Francisco-based apparel maker said
plants will be closed in Texas, Tennessee, Georgia,
Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina and Ontario,
Canada.  The company will close 8 plants immediately and
three more in June or July.  John Ermatinger, president of Levi
Strauss Americas, said the company is shifting a large portion
of manufacturing for the U.S. and Canadian markets to
contractors throughout the world. "These steps are
crucial if we are to remain competitive," he said.
Levi Strauss currently does 60 percent of its manufacturing
overseas. 

Last week, Levi Strauss said sales for fiscal 1998 had dropped 13
percent to $6 billion, largely due to soft sales of its flagship
Levi's jeans.

http://cnnfn.com/hotstories/companies/9902/22/levi/

One wonders what the original Levi Strauss would have done.