Dallas, Texas (October 29, 2007) -- Haggar Clothing Co. announces the appointment of Terry Lay as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective today.

Lay succeeds Jim Lewis, whose two-year tenure was planned at the time Haggar was acquired by a group led by Infinity Associates LLC in November 2005.

Lewis stated, "I am pleased to be handing over the reins of this great company to Terry, one of the most respected and accomplished executives in the apparel industry.  Over the last two years, we have revitalized the Haggar brand by establishing new industry standards for product quality, by forging stronger alliances with our retail partners, and by raising consumer awareness and brand perceptions through our “Making Things Right” marketing campaign.  These accomplishments have resulted in double-digit sales growth for the company.  I am thus able to depart as planned after a two-year run, and I leave knowing that Haggar's strategic growth plans are in excellent hands." 
 
During a 34-year career with VF Corporation, Lay held many positions, including President of Lee Jeans. 
He became a corporate officer in 1999 as V.P./Chairman of International Jeanswear, and had operating responsibility for a number of the company’s divisions, including serving as Chairman of the Outdoor Coalition (The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak) and of  VF’s largest coalition, Global Jeanswear (Lee and Wrangler).  He retired from VF in 2005.  Currently, Lay serves as non-executive Chairman of the Board of School Specialty Inc., a $1 billion leader in education content and supplies, and is also on the board of Gear for Sports, a market leader in collegiate apparel. 

In assuming his new position as Haggar CEO, Lay commented, "I look forward to the challenge of leading this 81-year-old iconic American brand.  I believe that significant growth opportunities exist for Haggar, not only in North America, but around the world. With the breadth of Haggar’s product offering and the company’s long heritage of innovation, Haggar is extremely well-positioned to fill the void in the growing middle-market menswear arena." 

 

Haggar Clothing Co. is a leading marketer of men’s casual and dress apparel and women’s sportswear, with global headquarters in Dallas, Texas.  Haggar markets in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.  Haggar also holds exclusive licenses in the United States to use the Claiborne (R), Kenneth Cole New York(R) and Kenneth Cole Reaction (R) trademarks to manufacture, market and sell men’s pants and shorts in men’s classification pant departments.  For more information visit the Haggar website at www.haggar.com