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| Madeleine & Victor
Tarica |
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HISTORY |
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Founding
Founded in 1956 by Victor and Madeleine Tarica, Jimlar
Corporation was a pioneer in importing footwear into
the United States. Their sons, Jim and Larry joined
the company in 1962 and 1971 respectively. They now
serve as the company's chairman and president. The
early years saw the growth of importing as a respected
market segment, and the company took advantage of
this period to become an established, respected resource
for footwear products from all over the world.
Business Activities
As one of America’s premier footwear companies,
Jimlar designs, sources, markets and distributes
a broad range of footwear and related accessory products.
Its three business platforms include Owned Brands,
Licensed Brands and Service Division, which provides
design and sourcing services to a broad range of
retailers, branded wholesalers and direct marketers.
Jimlar’s worldwide team of more than 700 includes
staff in the U.S. headquarters, design studio and
showrooms, and company - operated offices in Italy,
China, Hong Kong, Holland, Switzerland and Mexico.
Corporate Developments
In 1982, Jimlar began to market footwear under its
own brands and have since developed proprietary products
under the brands American Eagle, fashion footwear
for women (1982), RJ Colt, casual and rugged footwear
for men (1993), and Mountrek performance outdoor
activewear (2004).
In 1993, Jimlar became the footwear licensee for
The Frye Company, legendary makers of America’s
finest boots. Subsequently, Jimlar acquired Frye
outright in 1998, and presently owns the Frye brand
for all its product classifications worldwide.
Jimlar is also the footwear licensee of two of the
world’s most respected brands. In 1998, Jimlar
became the footwear licensee for Coach, America’s
premier leather goods and accessories company. And
in 2004, Jimlar became the footwear licensee of Calvin
Klein, the iconic apparel and lifestyle brand.
An
important part of the Jimlar’s activities
is that it is a leader in providing design and
sourcing services to many other companies. With
its own in-house design team and worldwide sourcing
organization, the company has long been a valued
footwear supplier to others.
In August 2003, Jimlar Corporation’s owners
transferred one-third ownership of the company
to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The
Plan is in addition to existing employee compensation
and bonus plans in place, and it reemphasizes the
company’s dedication to all those associates
who devote their working lives to Jimlar, while
enhancing the company’s efforts to create
a stable platform for long term growth and succession
management.
In 2006, Jimlar opened a four building, eight
acre design and sourcing campus in Dongguan,
China, and sold its rights to American Eagle,
to help focus the company on its most important
strategic goals. In 2007, Jimlar opened a
design studio in New York City, and new showrooms
opened in New York in 2008. New investments
in international distribution of the company’s
products is being supported by significantly
increased staffing in Europe and Asia, new
distribution centers overseas, and additional
showrooms in Florence, also to debut in 2008.
In 2010, Jimlar announced the first page of
a new era of the company’s history when
it was acquired by LF USA, a member of the
Honk Kong-based Li & Fung Ltd. The new
Jimlar Footwear Division of LF USA is now
well positioned for the future as a global
organization with a worldwide platform and
sourcing organization.
Focus for the Future
Jimlar Corporation strives to continue its historic
steady and stable growth, based on its founding principles
of respect for its associates, dedication to the
highest quality products and services for consumers
and many valued business partners, and commitment
to sharing the company’s resources and time
in many community efforts. |
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