One reason Brooks Brothers has been able to turn around its U.S. manufacturing operations is that it has been able to lead factory innovation. Del Vecchio described how, when the company bought its manufacturing plant in Long Island City, Brooks Brothers rented another site just down the road, installed new equipment and, one-by-one, migrated existing staff to the new facility and trained them.
Now their factories are competitive globally and making money for the company. Brooks Brothers is looking to broaden its U.S. production, which currently includes dress shirts, ties and shoes, to new product lines. (Look for American-made chinos, priced under $200, to appear next.)