At Hugo Boss in Brooklyn, Brown Meets with Workers and Provides Updates on New Made-To-Order Production
In March, Brown Joined Workers to Celebrate New, Three-Year Contract and New Production in Brooklyn Plant
BROOKLYN, OH – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited Hugo Boss to meet with workers and provide an update on a new production line at the company’s Brooklyn facility. In March 2012, Brown joined company workers to celebrate a new, three-year labor contract that coincided with Hugo Boss’ investment in the new Boss Black collection "Made to Order" program. The new program will allow customers to design their own suiting and shirting, as well as ties and pocket squares, in select Hugo Boss stores within the U.S. market. All “Made to Order” pieces will be manufactured in Brooklyn—the company's only manufacturing facility in the United States.
“We know how to make things in Ohio. Our state has always been known for its excellence in auto and aerospace manufacturing, but Hugo Boss and its employees are showing how Ohio can lead in textile and apparel manufacturing, too,” Brown said. “Hugo Boss and Workers United have proven how management and employees can work together to increase productivity and create new jobs. Manufacturing is critical to Ohio's economy, and I look forward to seeing Hugo Boss’ continued success in the Cleveland area.”
Two years ago, Hugo Boss’ Brooklyn plant teetered on the brink of closure. With Brown’s assistance, Hugo Boss and Workers United agreed to a new contract that has resulted in a renewed life for the facility. According to Hugo Boss, since 2010, the Cleveland facility has achieved efficiency and quality ratings that are unparalleled in the industry. Additionally, the company has added 35 new manufacturing jobs since its reopening. Brown worked closely with Workers United and Hugo Boss to keep the plant open. In July 2010, Brown joined Hugo Boss workers to celebrate the ‘first suit off the line’ at the Brooklyn plant, which is the only U.S. suit manufacturing facility of the German company.
Brown has also been a strong supporter of efforts to maintain the Wool Tariff Trust Fund, which levels the playing field for American textile and apparel manufacturers. The “wool trust fund” provides relief for U.S. suit makers and is funded by tariffs on wool imports. It encourages the manufacture of high-quality wool suits—like the ones made at Hugo Boss—and helps preserve American textile jobs.
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