nephew Sigmund Stern as President, was Walter Haas Sr. For majority of the time between 1928 and 1999, The Haas family ran the Levi corporation. Lapses occurred in 1955 when Dan Koshland was President for just under a year, and between 1981 and 1984, Robert Grohman held the supreme authority (Levi) . In the rapidly changing, apparel industry, Levi Strauss & Co. needed to change it’s image many times by introducing new variations of it’s initial product. These decisions, in the hands of Levi’s executive board, for the most part increased sales and customer interests. To reach out to the children’s market, “Koveralls,” a softer version of overalls, were introduced by Simon Davis in 1912. The new product found much acclamation. In 1920, Levi’s opened a factory where they could mass produce the good and sell it nationally. (Levi) . Although the men’s market was booming, neglect of women was rampant. In 1935, LS&CO. created ‘Lady Levi's’ and becomes the first company to sell blue jeans for women. (Levi) This idea increased profits immensely and set the stage for future business. From 1960 to 1980, Levi’s introduced some new materials into their lineup. Included were corduroy, polyester and khaki. Each were appropriate for their time, but some outstayed their welcome as sales began to decrease. Introduced in 1986 dockers khakis, “were an immediate success, hitting the market just as American men began replacing suits with more casual attire. But in 1993, Dockers missed one of the biggest trends in the khaki market- wrinkle-resistant pants. As other manufacturers began selling them, Dockers stayed put. Sales collapsed. That same year, Levi’s reported its first decline in profits since 1988 (Munk) .” In an attempt to reach out to more customers, Levi Strauss & Co. ventured into the international market in the 1960’s under the leaders...
