Valley Apparel L.L.C.

Valley Apparel L.L.C. is a United States brand of clothing consisting of Flight jackets and military outerwear manufactured in Knoxville, Tennessee for the United States Armed Forces. Founded in 1959 and independent since 2000, Valley specializes in military style apparel for both the consumer market and military customers in the United States Department of Defense (DOD).

Valley Apparel, L.L.C.
TypePrivate
IndustryClothing
FoundedKnoxville, Tennessee 1959
Headquarters
Knoxville, Tennessee
,
United States
Key people
John Niethammer, Owner / President
Jeffrey D. Niethammer, Owner / Executive Vice President
Websitewww.valleyapparel.net

History

Origins

In January, 1948 Robert Lane formed Superior Togs Corporation in New York City to manufacture flight jackets for the Department of Defense. In 1951 he moved his expanding business to a factory to Elizabeth, New Jersey. The following year the Government suspended operations for problems related to contract obligations. In response Lane reformed his company under a different name, Rolen Sportswear, and resumed production of flight jackets for the DOD.[1]

By 1957 Lane sought to expand. This was achieved by creating a new company, Dobbs Industries, under 90% ownership of Lane's accountant, Samuel Gelber. Lane decided to locate Dobbs in Knoxville, Tennessee where they were able to lease factory space from Levi Strauss & Co. and acquire labor and supplies from the Wynn Industries Group.

The Blount Avenue factory complex c.1984. Formerly part of Alpha Industries, the building in now home to Valley Apparel L.L.C.

Dobbs functioned as a subcontractor of Rolen Sportswear until 1959 when Robert Lane was caught bribing Government officials for contacts. Both Rolen Sportswear and Dobbs Industries were suspended from DOD contracts, their only source of revenue. In response Gelber approached the Wynn Industries Group and established his own company to continue flight jacket contracts for the U.S. military.

Creation of Valley Apparel

In 1961 John Niethammer was hired by one of the Wynn Group's subsidiaries to develop quality controls plans to meet Government standards. In 1982 he became an operating officer of the company. Following a decision in 2000 to separate the commercial and government sides of the business John purchased the main Knoxville manufacturing plants from Alpha Industries and began Valley Apparel L.L.C., aimed specifically at fulfilling Department of Defense contracts.

Today

Valley Apparel is today a supplier of outerwear to the U.S. military, especially of Gore-Tex fabrics. Since splitting from Alpha they have fulfilled a number of military contracts. [2][3][4]

Products

Valley Apparel produces namely:[5]

  • 36/P Flight jacket
  • 45/P Flight jacket
  • APECS Parka and Trousers
  • USN Shipboard Jackets
  • N-3B Parka

Notes
    • Cirker, Alan D. (2009). Alpha Industries Inc.: A Fifty Year History of an American Clothing Contractor. Chantilly, Virginia: Baker Hill Publishing. ISBN 0-615-29181-3.
    • "Government Contracts". Inside Gov. United States: United States Government. 2002. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
    • "Government Contracts". Inside Gov. United States: United States Government. 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
    • "Government Contracts". Government Spending. United States: United States Government. 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
    1. Cirker, Alan D. (2009). Alpha Industries Inc.: A Fifty Year History of an American Clothing Contractor. Chantilly, Virginia: Baker Hill Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 0-615-29181-3.
    2. InsideGov 2002.
    3. InsideGov 2013.
    4. GovSpending 2013.
    5. "Valley Apparel". valleyapparel.net.
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