OshKosh B'gosh

OshKosh B'gosh is an American children's apparel company founded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a subsidiary of Carter's.

For other uses, see Oshkosh.
OshKosh B'gosh
Formerly
  • Grove Manufacturing Company (1895–1896)
  • Oshkosh Clothing and Manufacturing Co. (1896–1937)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryClothing
Founded1895 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, US
Founders
  • Frank E. Grove
  • J. Howard Jenkins
  • James Clark[1]
HeadquartersPhipps Tower,
Atlanta, Georgia
,
US
Number of locations
459 (November 2019)[2]
ProductsApparel
ParentCarter's (since 2005)
Websiteoshkosh.com

OshKosh B'gosh has become best known for its children's clothing, especially bibbed overalls. The original children's overalls, dating from the early 20th century, were intended to let parents dress their children like their fathers. According to the company, sales of the product increased after Miles Kimball, an Oshkosh-based mail order catalog, featured a pair of the overalls in its national catalog in 1960. As a result, OshKosh began to sell their products through department stores and expanded their children's line.

History

The company was founded in 1895 as the Grove Manufacturing Company by Frank E. Grove, J. Howard Jenkins, and James Clark.[1] Grove was soon bought out of the company and it was renamed Oshkosh Clothing and Manufacturing Co. in December 1896.[1] OshKosh B'gosh's most notable product was hickory striped overalls.[3] The term "B'gosh" began being used in 1911, after general manager William Pollock heard the tagline "Oshkosh B'Gosh" in a vaudeville routine in New York.[4] The company formally adopted the name OshKosh B'gosh in 1937.[4]

Children's clothing made up just less than 50 percent of the company's sales in 1980; by 1984 that number had grown to about 80 percent.[5]

An example of Oshkosh shortalls in the hickory stripe style.

OshKosh B'Gosh's Wisconsin plant was closed in 1997.[6] Downsizing of domestic operations and massive outsourcing and manufacturing at Mexican and Honduran subsidiaries saw the domestic manufacturing share drop below 10 percent by the year 2000.[7]

OshKosh B'Gosh was sold to Carter's, another clothing manufacturer, in 2005 for $312 million,[8] though it still operates under the original name.

Today the company sells accessories, jeans, pants, shirts, sweaters, t-shirts, tank tops, and its trademark overalls. The company produces clothing for babies, infants, toddlers, kids (4–7), and youth (5–14); however, it no longer manufactures clothing in adult sizes. The company also has over 300 stores in the United States.

Headquarters

The company is headquartered in Phipps Tower in Atlanta's Buckhead district.[9]

References
  1. "Oshkosh B'Gosh Factory". Discover Historic Oshkosh. 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  2. "www.oshkosh.com". Carter's Inc. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  3. "History of OshKosh B'Gosh, Inc. – FundingUniverse". www.fundinguniverse.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  4. "OshKosh B'Gosh Sewing Machine". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2012-10-19. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  5. Greenhouse, Steven (22 February 1986). "Growing Pains for Oshkosh". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. Pollak, Lisa. "Overall, they're not made here anymore Oshkosh: Displaced workers say "Made in America" is a memory at OshKosh B'Gosh as the clothier's wares are increasingly made overseas". baltimoresun.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  7. "OshKosh B'Gosh Inc". answers.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  8. "Carter's to buy OshKosh B'Gosh for $312 million". milwaukee.bizjournals.com. 10 May 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
  9. "2014 Annual Report." Carter's, Inc. "Phipps Tower 3438 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1800 Atlanta, Georgia 30326 (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)"
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