After spending more than a century operating in the heart of Cowtown, iconic workwear brand Dickies is packing up and moving its headquarters to Costa Mesa, California.
The decision, confirmed in a recent email to the Fort Worth Report, is part of a broader consolidation strategy by VF Corporation, which acquired Dickies for $820 million in 2017.
Dickies, known for its rugged work pants, jackets, and overalls, has been connected with Fort Worth since its founding in 1922. For many, the company aimed to represent the blue-collar spirit of Texas, and its departure marks the end of an era for the city.
“VF has decided that it will be relocating the Dickies brand’s headquarters from Fort Worth, Texas, to an existing brand campus the company maintains in Costa Mesa, California. This move allows VF to further consolidate its U.S. real estate portfolio as part of its stated business turnaround strategy,” Ashley McCormack, director of external communications for VF Corp said in a statement.
“While this was a tough call, we are confident this change will help us revitalize Dickies so we can carry on the brand’s heritage for years to come,” she added.
VF Corporation also owns several other major lifestyle brands, including The North Face, Timberland, Jansport, and Vans. The relocation to California will place Dickies in closer proximity to other VF brands based in the region, enabling what the company describes as a “more vibrant and collaborative” environment.
However, the main priority for the move may be the mentioned financial benefit for VF Corporation, which is trying to consolidate its real estate portfolio.
The relocation will ultimately lead to the loss of about 120 local jobs, according to NBC DFW. However, the move will not affect other Dickies operations in the Fort Worth area, including local distribution facilities and retail spots, according to The Fort Worth Report.
For the city of Fort Worth, Dickies’ departure is a bittersweet moment. Mayor Mattie Parker expressed both pride in the city’s historic relationship with the company, and disappointment over the company’s decision to move.
“While we understand companies are sometimes forced to make difficult budget decisions under new leadership, we think VFC will find, as others have, that Fort Worth, Texas is ultimately a more competitive place to do business,” Parker said in a statement.
Dickies has deep roots in Fort Worth, with its headquarters having moved multiple times within the city over the decades, as previously covered by The Dallas Express.
The company’s first major headquarters was housed in a historic building on Lipscomb Street, an old schoolhouse dating back to the 1890s.
Dickies’ connection to Fort Worth was further cemented in 2019 with the opening of Dickies Arena, a 14,000-seat venue in the Fort Worth Cultural District. The arena, which secured Dickies’ naming rights just months before VF Corporation’s acquisition of the company, will continue to retain the company’s name for the foreseeable future.