An end of an era is coming to Rochester, at least in terms of a well-known brand name.
The Hickey Freeman line of clothing will soon no longer be made at the factory on North Clinton Avenue, although that factory will continue in operation, making other clothing brands.
That’s according to Stephen Granovsky, the CEO for Luxury Men’s Apparel Group, the parent company for the local operation.
He confirmed the news first reported in the Rochester Business Journal on Thursday, and he said it has to do with his company losing the manufacturing rights to Hickey Freeman clothing, which will now be made in Mexico.
Hickey Freeman began in Rochester in 1899, and Granovsky said it is sad that the iconic brand will no longer be made here.
‘So it is both ironic and sad that the brand itself, as part of the Rochester family, won’t get a chance to turn 125,” he said. “Of course the brand is going to survive, it’s going to survive as a much lower price point suit, made in Mexico.”
But Granovsky emphasized that the factory on North Clinton Avenue will continue operating, making clothing for a number of other brands including Brooks Brothers, Hart Schaffner Marx and several other brands.
Granovsky said about 225 people work at the local factory now, and that the plant needs more employees.
“We’re still going to make high-quality clothing, which is paramount, of course, preserving the jobs in that factory," he said. "And all of our workers are continuing to work in that factory. In fact, demand for our production is at a five-year high right now. But we’ll be making brands other than Hickey Freeman.”
The local factory will be rebranded as Rochester Tailored Clothing.
Talk of the Hickey Freeman brand leaving Rochester has surfaced occasionally for years, prompting fierce community backlash and swift interventions from politicians.
Among the brand's most fervent champions is Sen. Charles Schumer, who in 2012 told workers rallying outside the factory that he would ditch his Hickey Freeman duds if the company moved its production from Rochester overseas.
"I'm telling you, they won't sell a single suit here in the United States," Schumer was quoted as saying at the time. "There will be an international boycott."
Gary Bonadonna Jr. is the manager for Workers United of Upstate New York, which represents about 200 of the 225 workers at the local factory.
He said it's disappointing for the workers to not be making clothing for the Hickey Freeman name, but he said "preserving the jobs of these uniquely skilled workers and bringing business into the plant is obviously incredibly important and remains the focus of the union."
Granovsky also said there will be a grand opening for the new factory store on South Union Street in Rochester next Thursday, May 25. It will be a four-day sale, and he said it will be the last opportunity to buy Hickey Freeman clothing made in Rochester “at the quality our customers have become accustomed to.”
Includes reporting by David Andreatta.
