KWD Kellwood

Paul A. Robb to Succeed Martin Brody as CEO of Kellwood's Sag Harbor Division NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kellwood has named Paul A. Robb chief executive officer of its Sag Harbor division, according to Stephen L. Ruzow, president of Kellwood Womenswear. Robb succeeds Martin (Marty) Brody, formerly CEO of the division. Brody will remain at Sag Harbor during a transition period to assure a smooth changeover in the leadership of Kellwood's largest division and brand. This move is part of Kellwood's executive succession planning program. Robb, a 30-year veteran of the apparel industry, most recently was president of Kellwood Menswear, a position he had held since 2002. He joined Kellwood in 2001 as president of its Slates(R) licensed tops division. Over the years, Robb has held various positions as president and chief executive officer of Block Corporation, a privately held men's sportswear company, and Duck Head Apparel Company. He also served as director and executive vice president of Eddie Haggar Limited, a womenswear company. "Paul has extensive experience building strong brands. He has been instrumental in leading Kellwood Menswear into innovative, strategic partnerships, as well as delivering significant gains in sales and profitability for our Menswear division. We look forward to the positive impact of the strength of his background and retail relationships, as we continue to redefine Sag Harbor(R), our leading heritage brand," said Robert C. Skinner, Kellwood president and chief operating officer. Based in New York, Robb reports to Ruzow. Brody is the last remaining partner at Kellwood of the five founding Sag Harbor partners. Originally founded 1975 as Parsons Place Apparel Co. Ltd., the company was acquired by Kellwood in 1986, and renamed Sag Harbor in 1994, after their most significant brand. Brody was part of the management team who drove the brand's meteoric rise from annual sales of $40 million to annualized sales of more than ten fold that number. "We are most appreciative of Marty's strong general management skills and creative leadership over the years, culminating in the development of the leading sportswear brand for women in the mid-tier market -- Sag Harbor. We wish Marty a most enjoyable retirement after his successful career at Sag Harbor," said Hal J. Upbin, chairman and chief executive officer of Kellwood Company. Sag Harbor related separates for misses, women's, and petite sizes at moderate price points, is Kellwood's significant brand, and is marketed nationally under The Clothes I Wear advertising campaign. Kellwood (NYSE:KWD) is a $2.5 billion marketer of apparel and consumer soft goods. Kellwood specializes in branded as well as private label products, and markets to all channels of distribution with product specific to a particular channel. Kellwood brands include Phat Farm(R), Baby Phat(R), Sag Harbor(R), Koret(R), Jax(R), David Dart(R), David Meister(TM), Democracy(R), My Michelle(R), Briggs New York(R), Northern Isles(R), David Brooks(R), Kelty(R), and Sierra Designs(R). Calvin Klein(R), XOXO(R), Liz Claiborne(R) Dresses and Suits, IZOD(R), Claiborne(R) Dress Shirts, Dockers(R), Gerber(R), Slates(R) Bill Burns(R), Nautica(R) Dress shirts, and O Oscar, an Oscar de la Renta company, are produced under licensing agreements. For more information, visit http://www.kellwood.com/ . DATASOURCE: Kellwood Company CONTACT: Corina Taylor, Director Corporate Communications of Kellwood Company, +1-314-576-3391, Web site: http://www.kellwood.com/

Copyright