At fashion company Kontoor Brands in Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas, more than a hundred jobs are in danger of being cut. The board wants to move the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters of the company behind the Lee and Wrangler brands to Switzerland. In addition, it wants to introduce a new operating model, Kontoor Brands reported in a press release on Tuesday.
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Source: Belgian
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The management announced both intentions at the works council on Tuesday. “The proposed reorganisations could lead to the dismissal of 113 employees who work in our offices in Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas.” Where possible, Kontoor wants to offer “relocation options” to the employees involved.
If the move to Switzerland takes place, the fashion company will “stay true to its Belgian roots and continue to operate from Antwerp with various support services”. This includes services such as finance, accounting, operations, supply chain or IT. Kontoor wants the move to take place in the summer.
Kontoor is an American publicly traded company built around the jeans brands Wrangler and Lee. It was created in 2019 after it was spun off from VF Corporation, which is known for brands such as Eastpack, Timberland, Vans, Dickies, Jansport and The North Face. Kontoor has 14,000 employees worldwide and 2.1 billion dollars in revenue, according to the company website.
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