Former CEO of VF Corp Lawrence Pugh passed away on Thursday

By

Dani Greene

Published
Dec 7, 2015

Lawrence R. Pugh, former CEO of VF Corp, died December 3 of respiratory failure­­­ at the age of 82. “Larry” Pugh joined VF Corp as President in 1980 and then became the company’s CEO and Chairman in 1982. From 1986 through 1994, Pugh led the company’s rapid growth by acquiring several brands, including Blue Bell Holdings (maker of Wrangler jeans), denim brand Lee, Vassarette and Form-O-Utah – retailers of intimate apparel, Healthtex, Jantzen, Nutmeg Industries and H.H. Cutler Co.
 

In addition to acquiring numerous companies, under Pugh VF also partnered with Disney on play wear featuring “The Lion King” and “Pocahontas,” among others. Jantzen collaborated with Nike in the mid-1990s on a performance swimwear line. These collaborations coupled with an aggressive advertising campaigns and innovative new products – Lee’s stretch jeans were the first on the market – led to VH sales topping $5 billion before retiring in 1995.

In addition to his booming success at VH, Pugh was a graduate of Colby College and served as a life trustee its board. He also supported several educational and creative organizations including the Portland Museum of Art in Maine, Reading Hospital, the Maine Botanical Gardens, and the Boys & Girls club of Collier County, Maine.