OUR HISTORY
115 Years In The Making...
THE COMPANY'S FOUNDER, ABE ZEEMAN, IMMIGRATED FROM RUSSIA IN 1884 AT THE AGE OF 17. AN ENTERPRISING YOUNG MAN, ABE BEGAN BY SELLING SEWING MACHINES TO HOMEMAKERS, SECURING PIECEWORK FROM NEW YORK MANUFACTURERS FOR THEM. HIS REPUTATION FOR DEPENDABILITY GREW, AND IN 1898 HE STARTED HIS OWN WHOLESALE MEN'S CLOTHING BUSINESS, INSISTING ON THE FINEST FABRICS AND THE OLD-WORLD TAILORING TECHNIQUES HE HAD LEARNED AS A CHILD. ABE'S SUITS WERE HIGHLY REGARDED AND WERE SOON SOLD ALONGSIDE BRANDS LIKE HART, SCHAFFNER, AND MARX IN THE COUNTRY'S MOST EXCLUSIVE MEN'S CLOTHIERS AND DEPARTMENT STORES.
IN 1932, ONE OF ABE'S THREE SONS, HAROLD ZEEMAN, MOVED THE FAMILY BUSINESS TO ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, CONTINUING THE TRADITION HIS FATHER HAD STARTED. DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WHEN RETAIL CUSTOMERS COULDN'T PAY THEIR BILLS, HAROLD AND HIS BROTHERS, EDWARD AND JESSIE, BEGAN SELLING DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC FROM THE CUTTING ROOMS. THIS CONCEPT CAUGHT ON, LEADING TO THE OPENING OF MORE FACTORY STORES.DURING WORLD WAR II, WITH WOOL BECOMING A SCARCE COMMODITY, THE COMPANY SHIFTED PRODUCTION TO MAKE UNIFORMS FOR THE U.S. ARMY.
IN THE POST-WAR YEARS, HAROLD ZEEMAN JR. JOINED HIS FATHER IN THE BUSINESS, FURTHER HONING THE QUALITY AND BEGAN MAKING PRIVATE LABEL SUITS, SLACKS, AND SPORT COATS FOR AMERICA'S LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORES AND HUNDREDS OF FINE SPECIALTY RETAILERS, INCLUDING LORD & TAYLOR, BLOOMINGDALE'S, WALLACHS, MASON BLANCH, AND BARNEYS OF NEW YORK. AS SALES GREW UNDER HAROLD JR.'S DIRECTION, THE COMPANY NEEDED MORE CAPACITY, LEADING TO A MOVE TO A NEW FACILITY IN GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, IN 1964. AT THAT TIME, HAROLD ZEEMAN SR. DECIDED TO CHANGE THE COMPANY NAME TO BARRY MANUFACTURING, HOPING HIS GRANDSON, BARRY ZEEMAN, WHO WAS THEN TWO YEARS OLD, WOULD CONTINUE IN THE BUSINESS.BARRY'S MENSWEAR HAS BEEN A PRIVATELY OWNED FAMILY COMPANY FOR FOUR GENERATIONS AND OVER 115 YEARS.
AT ITS PEAK, BARRY'S OPERATED UP TO 46 NATIONWIDE FACTORY-OWNED AND OPERATED MEN'S STORES, SELLING WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC, AND MAINTAINED MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE RETAIL STORES ORIGINALLY OPERATED UNDER THE NAMES BARRY MANUFACTURING AND ZEEMAN MANUFACTURING.
IN 1999, THE COMPANY EXPANDED GLOBALLY, LAUNCHING SALES AND DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS ON THE WEB UNDER THE TRADE NAMES BARRY'S MENSWEAR AND BETTERMENSWEAR.COM. AROUND THAT TIME, THE RETAIL STORES WERE REBRANDED AS BARRY'S MENSWEAR.
IN 1932, ONE OF ABE'S THREE SONS, HAROLD ZEEMAN, MOVED THE FAMILY BUSINESS TO ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, CONTINUING THE TRADITION HIS FATHER HAD STARTED. DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WHEN RETAIL CUSTOMERS COULDN'T PAY THEIR BILLS, HAROLD AND HIS BROTHERS, EDWARD AND JESSIE, BEGAN SELLING DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC FROM THE CUTTING ROOMS. THIS CONCEPT CAUGHT ON, LEADING TO THE OPENING OF MORE FACTORY STORES.DURING WORLD WAR II, WITH WOOL BECOMING A SCARCE COMMODITY, THE COMPANY SHIFTED PRODUCTION TO MAKE UNIFORMS FOR THE U.S. ARMY.
IN THE POST-WAR YEARS, HAROLD ZEEMAN JR. JOINED HIS FATHER IN THE BUSINESS, FURTHER HONING THE QUALITY AND BEGAN MAKING PRIVATE LABEL SUITS, SLACKS, AND SPORT COATS FOR AMERICA'S LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORES AND HUNDREDS OF FINE SPECIALTY RETAILERS, INCLUDING LORD & TAYLOR, BLOOMINGDALE'S, WALLACHS, MASON BLANCH, AND BARNEYS OF NEW YORK. AS SALES GREW UNDER HAROLD JR.'S DIRECTION, THE COMPANY NEEDED MORE CAPACITY, LEADING TO A MOVE TO A NEW FACILITY IN GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, IN 1964. AT THAT TIME, HAROLD ZEEMAN SR. DECIDED TO CHANGE THE COMPANY NAME TO BARRY MANUFACTURING, HOPING HIS GRANDSON, BARRY ZEEMAN, WHO WAS THEN TWO YEARS OLD, WOULD CONTINUE IN THE BUSINESS.BARRY'S MENSWEAR HAS BEEN A PRIVATELY OWNED FAMILY COMPANY FOR FOUR GENERATIONS AND OVER 115 YEARS.
AT ITS PEAK, BARRY'S OPERATED UP TO 46 NATIONWIDE FACTORY-OWNED AND OPERATED MEN'S STORES, SELLING WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC, AND MAINTAINED MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE RETAIL STORES ORIGINALLY OPERATED UNDER THE NAMES BARRY MANUFACTURING AND ZEEMAN MANUFACTURING.
IN 1999, THE COMPANY EXPANDED GLOBALLY, LAUNCHING SALES AND DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS ON THE WEB UNDER THE TRADE NAMES BARRY'S MENSWEAR AND BETTERMENSWEAR.COM. AROUND THAT TIME, THE RETAIL STORES WERE REBRANDED AS BARRY'S MENSWEAR.
