Wait Till We Get Our Globalization On You

Hanesbrands Inc., the maker of Hanes ("Wait Till We Get Our Hanes On You"), Champion, and Wonderbra (among other inner and outerwear) is closing nine facilities and firing around 5,300 U.S., Canadian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Mexican employees, in order to continue its globalization "cost reduction strategy."

The move, announced Wednesday, will concentrate bra sewing and manufacturing to lower-cost countries in Central America and Asia. The company is continuing the process it began last year, when it separated from Sara Lee Corporation. One of the facilities is a manufacturing plant in Statesville, NC, which will lose 70 jobs. Just last month, Hanesbrands closed another plant in Statesville, firing around 140 people. In Winston-Salem, at the company's corporate headquarters, 260 management and administrative jobs will be eliminated.

In the past year, the company has announced plans to eliminate 10,300 jobs and close 15 factories.

Sources: Hanesbrands, The Toronto Star, Winston-Salem Journal