American Apparel VP And Workers To Speak At Shoemaker Ethics Lecture

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (October 31, 2005) – Marty Bailey, vice president of operations for American Apparel, and three of his colleagues will deliver this year's G. Albert Shoemaker Lecture in Business Ethics at the Smeal College of Business at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer and retailer that houses all aspects of its production—from sewing to marketing—under one roof. This consolidation enables the company to keep its products affordable and provide its employees with industry-leading salaries and benefits—including paid time off, affordable family health care, subsidized lunches, and free transportation to and from work.

With more than 3,000 employees working in the company's 800,000-square-foot downtown Los Angeles headquarters, American Apparel is the largest garment factory in the United States and has the capacity to produce 210,000 T-shirts each day. The company currently has 57 retail stores worldwide with plans to soon open 35 more.

Bailey brought his more than 18 years in the clothing industry to American Apparel in 2002 and quickly bolstered production, resulting in record-breaking sales and increased wages for employees. He is responsible for overseeing production planning, purchasing, sourcing, product development, and quality assurance.

American Apparel employees Yesenia Garcia, Jeremias Pablo, and Dina Ruelas will join Bailey on stage, discussing what makes the company so unique—from recycling its garment scraps to providing employees with year-round job security in an industry dominated by seasonal work.

The G. Albert Shoemaker Program in Business Ethics was established in 1985 through a $100,000 gift from the late G. Albert Shoemaker and his wife Mercedes. The Shoemakers made the donation to the Smeal College because of the importance with which they regard ethics in corporate conduct and management decision-making.

The donation created an endowment to encourage academic and corporate interest in business ethics. The centerpiece of the program is the Shoemaker Lecture, which brings together faculty members, students, and members of the business community to consider current perspectives in business ethics.

The Shoemaker program also supports scholarly research in business ethics and a series of publications based on the Shoemaker Lecture. Linda Treviño, professor of organizational behavior and Franklin H. Cook Fellow in Business Ethics, is director of the Shoemaker Program.

This year's lecture, Made in L.A.? The Social and Business Principles of American Apparel, will be held in Struthers Auditorium in the Business Building on Penn State's University Park campus. The event is free and open to the public.