Big company, small town: Oshkosh B’Gosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Posted by: admin in Marketing and AdvertisingFiled under: Products and services, Industry, Marketing and advertising, Entrepreneurs
This post is part of our Huge Company, Small Town series, featuring large companies and the small towns in which they are headquartered.
Oshkosh B’Gosh, the well-known children’s clothing manufacturer, was founded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1895. As are most of the cities in Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley, Oshkosh was incubated first on the fur trade in the early 1800s, then was built upon the railroads and the lumber industry, and finally, it rests on light and medium manufacturing and the pursuit of higher education and culture. Currently, Oshkosh has a population in the neighborhood of 65,000, and it covers more than 24 square miles.
Oshkosh B’Gosh is probably the best-known namesake of its home city. Though the company’s manufacturing operations have been moved away, it still maintains its corporate headquarters there. The company began as a manufacturer of sturdy clothes for working people, most especially its trademark overalls. It wasn’t until the mail-order company Miles Kimball featured Oshkosh B’Gosh overalls in one of its catalogs that the company moved its products into retail stores. At that time, Oshkosh B’Gosh expanded its children’s clothing line, which would eventually become the company’s mainstay.
Two other companies have carried the name Oshkosh to great heights in the business world. One is Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), formerly called Oshkosh Truck, and the other was Chief Oshkosh Beer. However, perhaps the most renowned feature of Oshkosh is the yearly Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure air show (EAA). During that annual event, Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, becomes the busiest airport in the world.
A visit to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where my mom still lives and works, reveals a beautiful city that maintains a very high level of civic pride and community involvement. The roots of culture, concern, and pride run deep throughout the city and are well-reflected in world class events, art, architecture, and public grounds. Time spent within Oshkosh should include a visit to the EAA Airventure Museum, The Paine Art Center and Gardens, and the Leach Amphitheater, which is on the banks of the beautiful Fox River. With all the excitement, interest, and entertainment that Oshkosh has to offer, it’s no wonder that Oshkosh B’gosh, which recently merged with Carter’s Inc. (NYSE: CRI), maintains its corporate headquarters there.
Be sure to check out more Big Company, Small Town posts.
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