Alpha Industries
| Private | |
| Industry | Clothing |
| Founded | Knoxville, Tennessee 1959 |
| Headquarters | Chantilly, Virginia, United States |
|
Key people
|
Michael Cirker, CEO. Philip Kihlagard. Bogdan Colakovíc |
| Products | Jackets, vests, pants, casual apparel |
| Website | www.alphaindustries.com |
Alpha Industries is an American clothing manufacturer founded in 1959 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Initially as a contractor to the United States military, the company grew into an international commercial seller of American military style and fashion apparel. Alpha makes items such as flight jackets and vests, and has made jackets for the military of the United States like the M65 Jacket for over half a century. The jackets are made for men and women, as well as children. Popular models include the MA-1 and CWU-45/P pilot jackets.
Alpha Industries is a direct descendant of three companies- Superior Tags Corporation, Rolen Sportswear, and Dobbs Industries. Through the 1940s these companies formed an affiliated family linked by common ownership and an identical business of manufacturing flight jackets for the United States military.
In January 1948, Robert Lane and his wife Helen incorporated Superior Tags Corporation in order to manufacture flight jackets on a United States Department of Defense contract. Superior Tags created some of the most well known U.S. Army Air Force flight jackets known, including the B-10 Bomber and L-2 Jackets (as well as the A-9 and A-10 flight pants.)
In 1952, for unknown reasons, Superior Tags Corporation was shut down. In response Lane decided to organize a new company called Rolen Sportswear. Rolen was, more or less, Superior Tags under a different name. They picked up the same United States Department of Defense (DOD) contracts and used the same Elizabeth, New Jersey factory.
By 1957 Lane had decided his success was enough to attempt a new company. One he could locate in the Southeastern United States where labor was plentiful and manufacturing costs were substantially less. He therefore went to his accountant, Samuel Gelber, and created Dobbs Industries in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Robert Lane was accused in 1959 of bribing a government official for a Department of Defense contract. As such his business and any business associated with him were barred from ever obtaining another contract from the government. Although he held 90% of the shares to Dobb Industries this still spelled the end for Samuel Gelber. He therefore split with Lane and approached Herman "Breezy" Wynn, founder of Wynn Industries Group for help establishing a new group solely run by Gelber. On October 17, 1959 Gelber incorporated his new company, Alpha Industries, in Knoxville Tennessee.
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