Anvil Knitwear Names Heather Stefani as Executive Vice President of Marketing

NEW YORK, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Anvil Knitwear today announced that Heather Stefani has joined the sportswear company as Executive Vice President of Marketing, directly reporting to President and CEO Anthony Corsano.  In her new leadership role, Ms. Stefani will be responsible for directing Anvil's corporate and product marketing programs, building overall brand awareness, and managing communications and promotional activities. Her responsibilities will also include developing and executing marketing strategies that support new and existing product lines and pursing sponsorship and licensing opportunities.  Ms. Stefani will work closely with Anvil's product development, sales and corporate social responsibility teams to ensure that Anvil's core sustainability message is preserved and enhanced.

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"Heather brings to Anvil more than 15 years of in-depth experience in product development, merchandising and marketing for consumer apparel brands – experience that resulted in increased sales and profitability," said Anthony Corsano.  "As Anvil continues to grow, it was critical to our multi-year business strategy that we have an individual of Heather's caliber to lead Anvil's marketing objectives."

"Anvil Knitwear stands out from its competitors because of its product lines, private-label business, and commitment to the environment," said Ms. Stefani. "It's exciting to join a company with such a rich heritage and strong values.  I am eager to leverage these assets to expand Anvil's market share and brand awareness."

Ms. Stefani joins Anvil from The Ledgemoor Group where she served as a small business consultant. Prior to The Ledgemoor Group, Ms. Stefani was the Vice President and General Manager of Apparel for Starter® Brand and Mossimo® Brand, both part of Iconix Brand Group. She held the position of VP/GM Starter for Nike Inc. before moving to Iconix.

Prior to her work at Nike Inc., Ms. Stefani served as Vice President of Marketing at Champion Athleticwear, a division of Hanes brands Inc.  At Champion, she led and managed marketing and merchandising for the Champion Megabrand including establishing marketing strategy, product direction, brand positioning, creative media strategy and research objectives. Ms. Stefani began her 10-year career at Champion as a Senior Marketing Manager and was later promoted to Director of Marketing, Senior Director of Marketing and Vice President Marketing of Women's before overseeing both the male and female brands. During her tenure, she developed product and sold-in sub-brand "C9 by Champion" at Target.

About Anvil Knitwear

Anvil Knitwear, Inc., a century old apparel brand, is a leading manufacturer of sportswear and accessories, with a proven record in engaging in responsible business practices. The company is also leader in the sustainable apparel industry with its AnvilOrganic® and AnvilSustainable™ brands. Anvil has been ranked by the Organic Exchange as the world's sixth-largest organic program for two years and it is the largest domestic purchaser of U.S.-grown certified organic cotton. Anvil offers 17 affordable eco styles made from a variety of fibers such as certified organic cotton, transitional cotton, recycled cotton, and recycled PET bottles and blends in addition to over 70 traditional styles.

In addition to sustainable apparel, Anvil focuses on consumer education via interactive platforms, including TrackMyT.com, which chronicles the life cycle of a t-shirt from seed to store.  Most recently, Anvil received Best First Time Report for its CSR Report for the North American competition sponsored by Ceres and the Association for Chartered Certified Accountants. Anvil is a member of the fast-growing Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP) coalition, a Ceres group of major American companies committed to working with businesses and policymakers to advance more responsible, low-carbon, energy efficient business practices.

For more information, please visit www.anvilknitwear.com, www.anvilcsr.com, www.shirtscan.com and www.trackmyt.com.

SOURCE Anvil Knitwear, Inc.