Julius Kayser

Julius Kayser
Born	1838 New York City
Died	1920 (age 82) New York City
Nationality	American
Known for	Founder of The Julius Kayser Company
Spouse	Henrietta Kayser
Children	1

Julius Kayser (1838–1920) was an American businessman and founder of The Julius Kayser Company (now Kayser-Roth).

Biography

Slaner was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of immigrants from Germany.^[1] His family moved to Hornell, New York where they manufactured silk gloves. Kayser developed and patented a unique glove with reinforced fingertips that set him apart from the competition. In the 1880s, he opened a factory in Brooklyn.^[1] In 1911, he expanded into silk underwear, veils, and lingerie.

Recognising the power of the new media (as large circulation fashion magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan were exploding in popularity), Kayser devoted a great deal of time and energy into domestic and even international advertising - a move that brought immediate returns and rapid expansion.^[1]

By 1913, he had over 2,500 employees and by 1916, he had 14 mills employing over 7,500.^[1] In addition to his large mill in Brooklyn, most of the mills were in New York state (Hornell, Walton, Sidney, Owego, Schenectady, Binghamton, Amsterdam, Syracuse, Buffalo, Monticello and Rockville Center).^[1]

In 1958, his company was merged into the Chester H. Roth Hosiery Company in 1958 to become Kayser-Roth with Alfred P. Slaner as president.^[1][2] In 1975, Kayser-Roth was sold to Gulf and Western^[3] and in 1993, it was sold to Mexican hosiery manufacturer Grupo Synkro for US$230,000,000.^[4]

Personal life and philanthropy

He was a prominent donor to Jewish causes, including the Hebrew Orphan Asylum and the Hebrew Hospital.^[1] He was married to Henrietta Kayser; they had one daughter, who remained unmarried. He died in 1920.^[1]

References

1. "Past and Present: The Julius Kayser Company, Clinton Hill". Brownstoner Magazine.
2. "Chester Roth, Dies at 75; Founded Hosiery Concern That Became Kayser‐Roth". The New York Times. July 27, 1977.
3. "Alfred Slaner, Executive Who Developed Supp-Hose". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. March 15, 1996.
4. "GRUPO SYNKRO AND MEXICAN INVESTMENT GROUP AGREE TO ACQUIRE KAYSER-ROTH CORPORATION". PR Newswire Association LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-10-21. Retrieved 2010-09-04.