GENESCO WINS THE NASHVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HUMAN RESOURCES EXCELLENCE AWARD

Genesco Inc., that owns Hat World/Lids, was given this honor because of their commitment to employees (a rarity today). The company has been based in Nashville for over 80 years.

“If you have a good environment and people want to stay, it’s a cost-saving measure for employees. Genesco has completely reinvented itself from a shoe manufacturer to a retail store, and despite the fact that they’ve gone through such radical changes, there are quite a lot of people who have a great deal of tenure. They’ve stuck it out and reinvented themselves with the company.”

A number of employees took the time to approach Chamber members and say how much they enjoy working for Genesco. Angela Dunn, Genesco’s vice president of human relations, said the award is “a reflection of the commitment, teamwork and dedication of Genesco’s HR staff as well as the Company’s support of the human resources function.”

The fifth annual HR Excellence Awards and luncheon will be held June 13, at the Nashville Downtown Hilton. The award is being given by The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Middle Tennessee Society of Human Resource Management.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR GENESCO:

Quarterly sales increased at Hat World and the Journeys Group. According to reports their first quarter EPS saw a 10% Sales Growth. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company stated that the net sales in the Journeys Group increased 10% to more than $141 million, same store sales rose 1% and their footwear unit comps grew 4% in the first quarter. Hat World’s sales climbed 14%.

Looking ahead the company expects fiscal 2007 sales to increase 14% to about $1.46 billion with earnings at $2.63 per share.