Incorporated in 2003, ILG’s founding partners recognized an opportunity to combine several small outstanding sock companies to create one “best of the best” legwear company. Using the talent and resources of the people and companies they brought together, ILG emerged as a new-formed company, with capabilities that are unmatched in the industry.

The ILG story begins with the acquisition of Neuville Industries early in 2003. In business since 1950, Neuville began in New York when founder Abner Neuville created a “middle man” service between retailers and the hosiery manufacturers of the Southern US. Then in the late 70’s, Abner sent his son Steve to the Catawba Valley of North Carolina to open a manufacturing facility of their own. With the addition of manufacturing capability, the Neuvilles manufactured product to their own exacting standards. Over the next 20 years, Neuville Industries expanded its operation through acquisition of several smaller mills throughout North Carolina and Tennessee. Steve was focused on customer care, but was also driven to provide an outstanding workplace for his employees. This mid-size hosiery manufacturer was nationally recognized several times for family friendly programs, including selection by Working Mother Magazine for eight years in a row as a top 100 US company for working mothers.

Although it was acquired after Neuville, the next sock company to join ILG has an even longer history, dating back to the 1930’s. Ellis Hosiery Mills was founded in 1936 by Ellis Mills. Ellis was acquired by ILG in 2004. Ellis began by manufacturing both yarn and socks at facilities in Hickory, NC. Then in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Ellis expanded its operations internally and through acquisitions in Virginia and other parts of North Carolina. Ultimately, Ellis consolidated locations to one state of the art manufacturing facility in Hickory. Over the years, Ellis developed a reputation for providing a high quality product that was both practical and fashionable. In the late 90’s, Ellis added a new core competency with the development of global sourcing strategies as a means of securing the best quality product world-wide at competitive prices.

Later in 2004, ILG acquired the rights for the Peds® brand. Prior to this, all of the company’s branded sales were handled via long-term licensing arrangements. ILG is a dedicated steward of its licensed brands, treating each with the same level of commitment as the brand’s owner does. But the Peds® brand provided a new opportunity for ILG to further enhance its ability to provide exemplary first hand marketing experience; not only for the Peds® brand, but to all of its licensed and private label ventures as well.