W Diamond promotes Bjorklund to tailored group president

W Diamond Group has made some management changes in its tailored clothing business, with Lennart Bjorklund assuming greater responsibility and Brett Schenck leaving Hart Schaffner Marx.

Bjorklund, the longtime tailored clothing manufacturing head, has been promoted to the newly created position of group president of tailored clothing. He will remain based in Chicago.

With Schenck leaving Hart Schaffner Marx, SVP of sales Bruce Bellusci will be in the top sales role at the brand, reporting to Bjorklund; his title has not changed.

‘We promoted Lennart Bjorklund to a new position, the group president of tailored clothing,” confirmed W Diamond Group CEO Doug Williams. “He will oversee all tailored clothing businesses. He was executive vice president of tailored manufacturing. After the acquisition of the assets [of HMX Group], we have narrowed our tailored clothing business down to two brands: Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx. Lennart oversees each of the factories, so we felt it was most efficient to have him oversee the tailored clothing business in its entirety.”

Asked how business was, Williams was positive. “Business is excellent. We’ve seen substantial, double-digit increases in our tailored clothing business with our sales partners, as well as tremendously improved gross margins. From a wholesale standpoint, we’re seeing very good double-digit growth in both Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx.”

In December, the intellectual property of HMX Group was acquired at auction by Authentic Brands Group and its operations were acquired by a second company led by HMX CEO Doug Williams, who runs the new company as W Diamond Group. The Coppley tailored clothing business was acquired by IAG in November.