Levi Strauss & Co. (/ˈliːvaɪ ˈstraʊs/ LEE-vy STROWSS) is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's (/ˈliːvaɪz/ LEE-vyze) brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to open a West Coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business. Although the corporation is registered in Delaware, the company's corporate headquarters is located in Levi's Plaza in San Francisco.
Ever one to stay ahead of the curve, he invested in this hardy fabric and introduced denim jeans to the Australian market in 1940, prioritising a fit suitable for long days in the saddle. Levi Strauss' only Australian-owned and -operated factory in Adelaide closed, with the loss of 86 jobs. The sewing and finishing factory in north Adelaide shut on November 26 2004, the company said. Operations would be moved overseas where labour costs were lower.