Our Business
Approach: Profits Through Principals
Our longstanding corporate values—Empathy, Originality, Integrity and Courage—underlie all of these commitments. They inform how we compete in the marketplace and behave as a corporate citizen. They guide our foundations' giving programs, the support we provide to communities where we have a business presence, our employee community involvement programs, and our approach to responsible product sourcing. Powering our vision of the future, these values reflect the legacy of our founder, Levi Strauss.
Levi Strauss: adventurer, philanthropist
Some men are made for something bigger than themselves. When Levi Strauss set out to create the company that would become one of America’s iconic businesses, it was the first great adventure in what would become a truly outsized life. Leaving his family and good prospects in New York, Levi embarked on travels that would lead him to Gold Rush California by way of the Isthmus of Panama to start a dry-goods company that would someday change the world.
Building a progressive, responsible business environment where profits and principles co-existed, Levi Strauss developed persistence, integrity, and a perspective that embraced the underrepresented and disadvantaged. In pursuing his vision of a more just and equitable world, he became a great philanthropist and a successful businessman.
Following the example of our founder, we take pride in providing leadership on frontier issues, paving the way for others—including our competitors—to take strong, principled positions. When it comes to corporate citizenship, we strive to break new ground with best practices that can be shared, honoring the legacy of Levi Strauss with our commitment to social justice and equality.
<<
Click here to go back to Citizenship Section