Alpha Industries

Alpha Industries is a clothing manufacturer founded in 1959 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Initially as a contractor to the United States military, the company grew into an international commercial seller of American military style and fashion apparel. Alpha makes items such as flight jackets and vests, and has made jackets for the military of the United States like the M65 Jacket for over half a century. The Jackets are made for men and women, as well as children and now dogs. Popular models include the MA-1 and CWU-45/P pilot jackets.

History

Alpha Industries is a direct descendant of three companies- Superior Tags Corporation, Rolen Sportswear, and Dobbs Industries. Through the 1940s these companies formed an affiliated family linked by common ownership and an identical business of manufacturing flight jackets for the United States military.

In January, 1948, Robert Lane and his wife Helen incorporated Superior Tags Corporation in order to manufacture flight jackets on a United States Department of Defense contract. Superior Tags created some of the most well known U.S. Army Air Force flight jackets known, including the B-10 Bomber and L-2 Jackets (as well as the A-9 and A-10 flight pants.)

In 1952, for unknown reasons, Superior Tags Corporation was shut down. In response Lane decided to organize a new company called Rolen Sportswear. Rolen was, more or less, Superior Tags under a different name. They picked up the same United States Department of Defense (DOD) contracts and...
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