DAGEN:
HER BUSINESS EMPIRE STARTED WITH
IT.
JOINING ME NOW, THE LEVEL
BRAND'S CHAIR EMERITUS, CHIEF
BRAND STRATEGIST, CEO AND CHAIR
OF KATHY IRELAND WORLDWIDE.
YOU'RE IN TOWN TO RING THE
OPENING BELL AT THE NEW YORK
STOCK EXCHANGE.
GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON RETAIL AND
THE U.S. ECONOMY RIGHT NOW.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, DAGEN, GOOD
MORNING, EVERYONE.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE.
THE ECONOMY IS, IT'S CLEARLY
DOING WELL.
IT'S GROWING.
WE'RE SEEING GROWTH IN RETAIL
SECTOR SUCH AS WALMART, AMAZON,
AND AS THAT CONTINUES, OUR
STRATEGY IS, OUR CUSTOMER
EXPECTS A GREAT VALUE FROM DAY
ONE.
AND SO INCREASED SALES, THAT'S
OUR STRATEGY.
DAGEN: WHAT AREA OF YOUR
BUSINESS, BECAUSE YOU COVER SO
MANY DIFFERENT PRODUCT, WHICH
AREA IS STRONGEST RIGHT NOW FOR
YOU?
>> WE HAVE MANY AREAS THAT ARE
GROWING, AND WE'RE SEEING GREAT
STRENGTH WITH OUR COMPANY, KATHY
IRELAND WORLDWIDE, IT'S A
PRIVATE FAMILY TRUST COMPANY AND
LEVEL BRANDS, WHICH WHICH I'LL
BE RINGING THE BELL, IT'S LEVB,
AND LEVEL BRANDS IS A WONDERFUL
COMPANY.
I SERVE AS CHAIR EMERITUS, CHIEF
BRAND STRATEGIST, MARK ELLIOT,
CF BE O.
WONDERFUL -- CFO.
WONDERFUL COMPANY.
AND BOTH COMPANIES ARE DEBT-FREE
AND DOING GREAT THINGS.
BUT AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING
GROWTH IN BOTH COMPANIES, FIN
TECH IS A STRONG AREA OF GROWTH.
UNDER LEVEL BRANDS, WHICH IS A
UNIQUE, A UNIQUE MECHANISM FOR
MARKETING, WE'RE SEEING GROWTH
IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
OUR CANADIAN PARTNER, WE WORK IN
THE AREA OF CBD AND HEMP WITH NO
THC, VIRTUALLY NO THC, AND THIS
IS AN AREA OF GREAT GROWTH AS
WELL.
[LAUGHTER]
>> YOU HAVE YOUR HAND IN LIKE A
ANYTHING THE SHIPPING CONTAINER
BUSINESS.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> YES.
THIS IS ANOTHER COMPANY WITH
LEVEL BRANDS, SG BLOCKS AND
CONTAINER HOMES.
AND IT'S PART OF OUR MILLENNIAL
DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
WE SUPPORT EVERYONE WHO WORKS
WITH THESE COMPANIES, SUPPORTS
ONE OF THESE INITIATIVES,
EMPOWERING WOMEN GLOBALLY,
ERADICATING DISEASE AND HUNGER
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY.
SG BLOCKS CONTAINER HOMES.
SO THESE ARE SHIPPING
CONTAINERS, AND THEY CAN BE USED
FOR A SMALL FOOTPRINT HOME, THEY
CAN BE PLACED IN AREAS OF
DISASTER AND CRISES, MEDICAL
UNITS, SCHOOLS.
WONDERFUL AND A GREAT VALUE AS
WELL.
DAGEN: IN TERMS OF THE TRADE
TIFFS, FIGHTS, IF YOU WILL, THE
TARIFFS THAT WE'VE SLAPPED ON
SOME IMPORTED GOODS COMING IN
FROM CHINA -- AND, AGAIN, THE
ADMINISTRATION WORKING TOWARD A
RETALIATION FROM OTHER NATIONS.
HOW HAS YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN BEEN
AFFECTED AT ALL IN TERMS OF
THESE TRADE FIGHTS THAT WE'VE
GOTTEN INTO SO FAR?
DIVERSITY WAS -- SOCKS,
DIVERSITY WAS PART OF OUR
STRATEGY, AND IT CONTINUES TO BE
BOTH IN PRODUCT AREAS IN WHICH
WE WORK BRAND PARTNERS, OUR CORE
TEAM -- WE'RE A WONDERFULLY
DIVERSE TEAM -- AND ALSO THE
FACTORIES WITH WHICH WE WORK.
WE HAVE FACTORIES IN NEW YORK
CITY AND ABROAD.
SO WE KEEP IT, WE KEEP A MIX,
AND THAT'S A GOOD STRATEGY AS
FAR AS THE OUTCOME OF THE
KATHY, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING