Dec. 28, 2004 – GEAR for Sports will introduce a new "designer" label aimed at golfers.

The Lenexa-based company said it has been chosen to design, manufacture and distributed a new line of golf apparel carrying the name of famous golf course designer Robert Trent Jones.

The new line, described as high-end golf apparel, will be made from fabrics such as Mercerized cotton, cashmere and extra-fine Merino wool, GEAR spokeswoman Tiffany Dial said. The garments, scheduled to go on sale in May, will be sold at golf pro shops throughout the country.

"We are going to build the Robert Trent Jones apparel brand into one of the premium golf apparel brands in the U.S.," Larry Graveel, GEAR for Sports president and COO, said in a written release.

GEAR for Sports has 900 employees at its Lenexa headquarters and manufacturing plant. Dial said that the new line could lead to local production and distribution jobs in the future but that it would be manufactured in factories in Asia and South America.

Robert Trent Jones Jr., son of the golf course designer and chairman and master architect of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, said in the release that he had selected GEAR for Sports to produce and market the line named for his father because of the company's proven track record.

Founded in 1974, GEAR for Sports has grown from a small sportswear company into a leader in the custom logo apparel business. The company markets apparel under three brand names: Sun Ice, Champion and GEAR for Sports. It has annual revenue of about $190 million, Dial said.

Founded by Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has designed more than 200 courses.