"Penmans, by its endurance, offers a longitudinal look at the actions the firm made to
survive in changing markets. Founded by entrepreneurs, in 1868, the firm grew from a woolen
knitting mill in Paris, Ontario, to become the largest supplier of cotton and woolen knit goods,
especially hosiery and underwear, in Canada by the 1890s. Penmans continues today as a
company merchandising these goods, and other clothing, as a house brand of Wal-Mart, Canada,
Mississauga. In the intervening century the firm kept its prominence. The governance of Penmans
for the past one hundred and thirty years illustrates Canadian business conditions throughout the
nation’s history." Barbara Austin, Faculty of Business, Brock University.
