Chip Bergh has been dressing up Levi Strauss & Co. for a public offering for years. As chief executive, he’s consolidated supply chains, retooled R&D, and overhauled the executive ranks. The term “profitable growth” is woven through the corporate lexicon as distinctively as the orange stitching on a pair of the company’s 501s. That effort took center stage as Levi shares started changing hands Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. They surged 32% above the opening price, closing the first trading day at $22.41....

Source: Wall Street Journal March 22, 2019 15:45 UTC