# Uh, they guarantee it. Men's Warehouse fires the founder.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 19, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390 "2013-06-19T19:42:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/21 "2013-06-20T03:42:21Z")

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> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#):
>
> Does this mean that I’m no longer going to like the way I look?

No, it just means Ryan Seacrest will be the one guaranteeing it.

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**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/22 "2013-06-20T06:02:20Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> True, but if Apple can fire Steve Jobs…

Steve Jobs had it coming. He was an obnoxious horse’s ass, and that it putting it very mildly. George Zimmer, on the other hand, is a mensch.

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**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/23 "2013-06-20T10:33:37Z")

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> [@Loach](#):
>
> Maybe it’s because he shot that Martin kid.

> [@lieu](#):
>
> It’s the weirdest thing… he screams like a little girl.

All right, I guess I’ll be the one to ask.

What’s the joke?  
mmm

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**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/24 "2013-06-20T10:46:25Z")

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> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#):
>
> All right, I guess I’ll be the one to ask.
> 
> What’s the joke?  
> mmm

I’m pretty sure the joke is the similarity in names. George Zimmer, George Zimmerman. As for the screaming like a girl part, I got nothing.

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**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/25 "2013-06-20T10:51:42Z")

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> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#):
>
> The founder stayed on the Board and an external CEO was hired.

In this case, they’re firing Zimmer (who is, as in your example, the largest stockholder) from the board as well. They’ve delayed the stockholder’s meeting in order to remove him from the slate.

There must be something interesting in the background of this story.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/26 "2013-06-20T13:01:50Z")

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It’s probably not anything more interesting than, “rest of board wants to recommend buyout offer, Zimmer doesn’t.”

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**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/27 "2013-06-20T13:27:41Z")

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Remember when Apple fired Steve Jobs (and pretty much isolated Woz)? What happened next? Then they rehired him. What happened after that? Stay tuned.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/28 "2013-06-20T13:30:17Z")

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> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> Remember when Apple fired Steve Jobs (and pretty much isolated Woz)? What happened next? Then they rehired him. What happened after that? Stay tuned.

So Men’s Wearhouse is going to license their designs to Compaq?

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/29 "2013-06-20T13:30:20Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Remember when Apple fired Steve Jobs (and pretty much isolated Woz)? What happened next? Then they rehired him.

Actually, the next thing that happened was that 11 years elapsed. _Then_ they rehired him.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/30 "2013-06-20T15:23:10Z")

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> [@kittenblue](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure the joke is the similarity in names. George Zimmer, George Zimmerman. As for the screaming like a girl part, I got nothing.

George Zimmer’s voice… even the radio ads reek of smoke.

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/31 "2013-06-20T22:03:45Z")

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ETA: Never mind, Loach already made the joke.

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/32 "2013-06-21T00:22:22Z")

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> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> Seriously? Those suits are about as cheap as you can get. Where are you finding suits for 75 bucks?

The last time I went in there, the cheapest pair of pants was 80 bucks, and the cheapest suit I could find was $300 plus.

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**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/33 "2013-06-21T15:16:29Z")

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Right. 300 dollars is very cheap for a suit. It sure isn’t “expensive as hell”.

Besides that, that isn’t the cheapest suit there. They have several on their website on sale for less than $200.

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**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/34 "2013-06-21T15:24:47Z")

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Wow… 80 dollar pants and 300 for a suit is expensive as hell? \<\_\<

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/35 "2013-06-21T20:26:52Z")

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> [@drewtwo99](#):
>
> Wow… 80 dollar pants and 300 for a suit is expensive as hell? \<\_\<

Ditto - unless you’re shopping secondhand you won’t find better prices even at Sears or the like. Most specialty stores in the same biz will be much higher-priced, too.

Men styles don’t really change much from year to year and we don’t usually require them for work anymore, so there’s not much turnover and we don’t buy very many - but we also have an incentive to buy higher-quality items. That keeps prices relatively high. Plus Men’s Warehouse often gives free or very cheap tailoring (limited services, but still) to finish the suit of. Literally, every _single_ woman I know has more pairs of shoes than I have suits - and two of my three suits are hand-me downs I didn’t buy. The shoes collectively cost more, too.

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**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/36 "2013-06-22T02:01:27Z")

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> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#):
>
> Seriously? Those suits are about as cheap as you can get. Where are you finding suits for 75 bucks?

[http://www.kgstores.com/](http://www.kgstores.com/)

Looks like they’re just here in the Atlanta area.

Saville Row appears safe for the moment…

I do like the breezy, summer options from the funeral home, though! 😉

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**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/37 "2013-06-22T05:04:08Z")

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Okay, I wasn’t aware that your base was the cheapest suit on the planet.

I’m up to speed now. 😉

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/38 "2013-06-25T13:22:19Z")

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[Men’s Wearhouse founder Zimmer clashed with CEO over exec pay](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/mens-wearhouse-founder-zimmer-clashed-ceo-over-exec-pay-6C10436067)

> [@](#):
>
> CEO Doug Ewert wanted to sell the company’s K&G Fashion Superstore business, while Zimmer wanted to keep it, two sources familiar with the situation said. Zimmer also objected to rising compensation for top executives, including Ewert, while the board thought it was appropriate, the sources said.

Surprisingly (to me), Zimmer only owns 3.5% of the company he founded; and his family’s combined holdings are 4.7%.

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**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/39 "2013-06-25T14:57:22Z")

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> [@smiling\_bandit](#):
>
> Men styles don’t really change much from year to year and we don’t usually require them for work anymore…

Oh how I wish.

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**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-they-guarantee-it-mens-warehouse-fires-the-founder/661390/40 "2013-06-25T15:03:32Z")

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[Here](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/men-s-wearhouse--why-we-fired-zimmer-134728434.html) it is reported that Zimmer wanted to sell the company to a private investment group, which the board opposed.

> [@](#):
>
> “Mr. Zimmer reversed his long-standing position against taking the company private by arguing for a sale of the Men’s Wearhouse to an investment group,” the company’s board of directors wrote Tuesday in a statement it made public.
> 
> But the board said it opposed the move, which would force the company “to take on a huge amount of debt.”

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