Missouri Garment Manufacturer Evolution St. Louis Sued for $850K
A lender to Evolution St. Louis sued the Missouri garment manufacturer last month for breach of contract, demanding a payment of $857,854.16.
Eric Blair-Joannou, a trustee to the Benjamin Joannou, Jr. GST Ex Family Trust, filed the lawsuit—first reported on by the St. Louis Business Journal Tuesday—in a Missouri court May 15. The six-page complaint demanded the Made in America manufacturer pay the total principal amount of $750,000, plus $107,854.16 in interest.
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Evolution CEO Jon Lewis told Sourcing Journal the matter is “currently in the settlement process and will be finalized soon.”
Joannou’s lawyer, John Hall, declined to comment.
Per Joannou’s complaint, STL Apparel Manufacturing Operating LLC—the subsidiary he formally sued—defaulted under the loan agreement “for reasons including, but not limited to, STL Apparel Operating’s failure to make quarterly payments of interest.” The agreement, entered into in November 2020, allegedly included a clause allowing Joannou to immediately declare all obligations due and payable in the event of a default, which he did. He sent the letter requesting payment July 21 last year, the lawsuit noted.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, shipper DHL Express Inc. separately said in a March lawsuit Evolution owed it more than $13,000. Lewis told Sourcing Journal the matter has been “resolved.”
“Neither of these two filings are indicative of our current business as we continue to expand with projects in apparel, automotive, aerospace, footwear, and other technical categories,” Lewis said. “Shortly we will be expanding to an additional facility to support production for these new business initiatives, creating even more sustainable, well-paying jobs in the U.S.”
Evolution operates a 32,000-square-foot flat-bed knit manufacturing facility in St. Louis, Mo. Outfitted with Stoll machinery, the factory is capable of producing 3D knitwear garments as well as footwear and smart textiles. It opened in May 2019.
