Fruit of the Loom, with world operating headquarters in Bowling Green, is one of the largest marketers and manufacturers of basic family apparel in the world. In 1996 the company reported sales of $2.4 billion and currently employs over 30,000 people in more than 60 locations worldwide. The company's rich heritage dates back to the mid-1800s when a merchant's daughter in New England began adhering hand painted fruit labels to the finer bolts of cotton muslin. In 1871, Fruit of the Loom received registered trademark No. 418 from the U.S. Patent Office and in 1893 an arrangement of an apple, green grapes, purple grapes, and gooseberries was brought together and established as the Fruit of the Loom logo.