UPDATE: MLB uniforms to continue being made in Easton area

The Majestic brand that has become synonymous with Major League Baseball uniforms -- and which has a manufacturing plant in the Lehigh Valley -- has been sold.

Majestic owner VF Corp. announced Tuesday that it has an agreement to sell its Licensed Sports Group, including Majestic, to Fanatics Inc.

An announcement is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Majestic plant at 2320 Newlins Mill Road in Palmer Township.

Gov. Tom Wolf is scheduled to be there, along with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, Fanatics Owner and Executive Chairman Michael Rubin, Majestic President Mike Pardidni and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Fanatics deals in officially licensed sports merchandise and operates more than 300 online and offline stores, including the e-commerce business for Major League Baseball, the NFL, NASCAR and many other professional sports leagues.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Nearly 600 people work at the Palmer plant, whose future has been uncertain since Major League Baseball announced a change last year.

A union representative on Tuesday morning said workers were hopeful of the announcement and viewed word of the sale as good news.

"I think once they get in there and see what our members do, it requires a high level of skill and I think they'll appreciate it," said Jocelyn Lunney, associate manager of Pennsylvania Joint Board of Workers United, SEIU.

"I think this is good news for our members. It shows what they can do. This is not a business that's portable, or skills that are easily transferable."

Majestic is under contract to make baseball uniforms, as it has for years, through 2019. But MLB several months ago struck a deal for Under Armour to take over production starting in 2020.

That left in limbo the fate of the Palmer plant, even as MLB's top man signaled the pro sports league's desire to keep it open.

"We're working really hard to make sure that we do everything possible to preserve those jobs," Manfred said in December on CSNBC.

"We've had a long and very positive relationship with the people that work in that factory. They do quality work. And I'm hopeful that we'll be able to accomplish that."

VF Corp. announced a year ago that it had an interest in selling its Licensed Sports Group. The Majestic workers union has a contract that extends through 2019 when the MLB licensing agreement expires.

"We have a union contract that says this work must be done in and around Easton, Pa., and there' also a requirement that they keep a certain level of jobs making this product," said Lunney, who added she along with workers were eager to hear from officials later at Tuesday's announcement.

"I believe we've done everything we need to do to keep those jobs here and we expect any company purchasing (Majestic) would abide by the contract."

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.