Peter Nygård
Encyclopedia
Peter J. Nygård is a Finnish-Canadian fashion
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

 executive of Finland-Swedish
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue...

 origin. He is the chairman of Nygård International of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, a company that makes women's wear. His was rated the 70th richest Canadian by Canadian Business Magazine in 2009 with a net worth of $817 million.

Early life

Peter Nygård's parents were Eeli and Hilkka Nygård, bakers who immigrated to Deloraine, Manitoba
Deloraine, Manitoba
Deloraine is a farming town in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is situated near the Turtle Mountains in the southwestern corner of the province. Located in the Westman Region, the town is 100 kilometres south of Brandon, the region's largest centre...

 in 1952. Nygård Park
Nygard Park
Nygard Park is located in the centre of the town of Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada.The park host more than 200 flags from around the world. The park is landscaped with a brick wall facade, paved walking paths, and a commemorative plaque recognizing Peter Nygård's financial contribution to the town.-...

 in Deloraine is named after him. They moved shortly after to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

.

He graduated from the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...

 with a business degree, and has received several awards from them.

Nygård has seven children.

Nygård International

On December 1, 1967, Peter Nygård used his life savings and an additional loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....

 of $8,000 to purchase 20% of a woman’s clothing manufacturer. A few years later Peter Nygård owned the company and renamed it Nygård International
Nygård International
Nygård International, is one of the largest women's clothing manufacturers and suppliers in the world, with annual sales of over $500 million. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the company employs 12,000 people worldwide and supplies its clothing lines to more than 200 retail stores in North America.The...

.

Nygård apparel manufacturing company was founded in 1967 in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, Manitoba. Its Canada headquarters is now in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario with its world headquarters in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...

, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

Peter Nygård's fashion concept retail store opened in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...

 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 on Friday, November 6, 2009.

Nygård Cay

In 1987, Nygård built a 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) compound at Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay
Lyford Cay is a private gated community located on the western tip of New Providence Island, Bahamas. Considered one of the world's wealthiest and most exclusive neighborhoods, the Lyford Cay Club was built during the latter part of the 1950s by prominent Canadian businessman Edward Plunkett Taylor...

 in the Bahamas. It was partly destroyed by a fire on November 10, 2009.

On April 14, 2010 Peter Nygard announced he was planning a $50 million renovation of Nygård Cay, which would take two years to complete and repair the damage and employ 200 construction workers.

The Cay is inspired by the Mayan civilization’s architecture. One of the major buildings is a 32,000 ft2 grand-hall with a 100,000 lb glass ceiling.

Charity

Nygård has supported the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Nygård has been a long time sponsors of amateur sports in the Bahamas. In June 2010, is the main sponsor of Amateur Boxing Federation of the Bahamas' team for Continental Elite Boxing Championships Invitation only event slated for June 13–19 in Quito, Ecuador. Wellington Miller, the president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, said Nygard has contributed significantly to the Amateur Boxing Association of the Bahamas and their Olympic success.

In April of 2011, Nygård held the "2011 National Family Island Regatta" at Nygard Cay, which included a press conference to honor sailor and music entertainer ‘King’ Eric Gibson.

In the same month, Nygård also donated $10,000 to Josie Poitier, a member of Holy Redeemer Church, during a Passover/Good Friday Breakfast/Brunch.

Fifth Estate documentary

On April 10, 2010, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation's (CBC) Fifth Estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...

 aired a documentary titled "Larger Than Life" that delved into Nygård's alleged mistreatment of employees. To prevent its airing, Nygård launched a copyright complaint with the US District Court in New York against the CBC, an executive producer, journalist and cameraman for using footage from the November 6 opening of the flagship store in Manhattan. He also launched a lawsuit in Manitoba against the CBC to prevent them from airing the piece, and sued two former employees for releasing confidential information. Nygård's lawyer claimed CBC harassed many of the employees at home and eight have since filed formal complaints against the CBC.

Later, Nygård hired a retired Scotland Yard detective to investigate the documentary. He interviewed an ex-FBI agent, who said he was paid by the CBC to trash fashion tycoon Peter Nygard. The agent admitted making the comments, but then said they were untrue as he "likes to brag". Nygard has launched a civil suit against his neighbor and the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association alleging they conspired with the CBC to damage his reputation so his permanent residency on the island would be revoked and his resort converted back into residential property. Nygard has also filed a private criminal prosecution against three CBC journalists accusing them of conspiring to discredit him and his clothing empire.

External links

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