been hired from outside the company. Product line The company sells a variety of hiking, weather, and other utility boots, along with other outdoor equipment such as firearms, backpacks, and tents, and produces a full line of clothing, which is now its mainstay. L.L.Bean sources its products from the US and across the globe. As of 2016, its Brunswick, Maine factory employed more than 450 people who made the company's products by hand, such as the Maine Hunting Shoe, L.L.Bean Boot, Boat and Totes, dog beds, leather goods, and backpacks. In 2000, L.L.Bean partnered with Japanese automaker Subaru, making L.L.Bean the official outfitter of Subaru, spawning the L.L.Bean edition Subaru Outback and Subaru Forester for the US market. The L.L.Bean trim levels were top-spec versions, with most available options included as standard equipment. This relationship with Subaru ended June 28, 2008. In 2010, L.L.Bean created a contemporary sub-brand called L.L.Bean Signature. The Signature line is a modern interpretation of L.L.Bean's previous products with modern fits. Retail stores Along with a number of retail and outlet stores, the company maintains its flagship store on Main Street in Freeport, Maine. This branch, originally opened in 1917, has been open 24 hours a day since 1951, with the exception of two Sundays in 1962 when Maine changed its blue laws; a town vote later reinstated the store's open-door policy. The flagship has closed to honor the death of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and the deaths of founder Leon Bean in 1967 and his grandson Leon Gorman in 2015. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, all L.L.Bean stores were closed indefinitely starting on March 17, 2020, at midnight. It became the fifth time in the company's history that the flagship closed, and the first time it has ever closed for more than 24 hours. The company began to reopen stores in May 2020. L.L.Bean has invested heavily in activities for both visitors and residents in Freeport, including its Outdoor Discovery Schools, Christmas light displays, and its Summer Concert Series, which has attracted artists such as Grace Potter, Lake Street Dive, Edwin McCain, Great Big Sea, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Rockapella. L.L.Bean opened its first outlet store in North Conway, New Hampshire, in 1988. The company operates 30 retail stores and 10 factory outlets in the US, and 25 retail stores in Japan, in addition to its catalog and online sales operations. The