STRAUSS announces tech partnership with Meta, expands US footprint with new CMA deal
Workwear maker STRAUSS is pushing deeper into technology and U.S. culture through two new partnerships, one with Meta to develop extended-reality tools for skilled trades and another with the Country Music Association to highlight craft in the live music industry.
The company said it is teaming with Meta as the tech giant’s Partner for XR Craft, a move that supports STRAUSS’ launch of STRAUSS NEO WORKS, a new division focused on high-tech gear for tradespeople. The department is developing tools that integrate with Meta’s next-generation XR hardware and software, with plans to help workers handle jobsite tasks and administrative work more efficiently.
“The company’s mission has always been to support skilled tradespeople in maximizing their productivity on the job. Today’s disruptive XR and AI are just as essential for these professionals as our durable and functional workwear,” STRAUSS said in a news release.
The announcement comes as STRAUSS expands its presence in the United States. During The 59th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, the company unveiled a new partnership with the Country Music Association. STRAUSS will serve as partner of the CMA Touring Awards in January and as the exclusive workwear partner of the 2026 CMA Fest.
“The STRAUSS ostrich has landed in Nashville, and we found a real bird of a feather in the Country Music Association,” CEO Henning Strauss said. “Like Country Music, our workwear is rooted in tradition, and it’s tuned to work. And like the Country Music industry, we’re not afraid to explore a new crossover. From our perspective, it’s a perfect partnership. The pillars that make Country Music great — community, respecting tradition while innovating, family — are things that make STRAUSS great as well.”
The two partnerships underscore STRAUSS’ strategy to pair its long-standing ties to trades and technical craftsmanship with high-profile cultural and technological collaborators. The company was founded in 1948 and is known for its multi-pocket, technical work apparel used across farms, construction sites, workshops and entertainment production.
