VANDALIA — Lion Apparel is moving it headquarters from 6450 Poe Ave. to one of the former Iams buildings at 7200 Poe Ave., the company said Tuesday, June 22.

The move will happen this fall, the company said. Lion Apparel makes uniforms and protective equipment for police, firefighters, civilian government agencies and the military.

“Lion has been part of the Dayton community since its founding in 1898, and our Vandalia location has served us well,” Steve Schwartz, Lion chief executive, said in the company’s announcement. “Our location has great visibility from Interstate 75 and is easily accessible to our employees based in the area, as well as to the Dayton International Airport.”

The new location has more than 50,000 square feet of office space to occupy or lease, as well as room for a product testing lab, Lion said.

Lion will lease the building from a group of investors tied to the company’s owners, the Clarence and Judith Lapedes Family Limited Partnership, the founding family of Lion Apparel, a Lion spokeswoman said.

Part of the building may be leased out to others, but there are no confirmed tenants yet, said spokeswoman Hayley Fudge.

In November 2009, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 75 and a California company, Industrial Realty Group of Downey, Calif., said they agreed to buy one of the former Iams-Eukanuba headquarters buildings for $1.95 million, with the union planning to bring 100 jobs there by the end of 2010.

In October 2009, pet food manufacturer Iams-Eukanuba moved its operations from Vandalia to Mason, vacating the complex on Poe and taking with it 240 jobs.

Also Tuesday, Lion said it has named a new chief financial officer, Jim DiSanto.

DiSanto is a senior finance executive with 17 years of experience leading finance organizations in accounting management and control, acquisitions and integration and other areas, Lion said. The Washington Twp. resident has worked for GE Power Systems, the Stanley Works, Crane Corp. and United Components.

Lion has about 100 local employees and about 800 worldwide.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.