New Balance trail running shoes
Edited from a New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com) report.
“New Balance, the athletic-shoe company, is expanding with a new facility in Methuen, Mass. This factory was opened with Gov. Charlie Baker, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan and local leaders, to participate in the grand opening of New Balance’s newest manufacturing hub.
“The 80,000-square-foot facility opened for business in January after $20 million in renovations, according to the company. The factory currently employs more than 90 associates producing the brand’s MADE 990v5 running shoe, with plans to more than double the current workforce and production capabilities by the end of the year. Including the new New Balance factory in Methuen, New Balance owns five manufacturing facilities in Maine and Massachusetts where about 1,000 U.S. workers prepare, cut and mold athletic-shoe materials and components and then sew, press and assemble into the final product.
“Manufacturing has always been an important part of our company culture,” said Joe Preston, New Balance president and CEO. “Our associates have proven that high-quality athletic footwear can be produced in the U.S. Their skilled craftsmanship and dedication to continuous improvement will help us meet our significant U.S. and global consumer demand and drive our continued business growth.”
By the late 19th Century, the shoemaking industry had migrated to the factory and was increasingly mechanized. Pictured, the bottoming room of the B. F. Spinney & Co. factory in Lynn, Mass., in 1872.
