Boston-based footwear giant New Balance has opened a new factory in Methuen, MA. The 80,000-square-foot facility, which underwent a 20 million dollar renovation, began its sneaker production earlier this year.
Celebrating American craftsmanship
The new production site signals New Balance’s commitment to American manufacturing and showcases its longstanding pride in American craftsmanship.
“Manufacturing has always been an important part of our company culture,” says Joe Preston, New Balance President & 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.” The factory currently employs over 90 associates producing the brand’s popular MADE 990v5 running shoe, with plans to more than double the current workforce and production capabilities by the end of the year.
“We believe our commitment to domestic manufacturing drives innovation, capitalizes on consumer trends and provides new market opportunities,” said Dave Wheeler, New Balance Chief Operating Officer. “The opening of NB Methuen significantly expands our owned manufacturing capacity and furthers our efforts to have a best-in-class value chain.”
New Balance owns and operates five manufacturing facilities in Maine and Massachusetts where approximately 1,000 U.S. workers prepare, cut, and mold athletic shoe materials and components and then sew, press, and assemble them into the final product.
“The City of Methuen has worked side by side with New Balance to see this opportunity come to fruition and we will continue our partnership efforts to make this relationship viable for both the City and New Balance as we move forward,” said Methuen Mayor Neil Perry.
New Balance employs more than 7,000 associates around the globe and in 2021 reported worldwide sales of 4.4 billion dollars.