08 Jun Trans-Pacific Trade Deal Puts Michigan Shoes on a Better Footing
When most people talk about Michigan jobs, they are usually talking about the auto industry. But when I talk about jobs in Michigan, I’m talking about shoes. In fact, the company I have worked for over the past two decades — Wolverine Worldwide — employs nearly 1,500 people across the state. These jobs are not just based at our global headquarters in Rockford, but include hundreds of jobs in retail, manufacturing and distribution. And we continue to grow jobs in our home state.
Wolverine Worldwide has been in Michigan and in the shoe business for over 130 years. We’ve changed a lot during that time. Starting as a bootmaker in Rockford in 1883, we’ve grown into one of the largest performance and lifestyle companies in the world, employing thousands of people. With nearly 100 million pairs of shoes sold across our family of 14 brands (including Merrell, Sperry, Saucony, Wolverine, Keds, Hush Puppies and Stride Rite) we reach consumers in over 200 countries and territories each year. In addition to sourcing products at prices that working families can afford, we manufacture combat boots and uniform shoes in Big Rapids, Michigan — Made in the U.S.A. for our men and women in uniform.
Click here to read the full article on Michigan Live.
