01 Nov Elan-Polo to Manufacture 20k Shoes per day in U.S.
Building on Walmart’s commitment to purchase an additional $50 billion in U.S.-made products over the next 10 years, Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced at the SelectUSA 2013 Investment Summit that three suppliers have made new domestic manufacturing commitments that will create 385 jobs.
Elan-Polo, Louis Hornick & Company and EveryWare Global, Inc. will produce footwear, curtains and glassware, respectively.
Elan-Polo, Inc., a global footwear and 35-year Walmart supplier, will start production of injection-molded footwear in March 2014 at a factory in Hazelhurst, Ga., as part of a joint venture with McPherson Manufacturing. Once at full capacity, this new facility will create 250 jobs and produce 20,000 pairs of shoes per day. Previously, the company manufactured the shoes overseas.
“This announcement of 250 new jobs and a new shoe manufacturing facility in Georgia was made possible by Walmart’s support, which included guidance in contacting various states and help developing the project with necessary participants–government, utilities, banks, and equipment suppliers. We will see genuine economic value added through shorter lead times, more efficient purchasing and savings on shipping and oversight expenses.” – Joe Russell, CEO of Elan-Polo Inc.
Matt Priest, President of America’s largest footwear trade association – the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) – issued the following statement on Elan-Polo’s move to manufacture footwear in Georgia:
“Both Wal-Mart and Elan-Polo are active members of FDRA and we are extremely excited they have partnered to manufacture shoes here in America. We congratulate them both on this tremendous achievement, and as the footwear industry’s voice in Washington we look forward to telling their story to Members of Congress and Senators. We also look forward to helping them with anything they need as they move forward with this great endeavor. FDRA already serves the majority of footwear companies that manufacture in the U.S. including HH Brown, Wolverine Worldwide and Danner so we are well positioned to support Elan-Polo as they work to set up shop in Georgia to ensure their continued success. “