Brown Shoe moves to close last North American factory
The
The company has been producing boots and sandals at the Canadian plant since 1961. Around 300 jobs will be lost and the closure will also see the end of the company’s North American manufacturing operations, though it will continue to operate a distribution centre from the Perth site. Brown Shoe will take an after-tax charge of between $3.8 million and $4.2 million in the fourth quarter to cover severance payments and material costs.
Ken Gilbertson, president of the Canadian facility, said the decision to lay off so many workers had not been easy, but that it was necessary to maintain the company’s competitiveness in the North American womens footwear market, which is increasingly dominated by imports. In September 2002, Brown closed its plant in
his news item is brought to you by the World Leather editorial team. For magazine subscription details email: subs@worldtrades.co.uk
