The legendary boot maker, popular with blue-collar workers, operates three factories in Wisconsin. We have already renovated one facility and are currently building a new factory to expand our production capacity.
Men and women building new things Thoro Good A boot factory in Marshfield, Wisconsin, is exactly the type of potential customer the longtime footwear company wants to reach.
After all, construction workers such as pipefitters, electricians, and plumbers need comfortable, durable, and long-lasting work boots while on the job, and the Thorogood brand provides hard-working workers with high-quality, American-made footwear. We have provided it. Factory worker since 1917.
Thorogood is currently expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint with a new $14.5 million, 70,000-square-foot factory in Marshfield, replacing a facility built in 1935.
“While we spend millions of dollars to remain at the forefront of Made in the USA, many companies are still closing their factories, even if their factories remain,” said Thorogood President Jeff. Burns said.
Thorogood has three manufacturing plants in Wisconsin, one in Marshfield and two in the small city of Merrill, where the company is headquartered. The footwear manufacturer is a major employer in north central Wisconsin, employing 400 people at its factory and approximately 130 employees at each of its three locations.
“We moved into a renovated 142,000 square foot building in Merrill about two years ago and were able to increase production and production capacity, which allowed us to grow,” Burns said. . “Construction of a new building underway in Marshfield will allow us to expand welt production and employ an additional 30 to 40 employees.”
The skilled artisans who make the boots at Thorogood’s factory are members of Locals 688 and 717 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). And, further reaffirming its commitment to union labor, Thorogood hired a majority of union members to build a new factory in Marshfield. .
“We’ve had a very good and open relationship with the unions. When we went to the general contractor to build the building and the bids came out, all the union stores bid on the job and We won 80 percent of that work,’ which went to the union,” Burns said. “Every electrical installation with a bid of $1 million or more was won by us to the cooperative store.”
Thorogood researched the company’s demographics and found that most of its customers are blue-collar workers between the ages of 25 and 40, with less than a trade school or college education and middle-to-high incomes. The company offers more than 100 distinctive styles of work shoes, ranging from the popular stitched moccasin style to a wide range of products suitable for everyone from ironworkers to pipefitters.
“This isn’t just a generic work boot, it’s job-specific,” Burns says. “Light-duty boots are lightweight and flexible, but we also have heavy-duty boots if you work in a refinery or need a boot with a sturdy construction.
“Lightweight work boots may have very comfortable polyurethane soles, but because you’ll be working in very harsh environments, other boots are better suited to high temperatures and have a hard-wearing rubber outer sole. may be equipped with.
Thorogood boots are manufactured in a variety of constructions depending on your needs.
“We do three different types of construction: welt construction, where we sew the sole on, cement construction, where we take the outer sole and cement it to the upper, and injection construction, which is a big machine that puts the upper in. And robots. and insert the only unit into the application,” Burns said. “So our boots have three different types of construction.
“Welted construction is an old-fashioned construction that provides great support and stability, and it’s just an iconic look, and there aren’t that many factories that do it. And we’re somewhat known for that welted look. ”
Burns noted that American shoe and boot manufacturers such as Red Wing and Allen Edmonds have visited Thorogood’s facility, and he has visited the facility himself.
“We have a good relationship with them. I think the healthier the Made in USA program is, the better it is for all of us,” Burns said.
Although Thorogood imports a small portion of its shoe-making materials to reach certain price levels, 85% of its materials, including its leather uppers, are sourced entirely in the United States.
“In categories like law enforcement, which is a very price-sensitive market, we import some to keep prices down,” Burns said. “But our commitment to Made in the USA is very strong. It’s the heart and soul of the company, and we put our money where our mouth is.
“We still use the same American-made leather we used 50 years ago. We don’t import leather from South America or China. The best leather in the world is made right here in the United States.”
Thorogood sells its boots in-store and through online dealers. Although the company does not sell directly to consumers, it can be found on many of the major shoe brands’ websites, including Zappos and Boot Barn. Thorogood also has a presence on the Amazon platform.
“We don’t sell directly to consumers because we want to support our retailers and we want them to support us,” Burns said. “We’re not competing with dealers or retailers, and we don’t think it’s in our best interest to compete with the people who are promoting our products. Why would we want to compete with them? We want to support them and it works for us too.”
Thorogood’s commitment to American manufacturing also includes giving back to our communities. Just this week, 100 high school students took part in a “Heavy Metal Tour” of the Thorogood factory, introducing students to Thorogood products and giving them a glimpse into the world of manufacturing.
Finding skilled workers is critical for American manufacturers, and Thorogood hopes some of these teenagers will become manufacturing employees in the future, whether at shoe companies or other factories. I am doing it.
Burns knows the importance of American manufacturing, as Thorogood has faced intense competition from inferior Chinese products over the past 25 years.
“There’s a company called Sureway, and they take some of our styles and make them ragged in every stitch and sell them for $120 to $130,” Burns said. “I know they don’t fit. The quality of the soles isn’t great, the leather is cheap Chinese leather, and the tags on the boots have an American flag and say USA. This is obvious. It’s a violation of the law and an insult to consumers.
“We make a great product, so people say they’re okay with the extra $50 because they’re happy that it’s high quality and made in the USA.”
You can find different styles of Thorogood boots on the company website. Once you find something you like, you will be directed to a retail store for purchase.
