Dive Brief:
- Athletic apparel maker New Balance broke ground on a $70 million factory in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Nov. 20.
- The new 102,418-square-foot facility will be located near the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and will have seven loading docks and parking for 10 trailers, according to documents from the Londonderry Heritage Commission.
- The investment will initially create more than 150 jobs with the intention of increasing to 240 in the site’s first year. The company also plans to build a bus stop for workers to access public transportation. Production is expected to begin in 2025.
Dive Insight:
New Balance has been working to expand its domestic production footprint, with the Londonderry site marking the company’s sixth manufacturing facility in the U.S.
“This new factory will help us meet our significant U.S. and global consumer demand and drive future business opportunities that showcase our longstanding pride in American craftsmanship and innovation,” New Balance President and CEO Joe Preston said in a Nov. 28 statement.
New Balance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New Balance, which is headquartered in Boston, has been growing its presence in the region, with three manufacturing facilities in Maine and two in Massachusetts. The upcoming Londonderry site will be the shoe company’s second largest factory in New England, New Balance's VP of Corporate Services John Campbell told the Londonderry Planning Board in July.
The company has been expanding some of its facilities in the region and invested $20 million to renovate its factory in Methuen, Massachusetts, last year. The facility, which produces the company’s MADE 990v5 running shoe, opened in January.
In June, the company broke ground on a $65 million factory expansion in Skowhegan, Maine, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
The company told the Londonderry Planning Board it's dedicated to sourcing as many materials as possible from the U.S. Last month, the athletic footwear titan announced it will minimize its use of kangaroo leather, which is harvested in Australia. New Balance also acquired supplier Worldwide Wolverine’s U.S. leather business in September for $6 million.
