Keen is set to open a new factory in Kentucky, demonstrating a shift in U.S. manufacturing of footwear. The company, known for its high-end work boots, previously produced some shoes in Portland but is now moving operations to a larger, more automated facility. Keen's approach involves direct injection fusing technology, which reduces labor costs significantly by using robots for production processes, despite the fact that the U.S. wages for workers remain higher than overseas, showcasing the challenge of U.S. manufacturing.
Inside a new factory near Louisville, Kentucky, bright orange robots will soon begin carefully loading boot parts into a machine that adds soles.
Labor was the biggest challenge. 'Footwear is a very labor-intensive product to make,' Perumal says. And it's 10 to 12 times more expensive to hire workers in the U.S. than in factories overseas.
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