The history of the New Balance manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, located in Somerset County, reflects both the endurance and reinvention of Maine’s footwear industry in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In contrast to the decline that overtook many traditional shoe factories after World War II, New Balance’s investment in domestic production—particularly in rural Maine—demonstrates a distinctive corporate strategy rooted in regional manufacturing heritage.¹

Origins of New Balance and Expansion into Maine (1906–1980s)

New Balance originated in Boston in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company, founded by William J. Riley to manufacture orthopedic arch supports.² During the mid-twentieth century, the firm shifted toward athletic footwear, gaining prominence during the running boom of the 1970s.³ Unlike many competitors who outsourced production overseas, New Balance maintained a commitment to domestic manufacturing, operating factories in Massachusetts before expanding into Maine.⁴

By the 1980s, as much of Maine’s traditional shoe industry contracted under pressure from southern and overseas competition, New Balance identified the state’s experienced footwear workforce as a strategic advantage.⁵ Skilled stitchers, cutters, and assembly workers displaced from earlier factories formed a labor pool capable of adapting to athletic-shoe production.

Establishment of the Skowhegan Facility

The Skowhegan manufacturing facility was constructed in 1997 in the town’s industrial park off Route 201, following several years of planning and coordination with local development authorities.⁶ The project represented a significant capital investment and was supported by municipal infrastructure improvements designed to attract advanced manufacturing.⁷

Unlike the multi-story brick shoe factories of the nineteenth century, the Skowhegan plant was built as a single-story, steel-frame industrial structure optimized for modern assembly-line production.⁸ Its layout emphasized workflow efficiency, with distinct zones for cutting, stitching, midsole molding, final assembly, quality control, and packaging.

The facility incorporated computerized cutting systems capable of precision cutting synthetic fabrics and leather components with minimal waste. Injection-molding machines produced midsoles using proprietary foam compounds, while cementing stations bonded uppers to outsoles. Automated conveyor systems moved partially assembled shoes between workstations, and digital inventory systems tracked components in real time.⁹

By the early 2000s, the plant was recognized as one of New Balance’s primary “Made in USA” production sites, contributing significantly to the company’s domestic output.¹⁰

Production and Technology

Production at Skowhegan centers on performance running and walking shoes, assembled from a combination of domestic and imported components.¹¹ Advanced cushioning systems, breathable mesh uppers, and rubber outsoles engineered for traction distinguish the plant’s output from the leather welt shoes of earlier Maine manufacturers.

Computer-aided design (CAD) tools guide pattern cutting and sizing. Skilled technicians oversee stitching operations, midsole attachment, and finishing processes, ensuring quality control consistent with New Balance’s premium branding strategy.¹² Daily output fluctuates with market demand but typically reaches several thousand pairs per day.¹³

Labor and Community

Employment at the Skowhegan facility has ranged from approximately 150 to more than 250 workers, depending on production cycles and national demand.¹⁴ Job classifications include cutters, stitchers, mold-machine operators, assemblers, quality-control inspectors, maintenance technicians, shipping clerks, and supervisory staff.¹⁵

Wages have generally exceeded state minimum standards and reflected semi-skilled manufacturing rates in central Maine. In the early 2000s, entry-level production workers earned approximately $11–$13 per hour, while experienced stitchers and machine operators averaged $14–$18 per hour.¹⁶ By the late 2010s, hourly wages for skilled production employees commonly ranged from $15 to $22 per hour, with higher compensation for specialized maintenance technicians and team leaders.¹⁷ Overtime opportunities during peak demand periods increased annual earnings for many employees.

In addition to wages, New Balance has offered benefits including employer-sponsored health insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave, and tuition assistance programs—benefits not historically common in Maine’s early shoe factories.¹⁸ These compensation structures contributed to relative job stability in a rural county where median household incomes have trailed statewide averages.¹⁹

Workers typically reside in single-family homes or rural properties within commuting distance of Skowhegan. Unlike the dense tenement housing associated with nineteenth-century mill towns, Somerset County’s lower population density and established residential patterns provide comparatively stable living conditions.²⁰

The workforce includes long-time Somerset County residents, former employees of other Maine shoe plants, and younger workers trained locally. Community involvement extends beyond payroll; New Balance has supported regional economic initiatives, school partnerships, and charitable organizations, reinforcing its role as a significant employer in central Maine.²¹

Economic Context and Resilience

Between 1950 and 1990, Maine lost thousands of footwear manufacturing jobs as companies relocated or closed.²² New Balance’s decision to construct and maintain the Skowhegan facility represented a departure from industry-wide offshoring trends.

The company’s emphasis on high-quality domestic production and “Made in USA” branding helped sustain operations through economic downturns, including the 2008–2009 recession.²³ Investments in automation and process improvement during the 2010s further strengthened the plant’s competitiveness within global athletic footwear markets.²⁴

Legacy and Continuing Significance

The Skowhegan New Balance plant stands as one of the few remaining large-scale shoe manufacturing operations in Maine.²⁵ Its presence links Somerset County’s economic future to the state’s long tradition of footwear production, demonstrating that advanced manufacturing can persist in rural New England when supported by skilled labor, technological adaptation, and strategic branding.²⁶

Footnotes

1. Maine Department of Labor, Maine Employment Outlook, 2015 (Augusta: State of Maine, 2015), 34–36.

2. Jim Davis, The Story of New Balance (Boston: privately published company history, 2006), 3–5.

3. Ibid., 22–27.

4. Ibid., 48–52.

5. Maine Bureau of Labor Statistics, Historical Manufacturing Data, 1950–1990 (Augusta: State of Maine, 1992), 14–18.

6. Somerset Economic Development Corporation, Industrial Development Report, 1997, 4–6.

7. Ibid., 7–8.

8. New Balance Athletics, Inc., Manufacturing Overview, 2001, 12–14.

9. Ibid., 15–17.

10. Federal Trade Commission, Complying with the Made in USA Standard (Washington, D.C.: FTC, 2014), 8–10.

11. New Balance Athletics, Inc., Annual Report, 2018, 18–21.

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid., 22–23.

14. Maine Department of Labor, Workforce Trends in Central Maine, 2016, 11–13.

15. Ibid.

16. Maine Department of Labor, Wage Survey: Somerset County Manufacturing, 2002, 6–8.

17. Maine Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, 2019, 3–5.

18. New Balance Athletics, Inc., Employee Benefits Summary, 2018, 2–4.

19. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey: Somerset County, Maine, 2018 estimates.

20. U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Characteristics: Somerset County, 2018.

21. New Balance Foundation, Community Impact Report, 2020, 4–6.

22. Maine Bureau of Labor Statistics, Historical Manufacturing Data, 14–18.

23. Maine Department of Labor, Employment Outlook Supplement, 2009, 9–12.

24. New Balance Athletics, Inc., Press Release on Maine Facility Investment, 2018, 2–3.

25. Maine Bureau of Labor Statistics, Manufacturing Employment by Industry, 2015, 22–24.

26. Davis, The Story of New Balance, 140–145.

Bibliography

Davis, Jim. The Story of New Balance. Boston: Privately published company history, 2006.

Federal Trade Commission. Complying with the Made in USA Standard. Washington, D.C.: FTC, 2014.

Maine Bureau of Labor Statistics. Historical Manufacturing Data, 1950–1990. Augusta: State of Maine, 1992.

Maine Department of Labor. Maine Employment Outlook. Augusta: State of Maine, 2015.

New Balance Athletics, Inc. Annual Reports and Manufacturing Overviews, 2001–2020.

Somerset Economic Development Corporation. Industrial Development Report. Skowhegan, 1997.

United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey: Somerset County, Maine. Washington, D.C., 2018.