ROCKFORD, Mich., April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolverine
Worldwide (NYSE: WWW) today commended the House Armed Services
Committee's approval of legislation directing the Army, Navy, Air
Force, and Marine Corps to provide Berry Amendment compliant
athletic footwear to service members upon their initial entry to
the armed forces. Currently, the Department of Defense provides a
cash allowance to members for the purchase of foreign-made athletic
footwear. This important provision was included in the annual
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and led by Armed Services
Committee member Representative Niki
Tsongas (D-MA.)
"I commend the House Armed Services Committee for this
significant provision that will have a direct and positive impact
on our ability to provide high quality, American-made athletic
footwear to men and women upon their entry to the armed services,"
said Blake Krueger, Wolverine
Worldwide's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.
"Congresswoman Niki Tsongas has
exhibited remarkable persistence in her support for American
manufacturing and for the needs of American service members. We are
greatly appreciative of the commitment demonstrated by
Congresswoman Tsongas and the members of the Armed Services
committee to support American jobs and maintain a strong footwear
industrial base in the United
States."
Since 1941, the Berry Amendment has required the Department of
Defense to only purchase American-made and sourced clothing,
textiles, foods, and other essential military items for our men and
women in uniform. Until today, athletic footwear was not included
in the Amendment. The purpose of the Berry Amendment is to ensure
the United States is able to
maintain viable industries for key military items should conflict
break out and disrupt supply lines. This legislation helps
support manufacturing jobs and sustains the domestic industrial
base that currently builds the combat boots and military dress
shoes for the United States Armed Services.
With a longstanding partnership with the United States
Department of Defense, Wolverine Worldwide operates a manufacturing
plant located in Big Rapids, Mich.
that employs more than 600 people who currently and proudly build a
broad spectrum of Bates Footwear for the men and women of
the United States military.
Products manufactured in Big
Rapids include combat boots for the service branches,
mountain combat boots for Special Operations Forces, and military
dress shoes.
Wolverine Worldwide has athletic footwear manufacturing
capabilities in its Big Rapids
facility through its Saucony brand. Saucony is a leading global
performance running brand that was founded in the United States in 1898. The brand is
known for its best-in-class design, innovation and performance
technology. Saucony maintains and is presently expanding its
technical research laboratory in Lexington, MA where the Company performs
material testing as well as biomechanical, physiological and
sensory analysis of runners. The athletic footwear capabilities of
the Company's Big Rapids facility
are due to the creation and engineering of an advanced
manufacturing line that can produce 100% Berry-compliant Saucony
running shoes. The Company is looking forward to building
American-made athletic shoes for American troops as a result of
this critical amendment included in the
NDAA.
ABOUT WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE
With a commitment to service and product excellence, Wolverine
World Wide, Inc. is one of the world's leading marketers of branded
casual, active lifestyle, work, outdoor sport, athletic, children's
and uniform footwear and apparel. The Company's portfolio of
highly recognized brands includes: Merrell®, Sperry®, Hush
Puppies®, Saucony®, Wolverine®, Keds®, Stride Rite®, Sebago®,
Chaco®, Bates®, HYTEST®, and Soft Style®. The Company also is
the global footwear licensee of popular brands including Cat® and
Harley-Davidson®. The Company's products are carried by leading
retailers in the U.S. and globally in approximately 200 countries
and territories. For additional information, please visit our
website, www.wolverineworldwide.com.
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SOURCE Wolverine Worldwide