Boston-based New Balance is best known for its shoes, but it should also be known for its commitment to domestic manufacturing. With two facilities in Maine, two in Massachusetts, and one in New Hampshire, New Balance claims to be “the only major athletic shoe manufacturer that has consistently maintained factories in the United States.” The company’s MADE in USA footwear, complete with a domestic value of 70% or more and a ‘Made in USA’ mark, has been “designed without compromise and constructed with authentic American craftsmanship for over 75 years,” New Balance wrote. This initiative, therefore, also involves a deeper commitment to expanding relationships with U.S. suppliers. In 2024, of the $3.1 billion that New Balance contributed to the American economy, $479 million of that was the result of its MADE operations.
In 2022, New Balance announced plans to invest $65 million to expand its five-story plant in Skowhegan, Maine, which it bought in 1981. The expansion, which broke ground in 2023 with the help of $200,000 in state tax breaks, added another 120,000-square-foot story and renovated an additional 20,000 square feet, doubling its capacity to one million pairs of MADE shoes per year. Eddie Cabassa, a New Balance employee, told News Center Maine, “Everything is definitely a lot easier to work on. It’s helping us get things done a lot quicker now.” The change also supports operational consolidation by closing the Norridgewock, Maine, factory, with all 230 jobs transferred to the new location. New Balance Vice President of Public Relations and Governance, Amy Dow, explained the benefits, “Our long-standing commitment to making highly crafted, premium athletic footwear in Maine has never been stronger and this move will strengthen our team’s capabilities and offer significant benefits as a unified and collaborative Central Maine workforce.”
In September, New Balance celebrated the opening of the facility, called New Balance Central Maine. The expansion created 200 new jobs, in addition to the jobs the facility already supported and those transferred there from Norridgewock. Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) reacted, “This additional manufacturing capacity will support New Balance’s ability to produce high-quality footwear right here in Maine. That’s good news not only for Skowhegan and the company’s hundreds of workers, but for all of us who want to see domestic manufacturing thrive.” Joe Preston, New Balance President and CEO, noted that local operations cultivate a better culture and a better product. “U.S. manufacturing has always been at the core of our company culture. We believe that when we think global but act local, we can better serve the local communities where our associates live and work, while also enhancing our focus on the craftsmanship and quality integral to our global business,” he said. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) added that the facility will support expanded markets for New Balance’s products, “In addition to the added jobs that will be available for Maine people, now even more people across the country will be able to experience the quality of ‘Maine-made’ products. It’s a win-win.”
Now, New Balance’s domestic workforce across its factories stands at more than 5,000, with 1,200 focused on MADE products and more than 600 specifically in Maine, spanning the state’s Central Maine and Norway factories and retail stores in Kittery, Oxford, and Skowhegan. Notably, in 2024, every MADE associate supported 2.5 additional U.S. jobs. New Balance COO Dave Wheeler elaborated that this is just the beginning: “New jobs mean more skills training, so workforce development now and over the coming years is essential for our ongoing success.” Meanwhile, Jeff Hewett, formerly Skowhegan’s director of economic and community development, reflected on the wider economic impact: “If you look at the 200 jobs themselves, that’s super, but the spinoff jobs from this is just as important. This is $65 million that they are talking about investing in this facility, which will be a state-of-the-art facility. That to me is the biggest thing because it stabilizes that company here.”
Photo Courtesy New Balance
“Here in Maine, shoemaking is more than just a job – it is part of our heritage. Thanks to the dedicated New Balance team, it is also part of our future,” added U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Shoemaking’s importance for Maine’s economy is particularly evident given how Maine Sens. Collins and King advocated for a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that required the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to give American-made athletic shoes to initial-entry service members. In 2018, the DOD awarded New Balance one of three resulting contracts.
In a joint statement, Sens. Collins and King and former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME-02) reacted, “There are nearly 1,000 New Balance employees in Skowhegan, Norridgewock, and Norway who work hard to manufacture high-quality, American-made athletic footwear. By including our provision in the fiscal year 2017 NDAA and ensuring the Department of Defense applies the Berry Amendment to athletic footwear for recruits, the Pentagon is now rightly prioritizing American workers and supporting American jobs to equip U.S. troops.”
Photo Courtesy New Balance
Part of the expansion in Skowhegan includes a 1-megawatt rooftop solar system, along with energy-efficient technologies such as electric vehicle charging stations, LED lighting, and low-flow toilets. The initiatives are part of New Balance’s commitment to source 100% clean energy as a member of RE100, requiring the company to consistently evaluate projects that could save energy, and therefore reduce energy costs. The company also buys clean energy from solar projects in Maine, covering approximately one-third of its electricity use.
New Balance also contributes to a cleaner Maine environment by giving back to the local community. For example, it accompanied its expansion investment with a $75,000 gift to Main Street Skowhegan, a nonprofit focused on revitalizing Skowhegan, for its Skowhegan River Park project. The community development project will result in a more accessible river for everyone, featuring stairs, an ADA ramp, and 50 miles of surrounding trails. With more viewing areas, green spaces, and support for activities like kayaking and riverboarding, the project will not only improve life for local Mainers, but also “position our town and region as a tourist destination and whitewater event venue, attracting visitors from near and far who will spend money at our locally owned businesses,” the nonprofit says. “We’re excited to be able to support Maine Street Skowhegan’s River Park that will benefit area residents and our local economy,” added Nate Nixon, Regional Manufacturing Manager at New Balance.
Plus, New Balance donated trail running and hiking shoes to the nonprofit’s Outdoor Gear Lending Library. Kristina Cannon, President & CEO of Main Street Skowhegan, explained that this “further expands access to the outdoors, and together these contributions help position our region as a premier outdoor recreation hub that will benefit residents, visitors, and businesses for generations to come.”
Photo Courtesy Main Street Skowhegan
Additionally, through the New Balance Foundation, the company has given more than $165 million to nonprofits. In 2025 alone, the foundation gifted $17.4 million to 95 nonprofits. The foundation aims to continue funding for each organization over a span of 14 years, far longer than the usual three to five years for most corporate donations, which “allows our portfolio organizations to increase their impact, build capacity, and ensure the longevity and stability of their operations,” the company explained in its last sustainability report.
One of the foundation’s biggest impact pillars is youth employability. By teaming up with Jobs for Maine Graduates, New Balance helps ensure that all Maine students graduate and pursue fulfilling career paths. New Balance has also partnered with institutions of higher education on a variety of initiatives. Beyond committing $7 million for the University of Maine’s New Balance Track & Field and Soccer Complex, the company will also provide $2,500 per year for a ‘Future Scholars’ scholarship for a high school graduate from Skowhegan, preferably a child of a New Balance associate. Other gifts also seek to support its associates in their personal and professional lives; for example, a $250,000 gift in 2024 to the Skowhegan Area Early Childhood Education Center supported early childhood education and care in the area around the factory.
Photo Courtesy New Balance
