Church CEO made honorary fellow of University of Northampton
22/07/2015
Shoe production at Northampton-based Church & Co spans centuries, with manufacturing starting in 1675. Although now a wholly owned subsidiary of Italian luxury group Prada, the company has sought to maintain English shoe traditions and heritage in its manufacturing process. The recent success of the brand has led to the purchase of Northampton’s former bus depot to enable expansion of its manufacturing facilities.
Mr Etheridge has a long association with the University of Northampton, offering advice and support to staff on the development of its degree course in footwear and accessories, and to students working towards the degree. For example, Church & Co offers a scholarship each year to third-year students and a number of Northampton students have completed work placements at the company.
Stephen Etheridge has also demonstrated commitment to the wider footwear industry, serving as non-executive director of the British Footwear Association (BFA) for many years and taking up the position of non-executive chairman of testing and research organisation SATRA.
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