Lack of demand for penny loafers leads to factory closure
According to local media reports American footwear manufacturer SAS Shoemakers is to close its factory in Pittsfield, Maine, due to a lack of demand for the penny loafers and other shoe styles manufactured at the site. The staggered closure, which is planned to begin in April, will lead to the loss of 145 jobs, although some staff may be offered transfers to the company’s production facilities in Texas.
Although the move would seem to reflect an ongoing trend of American companies closing their domestic manufacturing facilities, a spokesperson for SAS, which produces all of its footwear in the States, stated that the company’s business was steady and that the decision to close the Maine site was based only on the lack of demand for the styles of footwear manufactured at that factory.
