An American Brand: New Balance Keeps Production In U.S.

New Balance’s effort to keep production in the U.S. was examined on Friday’s edition of NBC’s “Nightly News” in a piece on American companies’ challenges competing in the global market as part of a series called “Can America Compete?” NBC’s Anne Thompson reported New Balance “keeps 25% of its manufacturing in America, the only company to make any athletic shoes here.” New Balance President & COO Jim Tompkins: “Our labor costs are at least 10-12 times higher here.” But Thompson noted “productivity at New Balance’s five U.S. plants is much greater, lowering other costs.” Tompkins said, “We’re able to deliver into the market in a matter of days where our competitors are looking at weeks and sometimes months.” Thompson added New Balance has “discovered that while it is more expensive to keep work here in this country, it ultimately delivers a bigger payoff. So much so New Balance plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing because ‘Made In America’ still has a competitive edge” (“Nightly News,” NBC, 5/12).