Wolverine to expand 76,000-square-foot Big Rapids facility

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Sep 30, 2016

Wolverine is expanding its Big Rapids facility according to the local press. The Rockford-based company plans to expand its 76,000-square-foot Big Rapids facility by an additional 16,000 square feet.
 

The expansion, which is estimated to cost $1 million, will add local shipping and receiving operations to the facility, which are currently located at the company’s Rockford facility. Wolverine will move its shipping and receiving operations to another facility at the beginning of 2017 to begin renovations, and all of the employees in shipping and receiving will be offered jobs at the Big Rapids facility.
 
The US military is the main catalyst behind the company’s expansion. Bates Footwear, one of the brands under Wolverine, was awarded a five-year contract with the US Marine Corps in March, which led to the creation of 100 new jobs. The Bates Footwear facility currently houses 600 employees that produce 5,000 shoes, and 90% of the shoes produced at the facility are for the military.

The Wolverine brand portfolio includes its namesake brand, Sperry, Hush Puppies, Saucony, and Keds among others.