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LISTEN: Shoemaker Looks to Outsmart Tariffs, Labor Woes with Automation Boost

Eric Sorensen

A factory in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, reliant on automation, looks to help a shoe manufacturer navigate tariffs and labor shortages.


The Wall Street Journal reported that Keen Footwear recently closed its facility in Portland, Oregon, with plans to relocate production to a 60,000-square-foot site in the Bluegrass State, scheduled to open next month. The company expects the new location to nearly double its domestic output and credits that growth to increased automation.