[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12830]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING FALCON PERFORMANCE FOOTWEAR

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, in cities and towns all across 
America, there are businesses that are synonymous with the communities 
they serve. Maine has historically been home to a number of these 
companies, from local paper mills to Bath Iron Works. In the Lewiston-
Auburn region, Falcon Performance Footwear has been part of the fabric 
since 1963, producing high-quality shoes and boots for generations of 
Mainers and Americans. On Tuesday, August 23, Falcon Performance 
Footwear will be recognized by the Maine Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership, or MEP, with its 2011 Manufacturing Excellence Award. I 
commend Falcon for its fine work and congratulate the company on its 
recognition.
  Falcon Shoe Manufacturing Company got its start in 1963, when Ted 
Johanson opened the factory's doors at the Roy Continental Mill in 
Lewiston. Originally, Falcon produced children's shoes, but over time 
focused its efforts on manufacturing boots for a number of uses. In the 
late 1970s and early 1980s, Falcon began implementing a number of 
forward-thinking and innovative processes, including the first in the 
shoe industry to utilize computerized stitching equipment, as well as 
the first direct-attach polyurethane outer sole for shoes in the 
country. The company was also the first to make Timberland boots. To 
provide the company with the ability to expand, Falcon moved from its 
longtime home in Lewiston to a larger location in the neighboring city 
of Auburn earlier this year.
  Today, Falcon's sole focus is on making reliable, sturdy, comfortable 
boots, particularly for consumers in labor-intensive jobs. The company 
produces a number of cutting-edge industrial boots, and in 2006 began 
working with Globe Firefighter Suits, a New Hampshire small business, 
to create a state-of-the-art boot for firefighters designed with an 
athletic shoe platform rather than a more rigid welted sole to provide 
added flexibility. Falcon added mining boots to its repertoire in 2009, 
which feature a type of leather that resists many of the salts and 
minerals frequently encountered by miners.
  Over the past decade, Falcon has worked with the Maine MEP to improve 
its efficiency and productivity, allowing the company to better compete 
in the global economy. As a result of this collaboration, Falcon has 
increased its productivity by 60 percent, retained over 50 jobs, 
increased its sales, and trained all of its employees in a number of 
advanced manufacturing techniques. I have long been a supporter of, and 
advocate for, the MEP program, and recognize the immense value of its 
services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the country. 
Indeed, as a result of their partnership with the Maine MEP over the 
past 5 years, clients have reported increased and retained sales over 
$368 million, $40.1 million in cost savings, and the creation or 
retention of over 2,500 jobs--or nearly 5 percent of Maine's 
manufacturing workforce. I commend Falcon for working with the Maine 
MEP to become a leaner, more efficient company that is poised for 
future success, and I am pleased to honor the company and its employees 
as it receives the Maine MEP's 2011 Manufacturing Excellence Award.
  Maine was once home to dozens of shoemakers and tanneries, which 
provided thousands of jobs and enormous benefits to the State's 
economy. But over time, foreign competition and rising costs have 
devastated the shoe industry across America. That is what makes Falcon 
Performance Footwear's story all the more remarkable. I thank everyone 
at Falcon for their hard work and endurance, and wish them continued 
success as they remain an icon in the Lewiston-Auburn 
communities.

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