Holland Shoe Factory

Holland Shoe Factory. . , Utilizing the abundant supply of shoe leather tanned at the Cappon and Bertsch tannery, the Holland Shoe Factory went into production on this site in 1902. The building’s original cornerstone, on display below, was set in 1901. Within a year, the factory had become one of the busiest in Holland, employing 200 people and producing 1,000 pairs of shoes a day. By 1914, these numbers had increased to 400 employees and 3,000 pairs of shoes daily. , in 1939, the Holland Shoe Factory merged with the Racine Shoe Company from Wisconsin, forming the Holland-Racine Shoe Company. During World War Two, the company joined the war effort by supplying the U.S, Navy with 240,000 pairs of shoes. In 1964, the Holland-Racine Shoe Company was sold to a St. Louis firm. In February of 1967, it was announced that the plant would close. Competition from low cost imports had taken its toll on Holland-Racine, as well as many other shoe manufacturers across the country.