One year later, shoe manufacturing revival ‘progressing slowly’

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — Just over one year ago — Jan. 4, 2014 to be exact — more than 125 people showed up at a job fair designed to gauge interest in reviving shoe manufacturing in Dexter.

    The turnout in 20-below weather caught town officials and organizers by surprise. Respondents ranged from ex-Dexter Shoe employees who wanted to produce footwear once again to retirees willing to train prospective factory workers.
    Meetings were held throughout the spring with state officials, current and retired lawmakers and others about obtaining financing for the venture.
    So far, that’s proven to be the major roadblock, said some of the organizers.
    “We’re progressing,” said Jim Costedio, a former Dexter Shoe supervisor, “but we’re not at the point where we had hoped to be a year ago. However, we are still heading in the right direction.”
    Costedio told the Observer that some sample hand-sewn footwear is being made and shopped to prospective customers. “We hope to convince companies that we can produce shoes,” he said. “If we can get an order or two and present it to investors, we’ll get the money to get the equipment we need to get going. We have the skills to make other types of footwear, but we think the hand-sewn market will be our niche.”
    Gerry Marshall of Corinna was one of the major players in the quest to revive shoemaking in a town that was famous for its namesake footwear until the factory shut down 13 years ago. However, he declined to comment on the status of the project for the time being. “You could say it’s on hold, but I’d rather not get into specifics,” Marshall said.
    While Maine shoe manufacturing has all but disappeared from the landscape during the past two decades, there are notable exceptions. L.L. Bean’s signature boot sales have quadrupled in recent years, and the company was unable to fill around 60,000 orders for the holidays despite adding a third shift to its factory in Lewiston.
    Costedio said that the situation was ironic. “If we had only been further ahead when L.L. Bean discovered their production problems, it would have been a match made in heaven,” he said.
    But Costedio did say that the L.L. Bean situation underscored the fact that shoes can be — and still are — manufactured in Maine. “We now have a better focus on what we need to bring to prospective customers,” he said. I believe we can still create enough interest and that will help us get the financing we need.”