WASHINGTON, D.C., December, 19, 2025 – The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association is pleased to welcome USM Americas and its historic legacy of supplying our industry with world-class machinery, parts, automation, and other innovative footwear production solutions.
“USFMA has had a very successful 2025, enlisting more stakeholders to advance our aggressive strategy to secure new federal policies and investments that further revitalize domestic footwear manufacturing,” said USFMA Executive Director Bill McCann. “USM Americas has a long record of helping to sustain American manufacturing, and we are thrilled to have them join our collective efforts to strengthen the footwear industrial base, develop new business partnerships, and lay the groundwork for a more robust future.”
The company, originally founded in Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1899, recently moved into a new facility in Auburn, New Hampshire, where it has engineering and technical services and sales support for several industries, including footwear manufacturing.
“We look forward to collaborating with USFMA and its members as we seek new ways to support footwear manufacturers here in the United States,” said George Armstead, President of USM Americas.
He highlighted the “robotic machinery for the footwear industry that we engineer and build in-house here in New Hampshire,” which he said New Balance and others are currently leveraging for spraying outsole adhesive.
USM Americas also distributes select footwear machines from around the world. They are the main supplier for North America of Fioretto welted machinery and Chen Feng lasting equipment.
As part of USFMA, Armstead said he envisions new opportunities for American manufacturers to work together to consolidate their demands to both develop and purchase production equipment to strengthen domestic manufacturing and assembly.
“If we can get together and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got multiple customers looking to solve similar manufacturing process problems I can then present this information to our engineering team and trusted suppliers,” he explained. “This industry-supported approach provides a stronger base for investment and economies of scale in purchases.”
Another objective for USM is to play a bigger role in helping nurture the next generation of skilled footwear workers.
“The biggest problem is getting help in these shoe factories,” explained Armstead. “One of our goals with our larger facility in New Hampshire is to work with local schools and manufacturers to offer young people opportunities to be exposed to manufacturing processes and craft-based industries like footwear.”
Even as the footwear industry embraces new and more innovative manufacturing approaches, “you cannot fully automate footwear because it is truly a craft,” he added. “Robots can’t compensate for all of it.”