L.L.Bean opened a new manufacturing center in Lewiston, ME and unveiled a $1 million injection molding machine to support ongoing demand for its iconic duck boot.
The investment increases the outdoor gear company’s capacity to make its trademark product by one-third.
L.L.Bean sold 600,000 pairs of the boots in 2016 and expects to produce 750,000 this year. It expects to reach the 1 million milestone in 2018.
“With the addition of the second molding machine here, we’ve significantly increased our capacity for Bean boot production,” said Steve Smith, the company’s president and CEO, told workers and guests Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
Photo courtesy L.L.Bean
