Masai footwear, the parent of MBT footwear, is moving its
U.S. headquarters from Sun Valley, ID, to larger office space in Portsmouth,
NH.
Masai USA Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Masai Group
International GMBH, with world headquarters in Romashorn, Switzerland,
is a manufacturer and wholesaler of MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology)
Footwear.
The company plans to move into the new 6,600 square foot headquarters at 75 New Hampshire
Ave. at the Pease International Tradeport by mid-April and has already begun
hiring an estimated 25-30 new employees to fill positions ranging from accounts
receivable to marketing.
Officials with the company told seacoastonline.com that the move was partly to
accommodate two recently hired members of management with local ties, to move
them closer to major Boston-based investor Berkshire Partners, and to continue
to expand the a U.S. market that has traditionally been strongest west of the
Mississippi. The city is also much closer to major airports than the company was
in Idaho.
The Portsmouth lifestyle also fit the health & wellness shoe brand. Mark Matheny, vice
president of operations for MBT, said “the beautiful city of
Portsmouth” was itself a major factor. The low-carbon use nature of the building also attracted MBT and the three-story building is in the
process of being LEED certified.
