Wolverine Worldwide on Thursday announced that it was closing its Boston (Waltham) campus by the end of the year and consolidating all footwear brands into the Grand Rapids, MI headquarters. Wolverine inked the lease for the Waltham offices in August 2014. The news was shared during a analyst conference call presided over by newly minted CEO Chris Hufnagel (see SGB Media coverage here).
“This decision will drive increased collaboration across our teams and accelerate the sharing of best practices across the organization, including the implementation of the brand-building playbook,” Hufnagel explained. “I’m excited to have all our footwear brands under one roof in the near-future.”
The Boston offices have been home to the Saucony, Keds, Sperry and Stride Rite brands. Keds has been sold and the company is seeking a “strategic alternative” for Sperry.
“Key steps we’ve taken include the sale of Keds, the licensing of Hush Puppies in North America, and the decision to pursue strategic alternative for Sperry and the Wolverine Leathers Group – a more strategic, integrated, and efficient approach to managing our business,” said Hugnagel when discussing the narrowing of the brand stable on the call.
Photo courtesy Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
