Wolverine World Wide, the footwear company known for brands like Saucony and Sperry, has made the decision to permanently close its distribution facility in Louisville, Kentucky. This unfortunate move will unfortunately result in around 150 employees being laid off.
A notice was filed with the Kentucky Career Center, informing that 150 employees working there will be laid off starting from May 3. This notice is called a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice.
Wolverine has made the decision to close its facility in Louisville as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline operations. This move is part of the company’s broader restructuring initiative, which aims to stabilize its business. Although there were initial plans to keep the Saucony and Sperry brands housed at the Louisville site, Wolverine has ultimately decided to shutter the distribution center.
The local industry has been dealt a significant blow with the announcement of these layoffs.
“Unfortunately, this news reflects challenges that companies in certain industries across the U.S. are facing due to changing consumer demands and inflationary pressures. However, we remain optimistic that our regional economy is in a strong position and believe that these kinds of announcements will be minimal across our region.” Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., the chamber of commerce for Louisville
