Boston-based New Balance hosted a grand opening celebration on March 28 for its latest domestic footwear manufacturing facility, an 80,000-sq.ft. plant in Methuen, MA. By year’s end, according to the Boston Globe, the factory will employ more than 200 for production of the brand’s 990v5 running shoe, up from 90 staffers currently. New Balance already employs 680 across three factories in Maine and another 230 in Lawrence, MA.

The Methuen factory site, which underwent a $20 million renovation earlier, was selected due to its proximity to both the Lawrence facility and to a key supplier for the brand, Haverhill-MA based Dela Inc. New Balance received $1.17 million in state and local tax relief in 2019 for its decision to open in Methuen, which was initially slated to be an innovation hub to test new manufacturing techniques and concepts.

New Balance says it is “proactively working to innovate and expand” its domestic supplier network for its USA-made footwear, as well as “drive new automation and robotics opportunities to enhance associate safety and ergonomics and increase productivity.” USA-made footwear makes up a limited portion of New Balance’s U.S. sales.

“We believe our commitment to domestic manufacturing drives innovation, capitalizes on consumer trends and provides new market opportunities,” said Dave Wheeler, New Balance Chief Operating Officer. “The opening of NB Methuen significantly expands our owned manufacturing capacity and furthers our efforts to have a best-in-class value chain.”