Union represented Belleville Boot Co. lands $7.8 million contract with U.S. Army

By ELIZABETH DONALD
Illinois Correspondent

Belleville, IL – A Belleville shoe company will be making boots for the U.S. Army for the next two years, providing more job security for union workers.

Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. has been awarded a $7.8 million contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for temperate weather combat boots, according to an announcement from U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.).

The workers at Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 655, with a current contract due for renewal in November. Local 655 represents dozens of other local employers, including Dierbergs, Holten Meat, Kroger, Cedargate, Schnucks, Bon Appetit, Straubs and more.

OLDEST MANUFACTURER OF ARMY BOOTS
Belleville Shoe Manufacturing – often doing business as Belleville Boot Co. – is the oldest manufacturer of boots for the U.S. military, beginning with their first combat boot supply order during World War I. Today, Belleville Shoe supplies the largest selection of certified boots and employs approximately 700 workers.

The company has been family owned for five generations, according to its website.

“Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. welcomes the opportunity to once again serve the men and women of the U.S. Army in providing the essential Army temperate weather combat boot,” Company President Mark Ferguson said.

BUDZINSKI INTRODUCED AMENDENT
Budzinski introduced a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in July that requires the U.S. Department of Defense to examine current footwear regulations and provide recommendations on improvements, aiming to support domestic boot manufacturing.

“Since World War I, the Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Company has played a critical role in equipping the men and women serving our nation in the armed forces,” Budzinski said. “I’ve worked on a bipartisan basis to support domestic military equipment manufacturing, and I look forward to continuing to support the important work happening in Belleville.”