Washington, D.C. – The Rubber and Plastic Footwear Manufacturers Association (RPFMA) announced that it has changed its name to the United States Footwear Manufacturers (USFMA) to better communicate its mission and its membership. The association also launched a new website, www.USFMA.org, a new logo, a Facebook page and a LinkedIn page.
“The name USFMA sends a clear message that this association is about protecting and growing footwear manufacturing here in the United States,” said USFMA Executive Director Bill McCann. “Our mission is to make sure that our nation’s trade policy supports domestic manufacturing and that footwear purchased with tax dollars is manufactured here. We reject the notion that American workers and factories don’t produce the highest quality boots and shoes for both our military and our nation.”
USFMA supports the domestic footwear industry by promoting fair trade, strong manufacturing policies, and policies that protect the industrial base. Traditionally, the association focused most of its efforts on defending a “protected list” of sensitive items as defined by the United States International Trade Commission (USITC). Moving forward, USFMA will also protect and expand the Berry Amendment and other federal statutes and policies that require our military and other uniformed federal employees to wear domestically manufactured footwear.
“Our new focus on government procurement aligns well with our existing focus on fair trade for footwear. Manufacturers of combat boots and other footwear required for military and government service are not only creating good-paying jobs but are part of our national security. USFMA will fight to create more government opportunities for domestic footwear,” said McCann.
The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) association founded in 1986 to protect and enhance the footwear industry’s manufacturing base in the United States. USFMA members include both domestic footwear manufacturers as well as domestic suppliers. As a whole, the footwear manufacturing industry employs more than 12,000 U.S. workers.