Meet the Makers: Roger

I could not think of a better person to feature than Roger Harbaugh. Roger has taught me so much about the craft. He is a true "Shoe Dog" as some would say, with over 50 years of experience in the footwear manufacturing world. 

He began his career at the original Bender Shoe factory back in the 60s, when they were primarily making Officer shoes for the US Military. He worked his way up in the company, and when it was bought by a North Carolina shoe mogul in the 80s, he was a driving force in ensuring that our Somerset factory was meeting expectations. He can teach you anything about making shoes from scouring (shown above) to the more technical backend like time studies, piece work structures, and efficiency reports. Roger left the Somerset factory to manage another military contractor in the footwear space in Virginia. However, we are incredibly lucky to have him back part-time to do his excellent work and also teach me about the ropes of the business. 

Roger is a testament to hard work and he's also not short of too many hilarious jokes along the way. Its because of folks like Roger that we do what we do and continue to adapt and change to support this craft, the one that he and others have committed themselves to for generations.

Stay tuned as we feature other members of the team.