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Issue link: http://wetoday.epubxp.com/i/235944
AT LEFT: This infographic highlights the sucessess Justin has achieved through its "Thank You" campaign, including the fact that more than 4,000 boots are made in America every day. ABOVE: At the Cassville, Mo., factory, Kenneth Taft side-lasts a boot. BELOW: As part of Justin's "Thank You" campaign, every boot box is replete with a sticker, picturing a smiling Justin factory worker. always been a part of our business to manufacture in the U.S. What we have found is that we can now meet price points comparable to the China boot — and make it an American-made boot. Our goal is to make more and more product in the U.S. and continue growing that business." Brandon Barker, brand manager for Justin Original Workboots, explains that Justin took a risk and invested in expensive equipment to manufacture boots in the U.S. that are on par with those made in China, while many other American companies have not taken that leap. "We're committing to not only bring product back to the U.S., but we're bringing products that will compete against China and other global sourcing," Barker says. "So we're 100-percent committed to do more to compete with the overseas price points." Barker is quick to add, however, that the inherent purpose of the campaign is to thank the end consumer. The consumer is our core, he says. "If you look at it from the perspective of the Western world, the Western rancher has been around since the beginning of America," says Barker. "But look at the American worker as well from the work boot perspective. I love the fact that we're turning around and saying thank you to the American consumer for buying products crafted in the USA. Whether you're on the Western boot side or the work boot side, we want to make sure that America and the industry know how proud we are of our employees and of the commitment we have to making products in the United States of America." While Russo and Barker were the masterminds behind this campaign, the entire company jumped on board without hesitation. Justin now owns and operates four factories in the U.S., located in El Paso, Texas; Cassville, Mo.; Carthage, Mo.; and Brewer, Maine. Plus, the company has recently hired more than 300 employees to keep domestic manufacturing forging ahead. To spread the word about the campaign, Justin produced a video that airs on Fox 4 Southwest (you can also view it at justinUSA. com). Russo describes the video as the heart of the campaign. In the flm, Randy Watson, chairman and CEO of Justin Brands, discusses the incredible talent and innovative ideas that Justin's American workers bring to the workplace. "If you could see a factory, you would understand the true meaning of handcrafted. They're artists. They're craftsmen," says Watson. "Make no mistake, we're not saying we do not source product. But we have acquired another factory, which brings our U.S. total to four … bringing jobs back to the United States. That's not something many people can say. Some of our competitors don't have factories in the United States. There are a lot of American families that appreciate you buying Justin boots." To further extend Justin's message of thanks, Russo explains that the company has designed a fully integrated social media brand campaign. "It's an evolution of 'thank you,'" Russo says. "We want to tell not only our customers thank you, but also our retailers. Then it turns back around full circle and allows the end-consumer to go to justinusa.com and actually send a message to the boot makers to say thank you for making these great boots for me. I think this is the uniqueness of the package of the whole campaign. Everyone is involved. And everybody's saying 'thank you.'" Russo stresses that the entire company is overwhelmingly proud of this campaign and that it has actually increased motivation among Justin's workers. "Now, they're more proud," Russo says. "They're front and center. They're rock stars now, and that's a great thing. I think even retailers are feeling this. Some of our major retailers are focusing on our campaign on their websites, and I think we're starting to see a lot more retailers wanting to sell American-made products." Barker agrees that the company is inspired by this campaign and hopes that consumers will be proud to purchase any Justin product. "We're proud of it all," Barker says, "because it carries 135 years of quality-manufacturing history. We were one of the frst people to start making work boots in the U.S., and we've been doing it a long time now. I hope people will hold on to this uniqueness." Another aspect of the campaign comes with the boots' packaging. Every new Justin boot box is emblazoned with a campaign sticker that boasts "Handcrafted in the USA," along with a photograph of a Justin factory worker. And inside each box, Justin has included a thank-you letter, expressing its gratitude for buying their product. "We thought about making a brand new box for 'Made in the USA' products," Russo explains. "But that red box has a powerful story to it. So we decided the best thing to do was to take our existing box and put our 'Thank You' campaign stickers on them — in a prominent place. And in every image, you're looking right into a worker's eyes." So the next time you pull out a Justin box for a customer, smile back at Bill or Karen or Dewayne or any number of other Justin employees, who may happen to be smiling back at you. After all, the eyes and smile are windows to the soul, and Justin aims to capture the souls of the American people, making sure they get a big "Thank You" along the way. Indeed. And as Berry himself closed his iconic anthem: … Anything you want, we got it right here in the U.S.A." — Alana Harrison JANUARY 2014 35