FORREST CITY, Ark. (AP) -- A company that makes boots for the military announced Wednesday it would open a factory in Forrest City, eventually hiring 200 people.
Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. plans to open in June in Forrest City Industrial Park.
Employees will cut material and sew, work that will be done to support two other company factories, one in DeWitt and the other at company headquarters in Belleville, Ill., the company said. About 500 people work at the DeWitt factory.
The company said it expects to hire the 200 workers within 18 months.
The Forrest City plant will be called the Mid-South Division of Belleville Shoe South Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company.
Belleville Shoe, the largest U.S. manufacturer of military boots, said the new factory will enable the company to increase production to meet an anticipated 30 percent increase in demand.
''Belleville Shoe is a well-established company and we are proud to have them as a part of our community,'' Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Dunn said. He credited the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the governor's office and local officials for helping bring in the plant.
Belleville Shoe is looking for workers with experience in sewing or leather cutting, experienced sewing machine mechanics, supervisory and support personnel. The state Department of Workforce Services at Forrest City is taking job applications for the company.
