Keen Inc. completes its fifth record-breaking year with two major moves to support the unprecedented growth of the Keen Utility footwear category.
Investments in a dedicated Keen Utility office building and category-specific warehouse facilities will allow the Utility division to keep pace with increasing demand, while providing best-in-class service for its industrial and service retail partners and fans.
“Keen Utility has proven to be a top performer not only in its category but within our brand,” said Steve Meineke, president of Keen. “We will continue to build this momentum by investing in the Keen Utility business model and leadership team, the first step of this being the expansion into new office and warehouse spaces.”
This new Keen Utility home base will allow for future additions to the Keen Utility team which has grown swiftly since the category launched in 2010 as well as allow the sales, marketing and customer service teams to better serve business partners and fans.
In a second major move the Keen Utility team announced a utility-dedicated warehouse and shipping hub in Louisville, Ky. While traditional footwear orders are more future-driven with longer lead times, the unique environment within the work channel requires a very different distribution model, demanding tight turnaround times, more orders for immediate delivery and an overall “at once” mentality. To meet the growing demand for innovative industrial safety and service footwear products the new Louisville Shipping Hub will help better anticipate and service the demands of the brand’s valued industrial footwear partners.
Located in Portland’s Pearl District, the new 4,500 square-foot Keen Utility office is within walking distance of the Keen global headquarters and within a bike ride of the Portland Factory. The design aesthetic for the new office builds on Keen's dedication to repurposing with a purpose. The space features a unique floor made from OSV exterior plywood and a custom conference table using scrap iron I-Beams and reclaimed wood. Recycled touches including screwdriver knobs and a vintage concrete trowel door handle pay homage to the industries Keen Utility supports.
