Footwear Insight

22 • Footwear Insight ~ July/August 2019 footwearinsight.com Upping its Game By Bob McGee D u n l o p h a s t h o u s a n d s o f " e n d o r s e r s " a r o u n d t h e world, but unlike Nike and Adidas they aren't found on basketball courts, soccer pitches or baseball diamonds. And despite the Dunlop brand's ball history, they won't be found on the tennis court or the golf course, either. The "endorsers" of Dunlop Protective Footwear are every- where from the floor of an Arkansas poultry processing plant to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico to corn fields on the family farm. Dunlop Protective Footwear has upped its game over the last three years in the U.S. through investments in infrastruc- ture, technology, personnel and product development. The changes, including the acquisition of the former Onguard factory in Havre de Grace, MD, in April 2016, have occurred since the brand's Netherlands-based parent company was acquired in 2016 by Benelux-based Gilde Equity Management. These are heady times for the indus- trial footwear market, which for years made few enhancements to its products worn by workers around the world. The segment's global market, estimated at $5.6 billion in 2017, is forecast to rise at a CAGR of 6.5 percent to reach $10.1 billion worldwide in 2025, according to ReportOcean/Sheer Analytics & Insights. Industrial protective footwear is facing "substantial demand from varied indus- tries," according to the research firm, due to a shift toward worker safety and "stringent laws for safety and protection of laborers at (the) workplace." Elroy Bongers, an industrial engineer who serves as Dunlop's global innova- tion director based out of its Raalte, Netherlands headquarters, says the com- pany's breakout commenced in March 2012, when former Philips executive Allard Bijlsma joined as CEO. Bijlsma declared Dunlop a "premium brand" and said the company needed to focus on innovation. The company currently sells more than 7.5 million pairs annually worldwide into 80 countries. Product is made in The Netherlands, Portugal and Maryland for the U.S., Canada and Mexico markets. Nearly 23 percent of the boots, or 1.7 million pairs, are made in Maryland. In the U.S., before developing indus- try-specific styles, including its now best-selling FoodPro, Dunlop trimmed its massive, 400-SKU line to a set of core styles, invested in a digital platform and installed a new ERP system to service customers better than the DOS-based system it had utilized for decades. On the production floor, Dunlop mixes and produces the materials that make up its styles, including its proprietary, light- weight Purofort material that is said to minimize foot fatigue. It manufactures the PVC used in its DuraPro boots, intro- duced in 2015, and the Chesapeake rain/ work boot introduced in 2018 as a com- parable product to China-sourced styles from other makers but with more fea- tures and benefits. A second Purofort machine is being installed in Havre de Grace this summer. Colin Clark, director of U.S. marketing, says Bijlsma refers to Dunlop's propri- etary machinery, molds and materials as its "Coca-Cola approach." After nearly two decades in the busi- ness, Mary Steinebrunner is always thinking about what might come next. As the general manager of Dunlop Protective Footwear in Havre de Grace, Steinebrunner says she's witnessed vast advancements over the last five years at both her employer and the protective footwear industry overall. "Our innovation pipeline is what's most exciting about this business," says Steinebrunner. "We've transformed from just a basic PVC, down and dirty, 'mud and water' boot to having the most sophisticated products." Steinebrunner and Clark express con- fidence that Dunlop's high-performance boots will continue to gain traction with U.S. workers in a variety of industries and with at-home warriors, comparing the brand's transformation in recent years to the evolution of the mobile phone. "Do you want a flip phone or the newest and latest iPhone," asks Steinebrunner. "If it [phone or boot] has the right fea- tures and benefits, they will pay for it." This fall, Dunlop will launch the Snug Boot, a two years in development, pre- mium component product with the brand's proprietary Purofort. There will be three versions of the Snug, ranging from $150 for the Pioneer to $169 for the puncture-resistant Work Pro featuring a composite toe cap and fiberglass mid plate. A $179 Mossy Oak version will be sold at Bass Pro and Cabela's. Going forward, Steinebrunner is thinking about domestic manufacturing and more, including how Dunlop can work with its industrial partners to develop more sus- tainable/recyclable products, potentially utilizing recovered plastics, and eventually introduce a "smart boot" that will open doors for wearers and inform them when the outsole tread is worn out and the prod- uct needs to be replaced. l Dunlop Protectve Footwear Is Investing in its Future Growth. Colin Clark, director of U.S. marketing and Mary Steinebrunner, general manager, Dunlop Protective Footwear. BRAND PROFILE Listen to a Sports Insight Extra podcast with Dunlop execs online at sportsinsightextra.com/podcast.html 1889: Dunlop brand founded. 1905: Hevea established in Raalte, Netherlands. 1980: Proprietary Purofort material invented. 1991: Launched Hazmax boot that guards against biological and chemical hazards. 2004: Spun-off by Vredestein B.V., a former Netherlands tire manufacturer. 2012: Former Philips Electronics exec Allard Bijlsma becomes CEO of parent company. 2016: Former management-led buyout with Benelux-based Gilde Equity Management from Vrdestein. April 2016: Acquired U.S.-based Onguard in Havre de Grace, MD. 2018: EQT Partners becomes majority shareholder with Guilde remaining a "significant" shareholder. Introduces "The Chesapeake," made in the USA, general- use PVC boot. 2019: Celebrates 80th anniversary with introduction of premium "Snug Boot" for consumer retail and direct markets in September after two years of development. Dunlop Protective Footwear Timeline

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