Big Rapids Pioneer: Wolverine welcomes Sen. Peters to talk with employees

BIG RAPIDS — Riding into town on his Harley-Davidson, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters visited Wolverine Worldwide to tour the company and thank employees for their work in providing quality footwear for U.S. military men and women.

Big Rapids is the third stop on Peters’ five-day tour across the state.

“It’s so wonderful to see so many folks,” Peters said as he addressed a crowd of Wolverine employees. “To be able to look out and see all of you is incredible. It’s an honor to be here.”

Wolverine makes boots and shoes under multiple contracts, one of which is for military footwear.

“The way you get more contracts, the way you get more business, the way you grow that business is that you have great workers who build a world-class product that everybody is proud of, and that’s you,” Peters said. “Thank you for what you do every day. You make the best footwear anywhere in the world, and that’s happening right here in Michigan.

“You have a really special job. You are really helping those folks who are out there, standing up for our freedom. You are part of our national security in this country. I hope you take great pride in that. I am very proud of what you do here. I’m proud that you’ve done such a great job that business has been increasing. I’m proud to be here. Thank you for what you do.”

Wolverine produces 25,000 boots and shoes every week, roughly 5,000 every day, according to Tim Barber, manufacturing engineer.

Wolverine uses both leather and man-made materials to create their boots and shoes, Barber said. Two shipments of raw materials come in daily, then the process begins to create a product. The materials are cut with a man-powered machine or electronically, depending on the material. Boots and shoes are shipped out twice a day.

“Being able to get in front of people who are really making a difference in this community doesn’t happen to me often,” Peters said. “It was quite evident walking through the plant, they are in need of expansion. It’s a little crowded. These are boots that take our men and women into combat.

“It’s important when we equip soldiers, they have the best equipment possible. I think it is absolutely essential that equipment is made in America. There’s an incredible sense of pride. I could see it as I was walking through, and I talk about their broad mission, which is to bring our service men and women the best. The employees feel part of that mission — they know they are a part of something special.”

Wolverine CEO Blake Krueger said it was an honor to have the senator stop in Big Rapids on his tour.

“It is truly an honor to have a visit from the senator,” he said. “He is a friend to manufacturing, he is a friend to Michigan and he has been a friend to our company.”

Peters chose to stop at Wolverine and Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center because he serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and because he served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Stops along the tour were selected from areas of Peters’ work.

“I’ve been looking at some of the work I’ve been doing in different areas,” he said. “In Reed City we talked about rural broadband and telemedicine, which allows physicians to contact patients directly in their homes. Spectrum Health has been a real leader in that area so they talked about what they are doing.

“I wanted to see first-hand how that’s working, so I went there. But it only works if everyone has broadband internet and high-speed internet. I also am in homeland security, that’s why I was at Camp Grayling with the National Guard and why I’m at Wolverine — for their part in homeland security and making footwear for service men and women.”