Ted Johanson was the owner of Falcon Shoe in Lewiston-Auburn. He discusses his journey as a businessman, including how he started the factory and how he adapted to global changes in the shoe industry. He also talks about working conditions and programs for the...
Armand was born in Pembrook, NH, and moved to the Maine at the age of 3. He discusses growing up in the Lewiston-Auburn area in the 1930s, his family history with the Bates Mill, and his life as a weaver at the Bates Mill.
Nancy Higgins worked as a stitcher in at the Bates Mill. She discusses her work and her eventual role as a supervisor. She also mentions when the mills started closing as well as unions at the workplace.
Dave Rancourt started as a hand sewer in shoe factories and eventually worked his way up to owning a small business. He discusses the department of hand sewing and what it was like to manage employees there. To read the transcription, scroll past the first two...
Ed Koss was a shoemaker who worked in various factories in Central America. He recounts his job in the shoe industry, and how he went from working in Maine to running factories in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He also discusses how globalization has changed the...
