In The News

Last week, Congressman Huizenga toured Bates Manufacturing and attended a groundbreaking ceremony for their new expansion which is expected to create approximately two dozen new jobs.  Bates manufactures footwear for our men and women in the U.S. military. Over the past few years, bureaucrats in Washington have attempted to make technical changes without legislation and these changes would have prevented Bates from manufacturing their high quality footwear for our troops.

"What had happened was we had bureaucrats in Washington D.C. suddenly start changing the rules of the game," Rep. Huizenga said. "This was a couple of years ago and we got involved with Bates and said 'Hey look, you can't do this. It's not fair to the men and women who are working here, it's not fair to our men and women in uniform.' They've got to have a consistent well-made product."

After touring the manufacturing facility Congressman Huizenga noted how important this facility is in terms of jobs for the community as well as the importance of making sure our men and women in uniform have the best American made gear available. “I’m very pleased to see that the expansion is happening here in Big Rapids, we've got a lot of good thing happening here in the building behind us and these are quality products that our men and women in uniform are dependent on,” says Rep. Bill Huizenga.

Blake Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide chairman, CEO and president, thanked U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga and U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, who attended the groundbreaking, and "the rest of the Michigan delegation," which Wolverine Worldwide said have played a “major role” in adding more than 250 jobs at the Big Rapids plant over the past year. Krueger said Huizenga and Moolenaar have been “engaged and working hard” to expand opportunities to “create good-paying American jobs.”

Below is the coverage from "Up North Live" which details Congressman Huizenga's visit to Bates and the manufacturer's role in supporting our troops.