The Western footwear icon Justin Brands is closing an entire distribution facility in Fort Worth. Sixty-eight workers will be laid off, starting in May.
Current employees will have a chance to apply for a job at the new Justin distribution center about an hour away in Lancaster, which will be run by the third party logistics provider GENCO.
Lisa Albert, senior communications manager for Justin Brands, says the company needs to focus on making boots, not delivering them.
“Justin Brands is getting out of the distribution business," she says, "because it’s not our core competency and in our research we’ve determined that turning it over to a third party logistics company is the best solution.”
Justin Boots goes back more than 130 years, when founder H.J. Justin started repairing boots in Gainesville Texas. Although the company name and ownership has changed over the past century, the boots are still recognizable by the decorative stitching across often across the top and ankles.
Today, the company is part of Berkshire Hatahaway.