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Nike abandons plans for Goodyear plant

Posted at 1:13 PM, Jul 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-28 16:58:05-04

GOODYEAR, AZ — Citing “unprecedented times," Nike confirmed Tuesday that it will close its facility in Goodyear, which was supposed to create more than 500 jobs.

“We are experiencing unprecedented times and due to the Covid-19 impact we will no longer be investing in our Goodyear facility,” a Nike spokesman said in a statement. “We are repositioning our resources to further invest against our biggest opportunities and Air MI will continue to be an important part of Nike’s growth strategy. We thank the City of Goodyear and the team we have worked with to date; they have been outstanding partners.”

The Goodyear plant was supposed to begin operations this year, but a Goodyear spokesperson confirmed the company had not moved in, with tenant improvements still underway.

The Goodyear plant was supposed to produce the Air sole that goes into Nike Air shoes, said Lalit Monteiro, Nike's vice president of air manufacturing innovation, at the time the plant was announced in July 2019.

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