Wolverine Worldwide will invest $1 or $2 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, adding 16,000 square feet of space and about two dozen new jobs by early next year. It will the first expansion in 70 years for the facility, which makes mainly shoes and boots for the U.S. Military. Wolverine earlier this year got a big five-year contract to make boots for the U.S. Marines. The announcement came after a visit by a U.S. senator to the premises ahead of a scheduled vote on legislation that would require the Pentagon to buy athletic footwear from domestic sources. This guideline already applies to combat boots and uniforms.

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