Crocs shutters Quebec City manufacturing plant

Ethylene foamed footwear manufacturer Crocs Inc. has shut down its Quebec City manufacturing plant, putting 600 employees out of work.

The company blamed the closure on the slowdown in the U.S. economy and the weakening retail sector.

The innovative plastic shoes were created and first manufactured in Quebec City and were catapulted onto the world stage after its company, Foams Creation Inc., was bought in 2004 by Crocs Inc., based in Colorado.

As of March 2008, the Quebec City plant accounted for only approximately four per cent of Crocs worldwide production.

“The lesson to be learned here is that when companies are taken over by foreign interests, you lose control over that company. So there is a vested interest to help local entrepreneurs control their companies, and we’re seeing the government do more of this,” said Jean-Luc Trahan, head of the province’s Association of Manufacturers and Exporters.