WASHINGTON, April 2, 2025 – The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association is pleased to welcome Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics, a leading producer of highly engineered and high-quality rubber and plastic molds.
The South Dakota company joins USFMA at a turning point for our industry, as we strengthen our collective voice to advocate for tax and trade policies that grow domestic manufacturing and supply chains.
“Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics is an integral part of the domestic footwear supply chain, producing soles for both military and commercial footwear,” said USFMA Executive Director Bill McCann. “It’s a company that was born out of the idea that it was possible to have a globally competitive domestic alternative to rubber and plastic industry. There could not be more alignment than the vision of Robb Peterson and Glacial Lakes and the mission of USFMA.”
Said Robb Peterson, Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics President: “I believe that USFMA provides that close contact we all need with the leaders of our nation and the full spectrum of the supply chain in North American footwear manufacturing. As we’ve seen U.S. footwear manufacturing shrink over the past few decades, it’s important to have a voice in the decisions that will affect the direction of the industry in the coming years.”
Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics, headquartered in Watertown, South Dakota, is a custom molder of polyurethane and rubber. Its range of products include footwear outsoles, midsoles, boot uppers, and more.
In joining USFMA, the company is also looking to benefit from the association’s growing role as an incubator for industry partnerships.
“We can co-mold units or separate as needed,” Peterson explained. “We also have fast and flexible injection molding capabilities and can provide chemical or mechanical bonding of your outsoles with our unique lamination room as well as technology that allows us to overmold textiles right at the press. And we are ISO registered with a fully functional materials lab so you can be confident that you will receive the best results every time.”
Said McCann: “Coming on the heels of our successful Spring Meeting in Washington, the addition of Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics is a testament to our members’ efforts to ensure we fuel a reconnaissance in domestic manufacturing. We have made amazing strides in recent months and have no plans to slow down.”
The United States Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) association founded in 1986 to grow, protect and enhance the footwear industry’s manufacturing base in the United States.