WILTON – More than half the employees of the G.H. Bass Distribution Center were walking out the door Thursday for the last time.

The center had stayed open longer than expected and shipped out the last million pairs of shoes this week in record time. People had told them that the distribution center probably wouldn’t make it a year after its parent company, Phillips-Van Heusen, moved its shoe manufacturing overseas in 1998 and 350 workers lost their jobs.

“But we’ve stayed open six years,” said Manager Steve Barker.

They did it with common sense and hard work, he said.

Last December, Phillips-Van Heusen announced that it was selling its Bass name to Brown Shoe of Missouri and closing its operations in Wilton and South Portland in 2004, putting about 250 people out of work.

Fifty of the 83 employees at the Weld Street center were to be laid off, effective Friday. Most had worked there for decades, many starting in high school.

Another 28 people are to be laid off at the end of May, and the five managers will leave in mid-June, Barker said.

Keeping heads high

“I tell them, Do not leave here feeling like you failed,'” Barker said. “Keep your head up high – we didn’t lose. We got sold to another company.'”

On Thursday, Barker sat in his office where he’s overseen the operation for the last six years. Large framed photos on the wall offered snapshots of the history of Bass, which was founded in 1876 in Wilton.

Barker, who grew up in Wilton and now lives in Jay, started with the company as a sophomore in high school, working his way up to manager of the facility in 1984.

He’s been with the company for 27 years.

Barker said Phillips-Van Heusen has been great to the employees in Wilton. They gave employees a good severance package and offered managers who had salaried positions jobs in other states, but none took advantage of the latter, he said.

The company also allowed employees in Wilton to hold their usual activities, including a service award ceremony and a picnic over the last several months.

By Wednesday, employees had shipped the first quarter’s orders to customers and then loaded 100 trailer loads of shoes, which were hauled out in the evenings to Boston where they went by railroad throughout the country.

Leaving your friends

“It’s starting to settle,” Barker said. “The end is right here.”

On Thursday morning, the warehouse was mostly empty and being cleaned.

“Emotionally, we’re all torn because obviously when a person comes to the same plant for so many years that are dedicated and professional, it’s hard to find that today,” Barker said.

“People are ready to go,” Barker said.

A response team has been working on finding an experienced developer for the 291,000-square-foot space.

Justin Tracy and Bob Eaton groomed the lawn at the distribution center for the last time Thursday.

Tracy, 54, of Wilton and Eaton, 54, of Farmington were teenagers when they started working at Weld Street complex. Between them, they have 71 years with the company.

Tracy who was mowing the lawn says he has a job interview with Wal-Mart.

“I’m looking for a new opportunity, but at the same time it’s emotionally tough because you’re friends with all of the people leaving,” Tracy said. “That’s the way it is.”

Eaton, who was weed whacking, plans to take the summer off and try to get a job around this area. He said he thinks the workers feel proud of their accomplishments.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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