Timberland PRO Sets Sights on Women to Help Fill Skills Gap in the Trades

New Collection Focuses on Providing Women with Superior Fit and
Comfort to Perform Their Best on the Job

STRATHAM, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Over the next decade, according to a Deloitte analysis based on data
from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Gallup survey, an estimated
two million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled due to a widening skills
gap in the trades. Timberland PRO, one of the world’s leading industrial
footwear and workwear brands, today announced a bold initiative to focus
on women as the next generation of trade workers to help address this
gap. The effort is highlighted by an innovative new women’s-specific
product collection and a powerful campaign — Made
for Women Who Make — that celebrates women in the trades.

“People are retiring from the trades at a faster rate than they are
entering, and we see women as a critical group to fill the skills gap,”
said Bert Spiller, VP global product creation, Timberland PRO. “In the
trades, footwear is like a tool – it needs to perform. And men and women
have distinct needs when it comes to fit, comfort and performance on the
job. Our new F17 women’s collection has been designed and developed
specifically for women in the trades, across a spectrum of indoor and
outdoor work environments.”

The collection includes seven styles across three different families,
and is built with three distinctive points of comfort for women,
including: a more anatomical last with a true-to-fit instep and heel
lock; asymmetrical toe shape; and low profile for a more feminine
aesthetic. Timberland PRO’s dynamic anti-fatigue footbed provides
all-day comfort.

The development of this new women’s offering was driven by Timberland
PRO’s longstanding commitment to innovation coupled with deep consumer
insights. “In addition to poring over third-party research, we spoke
directly with hundreds of female consumers and analyzed these insights
to understand what she is looking for in safety footwear. The result is
a women’s-specific fit with a crafted aesthetic, not just a take-down of
a men’s boot. And comfort is non-negotiable, so she can work 10-12 hours
a day and focus on the job, not her feet,” said Rebecca Trowbridge,
merchandise manager, Timberland PRO.

SUPPORTING WOMEN IN THE TRADES

In addition to the new product offering, Timberland PRO has several key
initiatives in place to support women in the trades, all grounded in the
tagline, Made for Women Who Make.

“As a brand, we want to inspire people to create and do as a way of
life,” said Cassie Heppner, director of marketing, Timberland PRO. “Our
fall ’17 women’s launch is an exciting opportunity to engage an
underrepresented group in the trades and help inspire them to follow
their passion for making. In addition to supporting women and the vast
qualifications they bring to the trades, this is also an important step
in helping to fill the widening skills gap.”

As part of its women’s launch, Timberland PRO has committed $20,000 to
support the completion of the documentary film, Hard
Hatted Woman, targeted for release in late 2018. This is the first
feature-length documentary film about women breaking down barriers in
blue-collar construction trades and redefining the unionized labor
movement.

“Folks write me on a regular basis from all over the country asking,
‘When and how can I see your film? I want to organize a screening,’”
said Lorien Barlow, producer and director, Hard Hatted Woman. “The
requests come from educators, non-profits, workforce development
initiatives, companies…It’s truly overwhelming to witness not only the
enthusiasm but also the urgent need for this film. We all want to see it
out in the world, doing good things. But most people don’t realize the
resources needed to make a feature film. We’ve been working on this
project for four years and the time has truly come for all hands on
deck! Whether it’s individuals chipping in $25 or companies and
organizations like Timberland PRO coming aboard as major donors, this is
the kind of tangible enthusiasm and support we need to get the job
done.” To learn more about how to support the film, visit
hardhattedwoman.com.

In line with the brand’s longstanding commitment to community service,
Timberland PRO also supported its women’s launch this fall with a
community service event at a Manchester, NH based non-profit
organization called Girls
@ Work. During this daylong event, more than 70 employees pulled on
their boots to prepare wood kits for the after-school programs, build
picnic tables for an outdoor classroom, and add a storage room to expand
their functional space. Girls @ Work focuses on providing afterschool
support to young girls where they can learn how to use tools and build
not only furniture, but also confidence. For more information visit
girlswork.org.

To provide much-needed information and educational opportunities for
women interested in pursuing a job in the trades, Timberland PRO will
also be launching a dedicated area on timberlandPRO.com later this year
highlighting organizations that can help them get started, learning
resources, and non-profit organizations where women can volunteer to
help build the next generation of tradeswomen.

To reach prospective women with this empowerment campaign, Timberland
PRO will ignite robust conversation via its social channels, encouraging
women to share their stories about how they got into the trades using
#timberlandprowoman.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS

The Timberland PRO^® Hightower work boots are available in 6”
and 8” heights. These boots are built with an alloy safety toe,
anti-fatigue footbed, premium full-grain waterproof leathers, waterproof
membrane, and all-weather TPU outsole to withstand cold and wet
surfaces. Like all footwear in the collection, they are built on an
anatomical last for enhanced fit and comfort. The combination of
leathers, hardware and stitching gives this boot a crafted aesthetic
that will resonate with women who take pride in their work

The Timberland PRO^® Riveter clog is made with full-grain
leather, an alloy safety toe, anti-fatigue footbed and
static-dissipative protection. The anti-fatigue platform provides
underfoot support for superior comfort. The Riveter collection was built
with women in mind, who need to move seamlessly from the office to the
work site. Their jobs require a safety toe, but they don’t want to
compromise on style.

With the new anatomical fit, Timberland PRO also took the opportunity to
update its classic rugged Direct Attach work boot. The boot features the
women’s fit combined with anti-fatigue technology for women who want the
traditional work boot look.

The new women’s collection retails from $130.00 to $162.50 and is
available at timberlandPRO.com, as well as work retailers nationwide.

ABOUT TIMBERLAND PRO

Timberland PRO has grown to be one of the largest work safety brands in
the footwear and apparel space by building on the tradition of
craftsmanship and innovation that started with Timberland’s iconic
yellow boot. The Timberland PRO^® brand exists to help men and
women in the trades conquer their work day. Timberland PRO is committed
to innovating and evolving, engineered with technologies to provide the
very best in comfort, durability and performance–all day long.

Timberland’s dedication to making quality products is matched by an
unwavering commitment to environmental and social responsibility – to
make things better for its products, the outdoors, and communities
around the globe. To learn more about Timberland, a brand of VF
Corporation (NYSE: VFC), please visit timberland.com or follow us along
the modern trail @timberland.

Contacts

Timberland
Cassie Heppner, 603-773-1674
cassie_heppner@vfc.com