Tomas Bata launched his business in the USA in 1919 with purchasing factory buildings in Lynn and establishing a sister company. However, he firmly established his company´s presence on the local market later with own retail network in 1929-1930. Launching of a large footwear factory in Belcamp in 1939 became the backbone of the company business in country. In the 1960s and 1980s, the production expanded with addition of several other factories. In the 1990s, the firm closed its businesses in USA.
- In 1919 Tomas Bata set up a sister company, Bata Shoe and Leather Co. in the center of the shoe industry in Lynn (Massachusetts); the company owned a shoe factory in Lynn, which stopped production in the spring of 1921; the buildings were sold in 1927; the sister company existed for another ten years
- In 1923 Bata started selling shoes in own stores. A company store was, for example, also in Chicago in 1924; Bata´s attempt at own retail ended shortly afterwards
- In the years 1928-1930, exports of Bata´s shoes to the USA increased slightly from 526,000 pairs to 841,000 pairs; the introduction of increased duties in 1929, compelled Bata to initiate a new wave of setting up stores in the USA
- In August 1929 three Bata shops were opened in Chicago; building of own retail network continued and in 1931 the company employed 203 workers; after the establishment of own stores, Bata´s export to the USA increased significantly: 1,419,000 pairs (in 1931) – 3,769,000 pairs (in 1933) – 3,758,000 pairs (in 1937)
- In 1930 a sister company Bata Shoe Comp. Inc., New York was registered; in 1931, was another affiliate company Bata Purchasing Comp. Inc., Boston was registered; in 1933 Bata Shoe Comp., Inc., Chicago and in 1938 Anchor Mercantile Inc., New York were registered
- The network of Bata´s stores was not only in continental states, but expanded to the Hawaiian Islands (in 1936) and Puerto Rico (1934-1936); in 1939, the firm had a retail network of 40 stores in the continental states
- In the autumn of 1933, Bata bought a large plot of land (800-900 ha) near Belcamp (Maryland); the additional piece of land was bought in 1934 and more plots were secured in 1938; on Christmas 1938 a decision was made to build a factory in Belcamp
- In the spring of 1939, the construction of a factory began, with a residential neighborhood, hotel, etc.; In June and August, one hundred instructors from Zlín arrived in two groups to help with production on modern Bata machines; Shoe production began in September, and at the end of 1939, after training 600 American workers worked in Belcamp
- In 1940, the following companies were established: Ataman Inc., Belcamp; Hidena Inc., Belcamp
- In 1940 another affiliated companies were set up: Westhold Corporation (Delaware) and North River Securities Corporation (Delaware)
- 1962 – the following companies were on the list of historically registered Bata companies for the US territory:
- Bata Shoe Company, Inc. (New York)
- Anchor Mercantile Co., Inc. (New York)
- Westhold Corporation (Delaware)
- North River Securities Corporation (Delaware)
- Ataman, Incorporated (Maryland)
- Hidena, Incorporated (Maryland)
- Bata Shoe and Leather Co. (Massachusetts)
- In 1963, the second factory in Salem (Indiana) was founded
- In 1966 Bata Shoe Organization bought three factories: Merrill, Marshfield, Antigo (Wisconsin)
- Another footwear factory was built in Elkins/Beverly (West Virginia)
- The number of employees in the Belcamp factory varied during the decades: 700 (in December 1939) – 3,400 (1950s) – 2,500 (1960s) – 2,000 (1975) – around 100 (1995)
- The Antigo (Wisconsin) factory was closed in 1986; similarly, production ended in several other factories (Merrill, Marshfield, Salem and Elkins) and while it was maintained in Belcamp
- In 1989 a new footwear factory was open – Ogdensburg (New York)
- In the year 1990, a sister company Bata Land Corporation Properties Inc., Belcamp operated in the country
- Around 1990, two retail networks were purchased – in North Carolina and Texas
- In 1992 the following Bata enterprises operated in the USA:
- Bata Manufacturing, Belcamp
- Pic´n Pay, Charlotte
- BLC Properties Inc., Belcamp
- Production at the factory in Belcamp ceased in the early nineties.
Sources:
- Alain Gatti, Chausser les hommes qui vont pieds nus, Metz 2004, ISBN 2-87692-619-9
- Jaroslav Pagáč, Tomáš Baťa a 30 let jeho podnikatelské práce, Praha 1926
- Larry Carmichael, Bata Belcamp. The stroy of the Bata Shoe Company in Harford County Maryland from 1932 to 2000, Belcamp 2013
- Jaroslav Pospíšil – Hana Pospíšilová, Rub a líc baťovských sporů, Zlín 2012, ISBN 978-80-7473-037-5
- Tomáš J. Baťa, Švec pro celý svět, Praha 1991
- Moravský zemský archiv v Brně – Státní okresní archiv Zlín, Česko