Munro & Company, INC. Was established in 1972 as the successor to New Hampshire-based Connors & Hoffmann Footwear Company's southern division, consisting of three shoe manufacturing plants, all in Arkansas. As manager of the southern division, Don Munro had set up Lake Catherine Footwear in Hot Springs in 1960. In 1967 he added Addison Shoe Company in Wynne, and in 1967 built Mount Ida Footwear in Mount Ida. These three plants formed the nucleus of Munro & Company. They produced men's and women's leather shoes and boots for the major national retailers. In 1979, the Company added DeWitt Footwear in DeWitt, Ark, with its companion plant, Clarendon Footwear in Clarendon, Ark, volume producers of children's shoes. In 1975, Clear Lake Footwear in England, Ark. Was started to add men's cement-construction capability to the Company's product lines, though the plant was closed in 1995, and the production moved to other Munro plants. To create new distribution channels and serve new customers, the Company established its own group of brands. In 1984, Munro women's brand, now known as Munro American, was started, and in 1986, the Child Life company was acquired. Later, in 1991, Munro & Company purchased controlling interest in Jumping Jacks Shoes, of Monett, Mo. And today owns 100% of this leader in the children's shoe industry, including its children's brands and its production facilities in Clarksville, Ark. In the mid 80's, continuing growth in the Company's activities necessitated the addition of a 140,000 square foot building in Hot Springs, now called the Fred Young Center. This building houses Company offices and warehousing space for over one million pair of shoes. Over four million pair moves through this facility annually, out of the six million pair total produced by the Company. Customers today include all the major national upscale retailers and distributors, and the larger local and regional independent retailers. The Munro Family, encompassing immediate family members, staff, and the entire workforce, remains committed to its customers through to the ultimate retailers, wholesalers, and consumers, with superior American products and responsive American service.
