Nike Pulls Out of Goodyear Facility Citing COVID-19 Impact
The project was a $184 million USD investment.
Nike has now announced that it would be winding down operations at its Goodyear, Arizona facility, citing economic impacts from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We are experiencing unprecedented times and due to the Covid-19 impact we will no longer be investing in our Goodyear facility,” Nike said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are repositioning our resources to further invest against our biggest opportunities and Air MI will continue to be an important part of Nike’s growth strategy.”
The facility marked a $189 million USD investment in 2019 by the company, which intended to create its third Air Manufacturing Innovation facility in the U.S. It would generate more than 500 jobs for the region, but even before its opening, it attracted controversy from the state’s governor Doug Ducey, who threatened to rescind up to $1 million USD in tax incentives because Nike recalled a Fourth of July-themed sneaker featuring a Betsy Ross flag — a symbol occasionally embraced by certain far-right groups.
Nike currently has two other Air Manufacturing Innovation facilities in Oregon and Missouri.
Elsewhere in business-related news, Neiman Marcus has officially shut down its Hudson Yards location due to bankruptcy.
