Attention stone - Shoe Factory Groenen

Groenen shoe factory (1887-1927)

In late 1887, shoe manufacturer Joseph Mathieu (Jos) Groenen settled in the building in which Wed. W.A. Dumoulin had had a shoe factory. Jos was one of those who had taken the lead in 1895 in a concerted action by the leather industry to improve prices. After his death, his widow and their sons Leo, Jan and Jos junior continued the business. In 1913, "N.V. Stoomschoenenfabriek v/h Jos. Groenen" was founded. When World War I broke out, the decline in orders could be partially absorbed by the manufacture of military footwear. Groenen's relentless commitment to quality, during the malaise in the shoe industry in the years following the war, was to no avail. Manufacturing ceased in 1927. J.H. Vesters, founder of shoe factory "Anita," settled in the building,and later haberdashery firm Alfons Roxs.