It was the biggest shoe factory in Scotland - and employed more than 1,000 workers in its prime.
By Alison Campsie
Wednesday, 14th August 2019, 5:43 pm
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The Saxone shoe factory in Kilmarnock - the largest of its kind in Scotland.
The Saxone plant in Kilmarnock was a major employer until the 1980s with the firm thriving for decades in the town.
The Saxone shoe factory in Kilmarnock employed 1,000 workers by the late 1940s with the operation the ultimate expression of the area's shoemaking tradition.
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Saxone, which also had a network of 180 stores across the UK, made every pair of shoes in five fittings - a key to its success on the high street. The company also pioneered the use of vulcanised rubber soles to help keep feet dry.
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Saxone advertised its shoes as being "made of honest British leather by British workers at Kilmarnock" with the company also specialising in a high-fashion range for the European market.
The firm was lauded for its good relationship with its employees, who earned annual bonuses on a regular basis.
Saxone claimed its shoes would last three times longer than any other brand.
Saxone's giant brick factory shut in the mid 1980s after it was bought by Sears group. It was later demolished. Within a decade, the company's network of stores had become unprofitable, and also disappeared.
