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V O L . X X X N O. X X V I I I D E C E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 4 22 M A N U FAC T U R I N G nuances of different raw materials and different aspects of the shoe style they are making." For this year's shoe, the Ralph Lauren design was based on Rancourt's style, the "classic buck shoe." "ey send us a detailed sheet of the style itself," says Rancourt. "It is the raw material with the leather, lining, souls, stitching thread, and fit points they want us to work with. It requires a lot of work, and it took us two months to get all the pieces put together. Finally, they do a fit trial. ey will take something we are mak- ing and fit it on two or three individu- als at the company. Once the design is approved, we begin placing orders for the different products." In the interim, the company had 30 employees working on the shoes. Rancourt says the company made 200 to 300 shoes weekly. He says they were in production for the Olympic shoes for six months. Rancourt says it is challenging for the factory to make Olympic shoes. He says that if Ralph Lauren reaches out for the 2026 Winter Olympics — which will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — he won't refuse it. But if it doesn't happen, he is OK with that. "We have been really pleased and are apt to do it. It brings a lot of pride to our workforce and the city of Lewiston," says Rancourt. "It is important from that perspective." Belt making Rogue Industries, a family-owned Standish business known for its leather goods, was established in 2007 by Michael Lyons. Like many companies, Rogue grew out of a common issue. e founder was unhappy with his bulky back pocket wal- let, which he was convinced was causing FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: MDF.COM/PROGRAM-PARTNERSHIPS/MAINE-DOWNTOWN-CENTER Congratulations to the thousands of dedicated volunteers, businesses, and community leaders who've been part of MDF's Maine Downtown Center and a quarter century of historic preservation-based revitalization in downtowns across Maine! » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E F O C U S P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Michael Lyons, founder of Rogue Industries, holds the belt that his company created for Ralph Lauren for the USA team uniforms at the Paris Olympics