Foot Levelers moves toward retail sales
Foot Levelers is considering branching out for the first time into direct-to-consumer retail sales.
The Roanoke-based manufacturer of custom-made orthotics, shoes and pillows has traditionally only sold its products through health care providers and in particular chiropractors.
But earlier this month the privately held company took the first step towards entering the retail world.
Foot Levelers was granted a building permit to remodel its front lobby to accommodate retail sales, according to city records.
Company spokeswoman Hilary Kelly told me that the plans are still in the early stages and she couldn’t provide details.
“We don’t even have a business license yet,” she noted.
But she said the initial thought is that they will sell products to “friends and family” of employees. She said company executives are still deciding what the final retail plans will look like and they haven’t yet worked out how people will be fit for their products.
“I can’t give specifics because the plans have not been set,” she said.
September 12, 2011 - 6:17 AM
Wasn’t long ago you wrote an article about their layoffs. Retail does nothing but contradicts their business model to the loyal customer base. You ask me this is their last ditch effort to stop a sinking ship and until the CEO realizes it’s the current VP & executive team that is causing disaster of declining sales. Well…. let’s say Roanoke’s unemployment is going to need more life preservers.
If sales are declining, blame for this can be laid directly at the feet of the CEO, not anyone else. This sort of thing will happen for every company in which there is a pervasive culture of fear, and in which there is no corporate vision or strategy.
The work reputation of Foot Levelers is among the worst in the valley (if not SWVA)… At some point, that spills over to its distribution channel. It needs to change its culture to survive.
Dwayne – I couldn’t agree with you more a fish rots from the head down for sure. He’ll live and die by the motto “impression is everything!” You ask me the declining sales are a direct reflection of having unskilled individuals running the business such as second in command VP with only high school education, the VP of HR also being the VP of Operations and the VP of sales also being the VP of Marketing & Business Development while other executives operate on titular authorities. Well unless you’re a offspring…
Now the community (mind you over the last two years there has been OVER 45% reduction in force) is taking the hit for their inexperience and about to take another hit with the rumor of outsourcing to India in the air. It’s sad to see them run the business in the ground.
All that said I’m sure they will cover their failures with a cruise ship trip next year! Remember “impression is everything!”
I worked for FLI for 6yrs and can say I loved my job there and learned a lot but hated the high stress, fly by the seat management & fearful culture. The HR VP reminds everyone often how “lucky” you are to have a job and pulsates the fearful culture but hides it quickly when the CEO is around. It’s not a fun place to work. Hopefully these comments reach the CEO and help him understand the consistency that is taking place here. For the company to move forward and grow it’s going to need a complete overhaul of it’s leadership and him leaving his executives alone to do what they were hired to do. It’s time for a change!! I bet the comments are spurring loads of Family Meetings HAHA! What a joke.
Another example of an executive leadership team without a strategic plan. “Try anything” is a sign of desperation and a precursor of bad things to come. Terrible that people will likely end up without jobs, but the owner and ELT will eventually get what they have planned for…..nothing.
I have to agree with Greg, it does appear the real poison lies with the VP of HR since very few employees place trust in that office. The sad thing is that all this is happening with the CEO totally oblivious to the true state of mind of the employees working at this company.