In Memoriam: Remembering Weinbrenner’s Lance Nienow and More Footwear Industry Legends FN Staff
April 16, 2021: Lance R. Nienow, the former president and CEO of Weinbrenner Shoe Company Inc., died on April 11 at the age of 77.
The footwear executive spent an impressive 50 years with the Weinbrenner organization. He joined the company in 1970 and rose through the ranks, holding positions in human resources, purchasing and operations, before he was named president in 1992. He held that position until his retirement in 2010, when he joined the board of directors a role he continued until his death.
More from Footwear News
During his tenure, Nienow is credited with maintaining Weinbrenner’s commitment to domestic manufacturing, even as the rest of the shoe industry moved its production overseas in order to meet growing consumer demand. Today, the company continues to produce a collection of specialized work boots in its Wisconsin factory.
Myron Helfgott
The prospect of death and death itself have been unifying themes in both our nation and region this year like no time since World War II or Vietnam.
Too many people have suffered or been lost to the coronavirus. But as 2020 becomes history we are also reminded of others who moved to different seats in the bleachers of the universe after long careers and fruitful service. We each can make our own lists of those we will miss, but the following is a list of a few late personalities who shined especially brightly in our community. Gloria Weiner-Adams
Richmond retail roundup for 2020: A rocky year due to the pandemic
BizSense file)
The coronavirus pandemic ran roughshod over the retail sector in 2020.
A year defined by COVID’s economic disruptions spurred a slew of retailers large and small to declare bankruptcy or go out of business.
But there were signs of light despite the pandemic. Several out-of-town retail outfits made the jump into the Richmond area and a handful of neighborhood markets popped up during the year.
Here’s a roundup of the most notable Richmond retail news from the last 12 months:
Bankruptcies and closings
Richmond continued to be a popular choice for national retailers in search of a federal courthouse to file for bankruptcy protection. Here are the big out-of-town-based chains that filed locally in 2020: