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DeFeet International has been voted Business of the Year by Business North Carolina.
Shane Cooper, DeFeet’s founder, president, and ‘Chief Sockologist’ (pictured), received the award in person.
Cooper, who is pictured on the cover of the magazine was emotional about the award:
"This award represents so much to me and our team. DeFeet is now a 20 year old company that very nearly didn’t survive because of the catastrophic events we faced."
In 2001, the company was rocked by a devastating factory fire.
"After two decades, we are getting stronger from our experiences."
Cooper said the ‘make it local’ mantra helped DeFeet beat companies in perhaps sexier industries, such as IT and hi-tech:
"DeFeet has always been proud to manufacture in North Carolina. Made in USA is not a cliche term. It’s what we do and it’s important to us."
