A longtime southeastern Iowa shoe wholesaler is relocating its headquarters to Dallas Center where its management team hopes the company will be able to find employees and other resources to help it grow.

In October, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co., which opened in Shenandoah in 1911, acquired property on the outskirts of Dallas Center that includes nearly 6 acres and an office/warehouse building. The structure at 205 Fairview Drive had sat empty since 2019 when Pioneer Hi-Bred vacated it.

“A lot of small towns in Iowa are losing population,” said Cammie McKenzie, Brown’s Shoe Fit’s president. “Shenandoah is no different. It’s hard to grow in a town that’s not growing.”

And while Dallas Center’s population of nearly 2,000 is less than half that of Shenandoah’s (4,884), the community is growing, as are other nearby towns, McKenzie said. “Dallas Center is a small town. But it’s near resources that will allow us to grow.”

The company’s relocation to Dallas Center will help spark more growth in the community, said Danny Beyer, the community’s mayor. The company is using local businesses to help prepare the building for use, he said. In addition, area home builders are fast-tracking construction of new houses that they hope employees of Brown’s Shoe Fit will be interested in purchasing.

“Honestly, I think their move here is probably going to be a pretty big deal for our local economy,” Beyer said.

Company leaders had contemplated relocating for a year or more but were reluctant to leave Shenandoah, McKenzie said. However, snowstorms in early 2024 caused a roof to collapse on one of the company’s buildings in Shenandoah. “We had to ask: ‘Do you re-invest there or do you find a location that’s closer to a metropolitan area where you can grow?’”

Company officials looked at properties in Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines but didn’t find buildings that fit their needs, McKenzie said. After more searching, they came across the vacant building in Dallas Center.

The nearly 50,000-square-foot-building included space for the company’s administrative and marketing teams, an area for a woodworking shop where fixtures for stores are constructed, and plenty of warehouse space.

“We were spread out in separate buildings in Shenandoah, which didn’t have a place to house all of us under one roof,” McKenzie said. “To have this opportunity to be all under one roof is fantastic. It’s almost like the building was made for us.”

Brown’s Shoe Fit acquired the property from Peter and Sheri Fazio for $4.65 million, according to Dallas County real estate records.

About 30 people will be employed at Brown’s Shoe Fit’s Dallas Center headquarters. Fifteen employees are relocating to Dallas Center with Brown’s Shoe; 15 others opted not to move, McKenzie said.

The company buys a variety of shoes — athletic, dress and casual — from manufacturers and then sells them to the operators of their 72 stores that are located in 12 states. Retail operators own a share of their stores, which record over $100 million in sales annually.

The facility in Dallas Center will allow Brown’s Shoe Fit to have an on-site training facility where it will train entrepreneurs on how to run a business. The company currently has about 20 people in its training program.

The new headquarters will also allow the company to expand its warehouse and launch a website that allows customers to order shoes online.

Most of Brown’s Shoe Fits’ operations are moving to Dallas Center in November. The warehouse will be relocated in January, McKenzie said.

A retail store will remain in Shenandoah, McKenzie said.

“We are sad to leave Shenandoah, but the people in Dallas Center have been so welcoming,” McKenzie said. “This will be a good fit for us.”