Mayor Georgia Lord of Goodyear, Arizona, has urged Nike to stick to plans to open a factory in her town despite Republican Gov. Doug Ducey pulling financial support for the project after the company decided not to sell a shoe featuring an early version of the American flag.
“I can appreciate the emotion and the discussion that I have heard on this important topic,” Lord said in a video responding to the controversy. “It has been a focus of the Goodyear City Council to build a strong economy for years to come.” She said the city would still offer the company incentives the council approved.
Nike recalled the sneaker, which featured a Revolutionary War-era version of the flag known as the “Betsy Ross flag,” after former NFL player Colin Kaepernick raised concerns about the use of an image used when slavery was legal. Ducey said Tuesday in announcing the withdrawal of a $1 million grant that Arizona didn’t need to do Nike any favors.
“I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here,” he tweeted. “Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history.”
Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, but makes most of its shoes in foreign factories. The proposed facility in a Phoenix, Arizona, suburb would be its third in the United States and employ an estimated 500 people.
