LEWISTON — L.L.Bean has hired a dozen new workers for its Lewiston production facility as the iconic Maine brand gears up to sell more than 600,000 pairs of Bean boots this year.

Spokesman Mac McKeever said that brings employment there up to 40 people “and we expect to hire even more folks in 2017.”

The brand has seen an incredible run on Bean boots the past few years, selling more than a half-million pairs in 2015.

All of those boot bottoms had been made on a single injection mold machine in Lewiston. To keep up with demand, the company added a second machine in Brunswick earlier this year, McKeever said. It also invested in new sewing machines and, companywide, hired more than 100 new employees.

L.L.Bean employs 5,400 people year-round. It’ll hire another 5,700 temporary workers for the holidays.

McKeever said boot orders are already starting to pick up with the cold weather coming and the holidays drawing near.

“The past few years, we’ve seen a huge surge in popularity amongst high school and college students, urban dwellers and they’ve garnered favor in the fashion community,” McKeever said. “(Customers) appreciate the rich history and heritage back story and they love the fact they are still handsewn in the U.S.A. They’re also very durable, come with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee and will last for years or even decades to come.” 

kskelton@sunjournal.com