MANUFACTURING

Footwear Brand EMU Australia Moving Back to California

After five years in the Midwest, Emu Australia has decided to bring its U.S. headquarters back to California.

The company had been based in Grand Rapids, Mich., where the previous chief executive of North America, Scott Sidle, lived, but Emu Australia decided it needed to be closer to its warehouse to get goods to stores more quickly. It is now headquartered in Valencia, Calif., where five people will be employed.

The maker of sheepskin boots and other leather footwear and accessories arrived in the United States a little more than 20 years ago, with offices set up in San Clemente, Calif. Its global headquarters have always been in South Geelong, Australia.

Emu Australia caters to a contemporary crowd that likes natural materials such as sheepskin and merino wool. The company’s main competitors are Ugg boots, owned by Deckers Brands in Goleta, Calif., and Bearpaw, based in Citrus Heights, Calif.