FALL 2023 | TOWER 5 Caption an accountant, and her brother-in-law, noted economist Adam Ozimek. During summers in high school and college, Zimmerman pitched in at the company wherever needed, from fulfilling orders to helping the seamstresses making the shoes. Majoring in business administration in college was the obvious choice for someone entering the family business. She visited Kutztown University while her brother-inlaw, Thaddeus Pasierb ’07, was earning his art education degree. “I just fell in love with the school,” she says, adding that her business courses gave her a solid foundation for leading her family’s company. ALL IN THE FAMILY After graduation, she started working at Kepner Scott full time. She was eventually joined by her sister, Addie. “I’m mainly in charge of sales and marketing and Addie fulfills orders. But like all small businesses, the owners tend to wear a lot of hats. We both help out in many areas,” Zimmerman says, adding that people calling customer service are likely to speak to one of them. Her father says his daughters’ commitment ensures that the business will remain in the family. “It’s a blessing, actually. I’m 72 and my sister is 68: If there wasn’t another generation there to run the business, the future would have been doubtful,” Steve says. He notes the most significant change initiated by his daughter: direct-to-consumer sales. Previously, Kepner Scott used a team of salesman to get product in stores. Now, customers buy shoes via the company’s website. Zimmerman also has leveraged selling to niche markets, which include the Amish community, parochial schools, and high-end boutiques. “We’ve done collaborations with children’s clothing companies and worked with adult footwear brands to make a miniature version of what they’re making, which is really fun,” Zimmerman says. “We’ve partnered with designers to do limited edition lines.” Like many others, the company faced challenges during the pandemic. On March 11, 2020, Zimmerman had traveled to participate in Spring at the Silos, a special event hosted by Magnolia founders Chip and Joanna Gaines at their venue in Waco, Texas. Forty companies were invited to showcase their products to an expected audience of 30,000, but it was canceled due to pandemic restrictions. At the same time, the Pennsylvania factory closed during lockdown. Zimmerman brainstormed a way to pivot and Kepner Scott began producing masks, focusing on helping health care workers who needed them. Before they were done, 100,000 masks had been produced, earning the company a Wall Street Journal story. Zimmerman Shoes also was featured in 2021 on the Magnolia Network’s series “Extraordinary Stories About Everyday Things.” Her future plans include merging the Kepner Scott and Zimmerman Shoes brands so that the companies will share the same website and social media presence. Under the merger, her new footwear line will become Zimmerman Shoes by Kepner Scott Shoe Company. 4 GENERATIONS of the Zimmerman family heading the Kepner Scott Shoe Co. 2 WEEKS The length of time it takes to make a pair of shoes, start to finish. 21 EMPLOYEES at Kepner Scott. 30 YEARS Average number of years employees work for the company. 125 STEPS in the process to handcraft a pair of shoes. 135 YEARS Kepner Scott has manufactured shoes in Orwigsburg, Pa. 40,000 SHOES produced annually. She is aware that handmade shoes created with quality materials are a high-end product. Zimmerman is grateful to her customers for their loyalty, savoring the times they send photos of children in the shoes. “I will never get over what a great feeling it is that they were made right here and now they’re out in the world, with kids learning how to walk, taking their first steps or hiking, doing all of those great things in our shoes,” she says.
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