with its investment in ilg, peds legwear became part of the rebirth of the american manufacturing sector, which had sustained severe losses during the great recession, particularly in the textile industry. on march 11, 2015, the company opened a new $16 million manufacturing facility in hildebran that is projected to create more than 205 jobs by 2018. this investment was part of the selectusa program of the us department of commerce. as a result, peds has been cited as an example of how foreign investment can save and create american manufacturing jobs. penner was invited by president barack obama to talk about the company's investment at a roundtable meeting.