GENFOOT AMERICA’S KAMIK-BRANDED MEN’S SNOW BOOT

Genfoot America Inc., the Littleton subsidiary of the Canada-based footwear company, has been slapped with a potential class-action lawsuit alleging it falsely claimed that its Kamik-branded boots are Made in the USA.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Concord by Debra Jackson, a New York consumer who purchased the boots online, said that the label “Made in USA” is on the hangtag on the boot, on the boxes and on the website, “but the boots don’t fit the bill.” Rather, the suit alleges, the sole of the boot is made from foreign materials.

The company does include a small font disclosure clarifying that the boots are “Made in USA with foreign and Canadian components,” both on the tag and on the website, but that’s not enough to comply with Federal Trade Commission regulations, and the consumer is still misled, according to the suit.

The suit was authored by Bursor & Fisher, a national law firm, with Concordbased Douglas, Leonard & Garvey as local counsel.

Genfoot is a privately held company based in Montreal, but has had a manufacturing plant in Littleton since 1993.

The company did not return several messages left at the plant by NH Business Review.

SANTANDER BANK ENDS RESIDENTIAL U.S. MORTGAGE BUSINESS

As loan rates rise and the landscape becomes more challenging, Santander Bank, one of the largest banks doing business in New Hampshire, has decided to stop originating residential mortgages and home equity loans in the United States.

The bank, which is based in Spain, said it will continue to service current loans and honor pending borrowers’ applications. It will continue its commercial mortgage business.

The bank said in a statement that it is taking an action that “allows us to focus our efforts and resources on products, services, and digital capabilities that let us better meet evolving consumer needs.”

Santander said it will focus on growing its U.S. auto lending and consumer lending segments, but plans to focus on middle-market clients in the U.S. and on corporate clients across its global footprint.

MARIA PROULX NAMED ANTHEM’S NEXT NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESIDENT

Maria Proulx, currently regional vice president of sales at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, will take over as the company’s next president in March.

She will begin the job March 14, succeeding Lisa Guertin, who announced earlier this year her plans to retire after 32 years with the company, including 18 as president.

An attorney with Concord-based Orr & Reno before joining Anthem in 2017, she has held a number of other leadership positions at the company, including vice president of segment solutions. She has also worked on the provider, legal and compliance teams, supporting the New Hampshire plan.

HILLSIDE VILLAGE SALE TO ILLINOIS-BASED NONPROFIT FINALIZED

Hillside Village Keene has formally been acquired by Covenant Living Communities & Services, a national senior-living provider, the organization announced in a news release.

A federal bankruptcy court approved the facility’s $33 million sale to Covenant last November, but the move still needed state regulators’ approval at the time. The Illinois-based nonprofit, which operates 18 other retirement communities around the country, had been the sole bidder for Hillside Village — now Covenant Living of Keene — amid the retirement community’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

Hillside Village officials announced early last year they were searching for a buyer due to a financial squeeze caused largely by Covid-related occupancy issues.