Carhartt plans to expand its Dearborn headquarters and hire up to 125 more workers.
DEARBORN — Carhartt plans to expand its Dearborn headquarters campus and hire up to 125 more workers with help from a $937,500 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Dec. 19.
The project — in which Dearborn was chosen over sites in Kentucky and Mexico — is expected to generate a total capital investment of $4.65 million.
Carhartt, a manufacturer of premium workwear, outdoor apparel, and footwear, plans to expand in areas such as product design, digital marketing, customer care, and operations in response to increased demand. The company recently invested $32 million in its three facilities at its Dearborn campus.
Carhartt will hire high-wage professionals, with wages averaging $43.22 per hour plus benefits. Positions may include web developers, marketing specialists, sales representatives, and customer service personnel.
“We’re excited to bring more high-paying jobs to Michigan,” Carhartt Chief Financial Officer Susan Telang said. “Our business continues to grow year over year and partnering with the (Michigan Economic Development Corporation) allows us to expand our employee base by adding top talent and, at the same time, continue to invest in our home state where Carhartt was established in 1889.”
The city of Dearborn has offered to assist the company with expedited and streamlined permitting for the expansion efforts.
“We couldn’t be more excited for Carhartt’s new and improved Dearborn campus, and the more than 120 jobs that will come with it,” Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said. “Dearborn is proud to serve as the home of multigenerational innovators like Carhartt, and we welcome their continued belief in Dearborn as a catalyst for future impact.”
“This investment by Carhartt, which will create 125 high-wage jobs in southeast Michigan, is great news for workers, their families, and our economy as we continue putting Michiganders first,” Whitmer said.
“We’re working hard in a bipartisan fashion to ensure Michigan’s business climate and talented manufacturing workforce can thrive and create more jobs. That work paid off over the last year, as evidenced by the investment and growth by longstanding companies like Carhartt continuing to invest in Michigan,”
“This project will allow Carhartt, a staple business of our region, to expand their operations to further prepare for the economy of the future,” Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said.
Carhartt Inc., founded in Detroit in 1889, is a manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of workwear. The company generates its sales primarily from wholesale distribution to retailers throughout North America and Europe, but also sells directly to consumers through company-owned stores, e-commerce sites, and the industrial industry. Headquartered in Dearborn, Carhartt employs more than 5,500 associates worldwide with 644 employees in Michigan.