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Carhartt, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryWorkwear
Founded1889
HeadquartersDearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Revenue$600 Million (2013) [1]
Number of employees
4000 (2012)
Websitewww.carhartt.com

Carhartt, Inc., is a U.S.-based apparel company founded in 1889. Carhartt is known for its work clothes, such as jackets, coats, overalls, coveralls, vests, shirts, jeans, dungarees and fire resistant clothing. It is still a family-owned company, owned by the descendants of founder Hamilton Carhartt, with its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.[2]

Founding and history

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Carhartt was founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889 in Dearborn, Michigan to make work clothing for manual laborers. The company started with only two sewing machines and five workers. Carhartt's first slogan was "Honest value for an honest dollar." The company's initial expansion in the 1890s focused on railroad workers' need for strong and long-lasting work clothes; indeed Carhartt worked closely with local railroad workers to ensure that his work bibs met their needs as perfectly as possible. Within 20 years of its founding, Carhartt had expanded its facilities into eight other cities, including locations in the United Kingdom and Canada. Carhartt downsized due to declining sales during the Great Depression but found its footing again in World War II.[3][4][5][6]

Over the years, Carhartt clothing items evolved trademark features intended to further extend durability, including the use of heavy duty threads, reinforcing rivets at vital stress points, and a variety of durable, high technology materials resistant to flames, abrasion, and water. Today, Carhartt clothing is commonly found on construction sites, farms and ranches, among other job sites.[3][4]

Carhartt had total sales of $92 million in 1990. As of 1992, Carhartt sold more than 2 million jackets per year.[3][4] As of 2013, Carhartt had sales of about $600 million per year.[5]

Products

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Carhartt Jacket

Carhartt is famous for its full-cut, wind-resistant, snag-proof, heavy-duty work jackets popular with construction workers, miners, farmers, hunters, and outdoorsmen. Carhartt has successfully expanded its appeal to rappers and their fans, clubbers, preppy types, etc. Carhartt jackets are plain and have muted colors such as mustard and navy blue. They are usually waist-length or three-quarter length. Most are made from relatively stiff 12-ounce cotton canvas with triple-stitched seams. Carhartt also makes pants and overalls with colors and materials that match its jackets.[3][4] Carhartt jackets are not designed for unusually tall or slender men; they are cut wide around the middle to accommodate hefty men.[3][5] [3][4][3][5]

In 2007, the company launched the Carhartt for Women[7] line of women's workwear for the fall season.

Collaborations

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2013 collaborations also include lines from Adam Kimmel x Carhartt, as well as collections through the A.P.C. x Carhartt line. Both collections used fashion designers, Adam Kimmel and Jean Touitou.[8][9]

Work In Progress

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German Edwin Faeh, a designer specializing in denim, won a license to market products under the name Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP) in 1994. WIP is the streetwear version of the Carhartt brand, often marketed as comparable to Stussy or Supreme (clothing). In Japan, it often collaborates with other streetwear brands. An example would be the line of A Bathing Ape X Carhartt WIP camouflage hoodies and jackets.[10] In Europe WIP is very popular among skateboarders, hip-hop fans, and young people who frequent rallies and protests.[6]

The first WIP-branded store was opened in New York's Soho in 2001.[6]

Beer

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Carhartt launched a craft beer in cooperation with New Holland Brewing.[5]

Operations and corporate affairs

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Carhartt store in Sydney, Australia.

Carhartt is currently owned and controlled by Gretchen Valade, a great-granddaughter of the founder, and her husband Robert.[11] As of 2017, the company's CEO is Mark Valade, the son of Gretchen and Robert.[6]

Carhartt owns and operates unionized factories and distribution centers in the United States and offers a "Union-Made in USA" line of workwear through its retailers. The company has four factories in the United States. The firm also makes an effort to use domestic suppliers. In 2015, Carhartt purchased 19.5 million pounds of cotton from Georgia, 32 million buttons made in Kentucky, and 1 million drawcords from Kentucky.[6]

Items like T-shirts, knit caps, and even some lower priced items such as chore coats are made overseas, though most feature American-made fabrics and components. Carhartt says that its international suppliers must have Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) certification. Due to competition from other apparel manufacturers and pressure to drive down prices, the manufacturing of many of Carhartt's non-core apparel items have been outsourced abroad. Some countries where outsourcing is and has been done are: Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, China, and the Philippines.

As of 2003, Carhartt operated a total of four factories in two Mexican states employing about 2000 workers. In 1997, Carhartt built a plant in Pénjamo, state of Guanajuato, Mexico, and in December 2001 they opened a second plant about 30 miles away, in the city of Irapuato. In 2003, Carhartt purchased two additional facilities from the Labor Board of the state of Durango in an auction. All of Carhartt's Mexican plants have WRAP certification.

Carhartt EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) was formed in 2006 to provide workwear to the European market.

Sales and advertising

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Carhartt sells via many kinds of retailers but refuses to allow discount stores such as K-Mart to carry its products in order to protect its brand.[12] Large regional farm stores are among the company's most important retailers.[11] Carhartt itself operates retail stores in the US. Uniquely, it celebrates the opening of its stores with a sledgehammer smashing a wall instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony.[13] The company operates a "flagship" store in downtown Detroit.[6]

Carhartt keeps most of its advertising work in-house, a rare arrangement for a firm its size. Its ads feature actual consumers on actual work sites. In the past Carhartt focused on advertisements in magazines such as Popular Mechanics and American Cowboy with slogans like "As Rugged As The Men Who Wear Them." More recently the company has updated its style and has even partnered with Jason Momoa to make ads on things like surfing, hunting as a family tradition, and women making donuts while wearing suspenders.[6]

In Canada, the main retailer of Carhartt is Mark's Work Wearhouse (L'Équipeur in Québec).

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Tommy Boy Records used Carhartt jackets as a promotional vehicle and even had its logo embroidered on them. Tommy Boy initially gave away 800 such jackets to "tastemakers and people seen in all the right places." This effort was so successful that the record label eventually started expanded into clothing. Carhartt is now very popular with hip-hoppers. In the New York hip-hop scene mustard brown and hunter green Carhartts are favored.[3] Rappers like Tupac and Dre wore Carhartt. Carhartt jackets and their evolution as fashion items were featured prominently at the Bronx Museum of the Arts exhibition entitled "One Planet Under a Groove: Hip-Hop and Contemporary Art" in 2002.[14][6]

Carhartt has become a part of the local culture in Alaska. The city of Talkeetna holds an annual "Carhartt Ball." The Alaska State Fair hosts a Carhartt fashion show. Carhartt capitalized on the growth of the working class in Alaska in the late 20th Century due to the growth of the oil industry by having its local sales representative, Doug Tweedie, carefully cultivate relationships with the independent stores that dominate the state's relatively isolated retail market. In 2001, per capita sales of the brand's products were higher in Alaska than anywhere else in the world.[6]

The main characters of Interstellar wear Carhartt jackets. Carhartt products were on screen for about one hour.[15][5] McConaughey wore the Duck Detroit jacket.[16]

In an interview by Deezer, Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots wore a Carhartt beanie.[17]

Liam Neeson wore a Carhartt jacket in Before and After.[11]

the 1995 Spike Lee film New Jersey Drive prominently featured a Carhartt jacket.[11]

Carharrt is popular with politicians trying to connect with blue-collar voters. Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Barack Obama have all been seen prominently wearing Carharrt clothing.[6]

Sponsorships and philanthropy

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In the United States, Carhartt sponsors blue-collar organizations and events such as the National FFA Organization, and rodeos. The company is also a vocal supporter of organized labor.[5] Carhartt sponsors work training programs such as Helmets to Hardhats. The Valade family sponsors the Detroit Jazz Festival and patronizes numerous non-profit groups such as the Detroit Historical Society.[6]

During the 9/11 World Trade Center rescue operations, the Carhartt company donated thousands of bib overalls to the rescue crew to be used on scene.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Carhartt, Inc". InsideView. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04.
  2. ^ Bianco, David (2006). "Carhartt, Inc". International Directory of Company Histories.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Marriott, Michel (29 November 1992). "THING; The Carhartt Jacket". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b c d Mundow, Anna (11 January 1993). "Pretty? No. Utilitarian? Yes". The Irish Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ferrier, Morwenna (12 November 2014). "How a Carhartt jacket went from blue-collar uniform to hipsterwear to Interstellar". The Guardian.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Riley, Tonya (15 July 2017). "WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WORKING-CLASS CLOTHING BRAND IN AMERICA TODAY". Esquire Magazine. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Durable Workwear, Outdoor Apparel, & Gear - Carhartt".
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "A History of BAPE CollaborationsCarhartt". Complex Networks.
  11. ^ a b c d Givhan, Robin (28 April 1996). "Pasture Prime". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ DeMasi, Michael (12 April 2012). "Forget the fake scissors, bring the sledgehammer: Carhartt's grand opening at Crossgates Mall". The Business Review (Albany).
  14. ^ Arany, Lynne (24 April 2002). "NEW YORK; Sites That Are Small, But, Oh, So Fashionable". The New York Times.
  15. ^ "Interstellar Fashion Items Identified: Carhartt Jackets, Hamilton Watches For Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain". StyleFrizz.com. 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  16. ^ Hepburn, Ned (5 November 2014). "Matthew McConaughey, Interstellar, and the All-American Jacket". Esquire Magazine. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Premiere: Twenty One Pilots - Deezer Close Up". Clashmusic. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carhartt.

Category:1889 establishments in Michigan Category:Clothing brands of the United States Category:Clothing companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Wayne County, Michigan Category:Companies established in 1889 Category:Dearborn, Michigan Category:Workwear

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