Many people have written Detroit off, but CNN Money’s Poppy Harlow took a look at manufacturing in the city.
But automotive isn’t the focus.
The focus of the piece is Shinola, a company that has hired more than 300 people in the city. Although there have been a lot of pieces about the company, this one has some interesting new information.
The watches have quickly become one of the iconic brands of Detroit, but the piece looks more at the fact that manufacturing could still be a big part of Detroit’s turnaround. That’s good news for Detroit, as it’s going to take a multitude of businesses and opportunities to make the comeback stick.
Sure, Shinola takes flak for being newcomers, but that attitude is shortsighted. If there’s anything Detroiters need, it’s jobs.
Not to mention, there are many small manufacturers and food businesses that are starting to hum in different corners of the city. We wish CNN Money looked deeper than Shinola, but it’s a brand — like Quicken Loans — that people know. It’s also a television report, so spending five minutes on anything is a long time.
An interesting note in the video is that Shinola still isn’t profitable. Building a big brand takes money; although, they’re on track to make 225,000 watches this year according to the report.
The factory wage at Shinola is $11.40-$14 an hour.
Shinola themselves talk about how they’re not the end-all be-all; nor should they be. There needs to be a lot more companies that invest in Detroit. Putting Detroiters to work needs to be of the utmost priority.
When Shinola launched, many naysayers said no one is going to buy anything from them. That they were crazy for doing what they were doing. Fortunately for the more than 300 people who now have jobs in Detroit at the company, those naysayers were wrong.