SHINOLA TO EXPAND MANUFACTURING OPERATION
On June 1st, Shinola founder Tom Kartsotis partnered with Detroit-native Jack White to purchase the building that currently houses the Shinola Flagship store at 441 W. Canfield in Detroit’s Cass Corridor. The deal marks new expansion for both Shinola as well as Jack White’s record label Third Man Records. For Third Man, this is a homecoming of sorts, since the label was originally founded in Detroit in 2001. This expansion signals the opening of their first retail store and offices outside of Nashville, TN. The new retail space is set to be in operation by Black Friday (November 27th, 2015), with many special surprises in store.
For Shinola, the deal comes on the heels of the brand’s investment into yet another category, rapidly honing in on the ability to manufacture speakers, turntables and headphones of audiophile quality, while creating more manufacturing jobs in the US — a top priority for the innovative and quality-focused company.
Third Man Records has long aspired to have a presence in Detroit and the constantly evolving Cass Corridor in particular, given White’s history in the neighborhood. It is the location of the first-ever White Stripes show, the home of White’s high school, and an area of the city that White says, “has always been the most inspiring area of Detroit for me as an artist and as a Detroiter. From the great visual artists like Gordon Newton to the music of the Gories, and the birth of the Detroit garage rock scene, the Corridor has nurtured Detroit’s soul and inventiveness for decades. That spirit pushes forward with Shinola’s passion and will come full circle for the artists of the Corridor that work with Third Man Records to plant a new foundation there to help keep that creative spirit alive for decades to come.”
The expansion for Third Man Records is both a return-to-its-roots as well as a reach forward into the future, and the possibilities with the additional space and the Shinola partnership are endless and exciting.
About the plans, Tom Kartsotis said, “Everyone at Shinola is so excited about Third Man Records moving into the Cass Corridor. Unbelievable… There goes the neighborhood!”
This development means a move for current retail tenant Willy’s Detroit, a sister store to Shinola, but current plans are for the storefront to remain within the building.
ABOUT SHINOLA:
In 2011, Shinola, a Bedrock Manufacturing Company, LLC brand was conceived with the belief that products should be built to last, and they should be built in America. As makers of modern, handcrafted watches, bicycles, leather goods, journals, and pet accessories, we are proud to be based in Detroit, a community-minded city with a strong manufacturing legacy. We built our watch and leather factories within the College for Creative Studies in the former Argonaut building. As a new company with a storied name, we stand for skill at scale, the preservation of craft, the beauty of industry. We are constantly working to, wherever possible, source as many domestically made components for our products. We are an American company doing everything we can to bring jobs and manufacturing back to America.
ABOUT THIRD MAN RECORDS:
Third Man Records was launched by Jack White in Detroit, MI in 2001, and in 2009 opened its current Nashville, TN location which houses a record store, novelties lounge (featuring the Third Man Record Booth), label offices and distribution center, photo studio, and the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. Third Man is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and a boundary pusher in the world of recorded music, aiming to bring tangibility and spontaneity back into the record business and issue releases that leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that music is indeed sacred.