Shinola Detroit Expands Business Into Lifestyle Brand, Creating Jobs For Hundreds of Detroiters

Southfield (CW50) - Shinola Detroit has been a staple luxury brand in Detroit since its founding in 2011. The brand has grown from its roots in timepiece manufacturing into offering handbags, accessories, clocks, jewelry, sunglasses, and even bicycles.

Shinola operates an in-house watch and leather factory on the fifth floor of the historic Argonaut Building, where a team of artisans hand assembles luxury timepieces and crafts premium leather straps. The company also sells its products out of retails stores across the country. Shinola recently collaborated with Crate & Barrel on a 115-piece collection, which offers everything from furniture to bedding to utility lighting and decor accessories. The collaboration also includes opening up a Shinola home store in Midtown.

The company, like many, had to face challenges during 2020's COVID-19 pandemic. However, Shinola President & CEO, Shannon Washburn says, "We were able to learn in a very challenging environment, and we're positioned very strongly and feeling great for 2021 and beyond."

Shinola is a brand deep-rooted in Detroit. Washburn says, "We wanted to come to a city that knows how to make things, a city that has a storied background in manufacturing, so it seemed like the perfect fit."

Shannon Washburn joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to talk about Shinola's expansion and its dedication to the community of Detroit.

The Detroit brand has always dedicated itself to the employees in the community. Washburn shared a story of a worker who started with the company on the Movement assembly line, and has worked her way up over ten years to become the Shinola Watch Production Manager.

Shinola is continuing to expand the scope of their products, recently even getting into eyewear. The brand has not stopped growing in its ten years in Detroit and will continue to grow with the support of the community of Detroit.

Find out more about Shinola at Shinola.com

Watch Community Connect, Saturday at 7am on CW50