Shinola

Have you ever heard the saying “You don’t know shit from Shinola!”? I haven’t heard it since I was a kid, and back then I had no idea what it meant. Today I learned that Shinola was a brand of shoe wax. The company went out of business more than 50 years ago, but a group of people still saw value in the brand. They bought it and turned Shinola into a company that is all about bringing back the strength of American manufacturing. Right now the Detroit, MI based “startup with the resources of a well-established corporation” is producing watches, bicycles, leather, and journals. By taking an iconic but defunct brand and turning it into something new and thriving in a city like Detroit, Shinola is making a huge statement about what they think American Made should mean.

Know Shit from Shinola

While a company like Shinola mostly wants to be recognized for the stuff that they make, it’s still worth digging into their story. Once you get a feel for why they’re doing what they’re doing, browse through Shinola’s products. This is high quality stuff that I’m sure people are buying like crazy for Christmas. Another cool thing about Shinola is that they’re located in the College for Creative Studies where they “collaborate with students in the design department, offering real-world experience and opening a two-way dialogue between Shinola and the young creative minds at CCS.” If that sounds like an exciting place to work, take a look at Shinola’s Careers page. They have interesting opportunities including:

• Customer Service Representative
• Financial Analyst
• Planner
• Regional Brand Merchandiser (Midwest)
• Sample Sewer – Leather Goods
• Watch Repair Technician
• Watchmaker
• Product Design Coordinator (New York, NY)

This a chance to be part of something really exciting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• Shinola.com
• Jobs at Shinola
• About Shinola
• Shinola’s FAQ
• Shinola’s Blog

Would you buy anything from Shinola?