Ford unveils new dark horse Mustang and Bronco RTR
Ford launched the Mustang Dark Horse SC and Bronco RTR this week.
- Ford and Carhartt announce a multi-year partnership to support skilled workers.
- The partnership will focus on talent development, community building, and tooling.
- The new co-branded Super Duty Carhartt Edition pickup is expected to go on sale later this year.
For years, Carhartt has provided clothing for many workers before heading to the job site in their Ford pickup trucks. In fact, in the 1920s, Carhartt made coveralls for Ford factory workers.
It is therefore logical that the two companies team up again, this time to promote their respective products and attract new talent to the skilled trade by supporting “America’s vital economy.”
On January 13, as part of the Detroit Auto Show, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard announced a multi-year strategic partnership between the two companies that will impact three areas Farley calls the “essential economy”: workforce development, community building and tool delivery. All of this will help support the skilled industry. The deal also includes new co-branded merchandise and a special edition 2027 Super Duty Carhartt truck to be released later this year. The companies will also open ToolBank USA in Detroit.
“This is a critical issue for our country,” Ford Philanthropy CEO Mary Culler told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. “These are jobs that people aren’t having, and we want to make sure they are. If we don’t, we’re just going to have a severe shortage in five to 10 years. There’s already a shortage of electricians and plumbers. So we want to litigate here and make sure we do our part.”
Mr. Farley has long advocated for the essential economy, which is industries such as manufacturing, utilities, transportation, construction, and energy. In September, Mr. Farley organized a summit called “Ford Pro Accelerate: The Essential Economy,” which brought about 300 leaders to Detroit’s Michigan Central Station to discuss ways to accelerate productivity in the essential economy. Ford spent nearly $1 billion renovating Michigan Central Station, but Farley and Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford both said the work would not have been possible without the work of skilled craftsmen.
Carhartt and Ford had already talked about ways to work together, but it was after that meeting that the idea really came together, Carhartt’s Hubbard told the Detroit Free Press.
“We’ve been thinking about how to elevate these opportunities in the skilled trades, and we’re already doing that through a campaign that celebrates hard-working people and what these jobs truly mean to America and our entire way of life,” Hubbard said. “But then Jim brought it up and built an entire acceleration conference around it. What we found at Carhartt is that when you find like-minded organizations, it actually amplifies the power and scale of what you can do.”
Ford + Carhartt provides training, scholarships and tools
One of the topics Mr. Farley has often talked about is Ford’s need for skilled tradesmen, especially service technicians at dealerships. On Sept. 30, he said, “This morning, we have 6,000 empty stores in our dealerships and probably no technicians to work there.”
Attracting the next generation of engineers is the goal of both companies. So Ford is partnering with high schools and community colleges to quickly develop training programs to train and hire service technicians. The initiative includes a partnership between Ford Philanthropies, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, and the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports engineers with scholarships and training. The companies will work to support Ford’s AutoTech Scholars program, which the Detroit Free Press reported last spring provides scholarships to aspiring service technicians. This program helps fund training and the cost of technician tools, certification costs, and travel expenses.
Ford Philanthropies’ Collar said Ford has already trained 1,400 scholars in the program, and Carhartt will provide them with uniforms.
The companies are also paying for a tool bank in Detroit, which is being built by volunteers from Ford Philanthropy and stocked with hundreds of tools available for rent. ToolBank USA is a nonprofit organization that provides access to tools for community revitalization, trade education, and disaster relief.
The Detroit Tool Bank on Milwaukee Avenue will open next month. It also serves as a training ground for the next generation of craftsmen. Workshops will be held on power tool safety and precision handling of complex machinery.
The tool bank will also offer a free tool loan program to provide, store and repair tools and equipment to local organizations and workers. Each year, we supply more than 5,000 volunteers and 25,000 tools across the country.
After the pandemic, Carhartt opened a tool library at its Detroit location and has “borrowed” 90,000 tools from there, Hubbard said. Culler added that when Ford learned about Carhartt’s library and learned Tool Bank was coming, “that got Ford thinking about how we can leverage our superpower, mobility, to actually get tools into other people’s hands. So as part of our partnership with Tool Bank USA in Detroit, we’re going to give them the F-150.”
The pickup truck donated by Ford will be equipped with a mobile generator called “ProPower On Board.”
Finally, Ford and Carhartt, along with uniform provider Cintas, are launching a new program in late 2025 to provide dealer technicians with new, durable uniforms. Uniforms include shirts, pants, jackets, sweatshirts, footwear and accessory options, and are delivered through Cintas in men’s and women’s sizes.
Retailers can choose from two program options: a managed workwear program or direct purchase. Through Cintas’ stewardship program, uniforms are professionally cleaned, inspected, and repaired or replaced as necessary.
Show people that these are high paying jobs
“What both companies are trying to do is help young people understand that these are great careers that our country needs,” Hubbard said. “If you ask people how important this is to the infrastructure and future economy of this country, everyone will say it’s important. But we haven’t been able to show people how to get there or what to do.”
The partnership will provide training, funding, scholarships, tools and joint products to encourage people to pursue that path, Hubbard said.
“Some skilled trades pay wages 25% to 50% higher than the average wage in the United States,” Hubbard said. “Yes, I have a little time to invest in training, but not enough time to get a four-year degree.”
Hubbard and Culler said these jobs can lead to advancement into the upper echelons of a construction company or even the possibility of owning your own business one day.
“If you’re a skilled auto technician, you’re making a six-figure salary. It takes a few years to get there, but like any career, if you put your mind to it, you can do very well,” Culler said. “That’s what we want people to see and understand that these are really viable career opportunities.”
special super duty
Additionally, the Ford and Carhartt partnership will include new products and Ford trucks, starting with the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt truck, which will go on sale “later this year.” At Carhartt, that means special branded jackets, pants and T-shirts, including Ford branding. Hubbard said the clothing will be available for general sale at www.carhartt.com or at the store on Cass Avenue in Detroit. He did not provide further details, but said he would share more closer to launch.
Inspiration for many of the details of the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt truck came after Ford designers visited a Carhartt store in Detroit last year. They gained insight into the different textures, colors and functionality of Carhartt products, including wheels inspired by Detroit manhole covers outside the flagship store.
Ford said more details, including the pickup truck and pricing, will be revealed in the coming months.
Jamie L. Lareau is senior auto writer for USA Today and covers Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jalaroan. To sign up for our automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
