Ford and Carhartt partner to support skilled trades

Two companies, similar stories: Carhartt was founded in Detroit in 1889. Fourteen years later, so was Ford. Carhartt has made apparel for Ford factory workers for over a century.

Today, the two companies both call Dearborn, Michigan, home. They cater to similar segments of the workforce: Skilled trades workers make up the core customer base for Carhartt’s workwear, and Ford’s commercial business is the quiet profit engine of the company, booking $2 billion in earnings in Q3 2025.

Beyond these affinities, what drew the two together for a recently unveiled multiyear brand partnership was a mutual focus on workforce development. The collaboration “explores the intersection of heritage workwear and automotive craftsmanship, uncovering shared values of durability, innovation, and local pride,” according to a news release.

Both Ford and Carhartt have a vested interest in solving a nagging problem: the fact that the US could have as many as 1.4 million unfilled trades jobs by the end of the decade.

“Workforce development was something that we absolutely aligned on—really that opportunity to educate [and] recruit for the skilled trades,” Susan Hennike, Carhartt’s chief brand officer, told Morning Brew.

The collaboration kicks off this year with a soon-to-be released Carhartt edition of Ford’s Super Duty pickup truck, co-branded apparel, a commitment by Ford to support training for auto technicians, and an initiative to bring free access to tools to the Detroit community via ToolBank USA—with more to come in the future.

And on Feb. 2 at the National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas, the companies unveiled a collaboration wherein Carhartt will create new uniforms for Ford dealership service technicians and specialists. Uniform and cleaning supply company Cintas will deliver the workwear via both rental and purchase options and offer services like cleaning, inspection, and repairs. Carhartt cited research it commissioned that suggests providing employees with free workwear boosts recruitment and retention.

“This is such a great match because we’re all committed to making sure workers have the best equipment and gear that they can get,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.

So essential: In January, Ford and Carhartt announced a “multiyear strategic partnership” focused on three parts of what Farley has dubbed the “essential economy”—community building, workforce development, and “durable products that help strengthen and support the skilled trades.”

The “essential economy” is made up of critical sectors powered by workers like electricians and mechanics. In a piece for Time, Farley cited data indicating that this segment of the economy includes some 95 million workers and 3 million businesses, and contributes $12 trillion to the GDP.

“Over the past eight years—thanks to technologies like cloud computing, mobile apps, and faster teleconferencing—productivity in the white-collar economy surged 28%,” he wrote. “But productivity in the Essential Economy declined over the same period, according to a recent study by the Aspen Institute.” In the automotive sector, he said, some 400,000 new auto technicians will be needed in the next three years.

Farley has argued that in order to close this productivity gap, the US needs to focus on workforce development, including investing in vocational training and educating workers in emerging technologies like robotics.

“For 136 years, we’ve stood with the skilled trades by making durable gear they can rely on,” Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard said in a statement. “That commitment has since grown to include support for programs that provide people with the skills and training needed for meaningful careers in the trades. We’re excited that our partnership with Ford will help us advance this important work.”

Shared interests: The partnership makes sense on multiple fronts, Hennike said, from the two companies’ alignment on workforce development to a similar focus on products that are designed to be functional and long-lasting.

“Everybody has different options and we want to make sure they understand what is in front of them. Not everybody goes in a more traditional four-year college path. This is an opportunity to make a really, really great living and knowing that there’s jobs out there to be had, we felt like this was an opportunity to come together and really amplify that message,” Hennike said. “It’s part of our vision and mission, as well as Ford’s, so it’s just a natural partnership to be able to do that and amplify the message.”

Hennike declined to share specific KPIs for the partnership, which the companies developed together for more than a year, but said that one of the high-level goals is to track whether and how it’s helping to close the skilled trades jobs gap.

As Jalopnik pointed out, Ford has done similar brand collabs in the past, notably with Eddie Bauer. Ford previously made Eddie Bauer editions of vehicles including the Bronco, F-150, and Explorer. And Carhartt previously teamed up with another auto brand: Chevy.

Ford spokesperson Elizabeth Kraft said via email that leaders involved in this collaboration “agree this partnership is unique in the shared mission, values, purpose and plan of how we create a better world together for the Essential Economy workforce.”

Ford designers drew inspiration for the special edition Super Duty after visiting a Carhartt store in Detroit last year, “gaining insights into the different textures, colors, and functionality of Carhartt products including wheels inspired by the Detroit manhole covers outside their store.”

“Carhartt’s DNA is all about hardworking people, doing incredible things with their rugged apparel, which is as necessary as the tools they use—just like our trucks serve builders as tools for their trade,” Tyler Hill, senior manager of Ford Global Licensing, said in a statement.