A pair of high end American manufacturing retailers are moving into the North Loop in Minneapolis later this spring. Seattle based
Filson, known for its rugged outdoor gear and apparel will be sharing a storefront with
Shinola, a company out of Detroit gaining recognition for its handcrafted watches, bicycles and leather goods.
“Shinola and Filson are like-minded brands that…share many of the same core values,” said Daniel Caudill, creative director at Shinola. “It was a natural fit for both brands to share the same space.”
The Washington Avenue site was previously occupied by Dunn Bros., which recently moved to a new location down the street where it expanded offerings to include beer and wine, as well as baked goods.
Filson and Shinola are part of a family of American brands under the
Bedrock Manufacturing umbrella—a venture capital firm in Texas headed by the founder of Fossil Inc.
Filson, which currently has six other brick and mortar locations around the country, is looking to tap in to Minnesotan’s passion for outdoor sportd. “Filson and Minnesota share an everlasting enthusiasm for enjoying the outdoors, which makes it the perfect location as we look to connect with more outdoor enthusiasts,” said Alan Kirk, Filson’s CEO.
The North Loop is quickly becoming one of the Twin Cities hottest districts. With a growing number of medium- to high-end restaurants, bars and retailers moving into the neighborhood, as well as new condo and apartment buildings, it’s no surprise Forbes ranked it the
12th hippest neighborhood in the country.
Filson and Shinola will be joining a growing number of men’s boutique stores like
MidNorth Mercantile,
Askov Finlayson, Martin Patrick 3 and even other specialty bike shops like
Handsome Cycles up the street.
Both retailers say they are looking forward to tapping into the thriving community of like-minded shops in the area and look forward to finding ways to collaborate and connect.
“We are looking at all types of local companies small and large to create products we will sell in our stores,” Caudill said. Shinola is already working with
Faribault Woolen Mill Co. to produce custom Shinola blankets.
Kirk says Filson also plans to engage the local community of outdoor professionals through a series of unique events and experiences. “Minnesota is home to a number of great outfitters, and we look forward to sharing the experience and passion for outdoor adventures with our customers,” he said.
Shinola has other Minnesota ties, as well. Former CEO of St. Paul-based leather company
J.W. Hulme Co., Jen Guarino, is leading Shinola’s leather department, which just opened a new facility in Detroit. She also set up the company’s in-house leather design and development team late last year, allowing Shinola to house design and production under one roof.
Shinola has garnered a good deal of attention lately for its commitment to revitalizing the downtrodden manufacturing sector in Detroit. Its headquarters and watch factory are located in the
College for Creative Studies in the former Argonaut building, which once housed General Motors’ research laboratory.