Pingree Detroit partners with Detroit Fire Department

Are you looking for a gift that gives back? Pingree Detroit is launching a collection with the Detroit Fire Department with 20% of proceeds going to organizations that support Detroit's first responders and their families. Jared Schlaff is here to tell us all about it. Welcome. Good morning. It's great to be with you. Yeah, this is an incredible collaboration. What inspired it? So at the core, we're a team of veterans and Detroiters, so service above self is in everything we do. And so for the opportunity to also... work with you know the folks that put on that helmet have that same commitment to service so we're just we're excited and honored to do this collection that's awesome and how are the firefighters feeling about this collection here we're grateful that uh men and women across the the state have been asking and inviting encouraging collaborations in many forms and when we connected with folks and we really had that through line of service It was just a natural fit to create goods in Detroit, handmade, and to be able to give back to our first responders through the Detroit Public Safety Foundation and the Fireman's Fund. So folks who take care of us, we want to take care of them, too. I love that answer. All right, tell us about this collection. What can people expect? Yeah, so we often see that it smells like a new car, because nearly was. So this is all made with leather that was left over in the production process. So you've got the new car, small leather goods that then transform into... into one-of-one small batch pieces handmade that have that Detroit Fire Department logo on one side and then the Pinker Detroit logo on the other. Nice. So cross-branded. I like this hat here. Detroit-made 3D knit beanies. You can't say that very many times. This is good material, too. Okay. Warm, coming out. These are all dropping on Small Business Saturday. So we're doing a world debut on your show today, showing off pieces that not only have That warmth and impact, but they also tell the story. So every product has that picture of the veteran of Detroit who made it. Oh, wow. So you get that gift when someone opens it up. That's cool. They know who crafted that good for them. I love that. Okay, tell us a little bit more about the people behind making these products. You said veterans and Detroiters. How do you find them, and how do you know their specialty to know where to plug them into the business? Great question. So we definitely... Say that relationships are our strongest currency and that includes relationships with our workers. So we are a worker-owned cooperative, which means 77 cents of every dollar in profit goes right back to the workers. And we seek out opportunities to have leaders at the helm like veterans. So we're really focused on anyone that's willing to put service above self. We can teach you a skill, trades in industrial sewing, shoemaking, leather crafting, sales, storytelling. So you teach them. They don't need to have the skill already? Wow. That's a core part of our mission, yeah. Talk about how empowering it is for a veteran or a Detroiter to have work like this where they can feel that value. We truly see that by work of their hands, being a part of a mission-driven environment, the very work itself can be healing, can be transformative. So we're not just selling goods. We're literally creating an on-ramp for impact. And that's why our customers, we call them mission ambassadors, because they're creating impact alongside us. Very powerful. I love that. Okay, you got something new here that I want to talk about. Immediately caught my eye when I came in here. This lovely bag here. Tell us all about it. This is like a new collection situation. Feels great. The telegraph tilt feels great, looks great, smells great. It does smell. Great impact. Listen, the new car smell, that is, oh, my gosh. And what's beautiful is those seatbelts literally work. Wait, these are the seatbelts? Oh, my gosh. After one crash test, that's a seatbelt. You've got performance material from the big three here in the Motor City. That is cool. You've got that cross-branded. Again, all of them are handmade, hand-stitched, guaranteed for life. This is nice. Yeah, we like this just. I truly see the impact. Listen, I love my handbags. This is a nice hand. And these are seatbelts. They're actual seatbelts. Wow. So you have this, and then you have like a duffel bag situation as well. Talk about the upcycling part of this. Yes. Because you could, a lot of brands, you know, they get the real, the new leather, and they go a different route, but you're upcycling. So this is some of the best material on the planet. When they're making seats and steering wheels, there's all this beautiful material left over. And so we take that in partnership with the big three. I'm with this. I love this. Okay. How can people support the collection here? Yes. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. You can. So starting on Small Business Saturday, You can. that Saturday after Thanksgiving, they can shop online and in person where these will be dropping. So two weeks away, they're coming out live in all of our locations as well as online. All right, get your goods, get your bags. I might have to get this one. We'll have more information on our website, fox2detroit.com, and we'll be right back. Thanks, Jared. Thank you. Some good stuff here.