Carhartt
Carhartt, Inc. is specially honored as an Estill County Industry that grew from local vision and flourished with forward thinking.
Hamilton Carhartt, the founder of Carhartt, Inc., was born in Macedon Lock, New York in 1861. He spent his boyhood in Jackson, Michigan where his father, Dr. George Carhart, was a physician and surgeon. Hamilton had an unaccountable urge for commercial pursuits. In 1882 he left school at the age of 21 to go into the furnishing business. Having developed a keen business sense and born with a drive to succeed, Hamilton was naturally quite adept in the field of advertising and promoting. While born Hamilton Carhart, this entrepreneur added and extra “t” to Carhartt in order to create a distinction between his name and any other name in business. His determination to succeed would lead to the name “Carhartt” becoming synonymous with products that would set industry standards.
In 1884, Hamilton moved to Detroit and established a wholesale furnishing business under the firm name of Hamilton Carhartt & Co. Just five years later, Hamilton converted the business into an enterprise devoted exclusively to manufacturing apparel for working men. He began with only four sewing machines and about five employees. The first products manufactured were overalls in duck and denim fabrics for men working on and building the railroads. He built his company into a giant organization that included cotton plantations and denim mills, as well as sewing plants. His motto was “From the mill to millions.” By 1928 Hamilton had plants in France, England, Canada, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta as well as a cotton plantation in South Carolina and a cotton mill in Georgia.
The Hamilton Carhartt Overall Company lost almost everything during The Great Depression. The home factory in Detroit and the plants in Atlanta and Dallas were left. In 1931, the Big Bill Overall Company, which had a plant in the “Bend in Broadway” in Irvine, Kentucky, was purchased. At that time it was located where the Irvine Fire Department is now located. Not having enough resources to develop a plant himself, Hamilton’s son Wylie entered into an agreement with Carhartt Holding Company, formed by some very visionary local businessmen form Estill County. This Agreement determined that the holding company would be used to retired old preferred stock and build a plant in Estill County, purchase equipment and provide operating capital for Carhartt. In return, Carhartt agreed to close its Detroit Plant and to furnish $625,000.00 in wages during the next five year period. C.S. Rice, Clarence Miller, John Wallace and Robert Bergman (grandfather of Jim Bergman), with Hunter Shumate acting as their attorney, comprised the Board of Directors of this holding company. To recognize the enormity of this accomplishment, one only has to remember that this money was raised during the depths of the depression in one of the poorest counties of one of the poorest states in the nation. Those men are true heroes. They helped provide the where-with-all for many Estill County families to buy the necessities to live during very trying times. There is some evidence that a separate group of private citizens bought an additional $25,000.00 of preferred stock, as well.
Hamilton died in 1937 at the age of 82 in an automobile accident and control of the corporation then passed to his son Wylie. His son in law Robert Valade became President in 1959 and his son Mark assumed the office upon Robert’s death in 1998.
IN 1985, Carhartt started a Quality Improvement Process that established it as the premier brand in work clothing. (Verlon Prewitt was an instrumental leader in this improvement process.) While Carhartt quality had always been good, it rose to unparalleled heights and paved the way for future growth. As late as 1970, with annual sales of only $3 million, Carhartt had the Irvine plant as its only manufacturing and shipping facility. It now has $380 million in sales, 11 sewing plants, two distribution centers and one cutting facility in the states and three sewing plants in Mexico. In addition, it owns an apparel company in Holland, called Prof Tech Styles with a sewing facility in Poland. The Dutch company specializes in high tech work apparel such as fireman’s uniforms, Gore-Tex and other high performance clothing.
Down through its history in Estill County, Carhartt has offered well-paying jobs to many local residents, allowing some with better education and ambitions to stay at home and prosper. For over 60 years, Carhartt and Estill County have been good partners. This relationship has been good for both, with Estill providing the place and the people and Carhartt the progress.
Hamilton Carhartt, the founder of Carhartt, Inc., was born in Macedon Lock, New York in 1861. He spent his boyhood in Jackson, Michigan where his father, Dr. George Carhart, was a physician and surgeon. Hamilton had an unaccountable urge for commercial pursuits. In 1882 he left school at the age of 21 to go into the furnishing business. Having developed a keen business sense and born with a drive to succeed, Hamilton was naturally quite adept in the field of advertising and promoting. While born Hamilton Carhart, this entrepreneur added and extra “t” to Carhartt in order to create a distinction between his name and any other name in business. His determination to succeed would lead to the name “Carhartt” becoming synonymous with products that would set industry standards.
In 1884, Hamilton moved to Detroit and established a wholesale furnishing business under the firm name of Hamilton Carhartt & Co. Just five years later, Hamilton converted the business into an enterprise devoted exclusively to manufacturing apparel for working men. He began with only four sewing machines and about five employees. The first products manufactured were overalls in duck and denim fabrics for men working on and building the railroads. He built his company into a giant organization that included cotton plantations and denim mills, as well as sewing plants. His motto was “From the mill to millions.” By 1928 Hamilton had plants in France, England, Canada, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta as well as a cotton plantation in South Carolina and a cotton mill in Georgia.
The Hamilton Carhartt Overall Company lost almost everything during The Great Depression. The home factory in Detroit and the plants in Atlanta and Dallas were left. In 1931, the Big Bill Overall Company, which had a plant in the “Bend in Broadway” in Irvine, Kentucky, was purchased. At that time it was located where the Irvine Fire Department is now located. Not having enough resources to develop a plant himself, Hamilton’s son Wylie entered into an agreement with Carhartt Holding Company, formed by some very visionary local businessmen form Estill County. This Agreement determined that the holding company would be used to retired old preferred stock and build a plant in Estill County, purchase equipment and provide operating capital for Carhartt. In return, Carhartt agreed to close its Detroit Plant and to furnish $625,000.00 in wages during the next five year period. C.S. Rice, Clarence Miller, John Wallace and Robert Bergman (grandfather of Jim Bergman), with Hunter Shumate acting as their attorney, comprised the Board of Directors of this holding company. To recognize the enormity of this accomplishment, one only has to remember that this money was raised during the depths of the depression in one of the poorest counties of one of the poorest states in the nation. Those men are true heroes. They helped provide the where-with-all for many Estill County families to buy the necessities to live during very trying times. There is some evidence that a separate group of private citizens bought an additional $25,000.00 of preferred stock, as well.
Hamilton died in 1937 at the age of 82 in an automobile accident and control of the corporation then passed to his son Wylie. His son in law Robert Valade became President in 1959 and his son Mark assumed the office upon Robert’s death in 1998.
IN 1985, Carhartt started a Quality Improvement Process that established it as the premier brand in work clothing. (Verlon Prewitt was an instrumental leader in this improvement process.) While Carhartt quality had always been good, it rose to unparalleled heights and paved the way for future growth. As late as 1970, with annual sales of only $3 million, Carhartt had the Irvine plant as its only manufacturing and shipping facility. It now has $380 million in sales, 11 sewing plants, two distribution centers and one cutting facility in the states and three sewing plants in Mexico. In addition, it owns an apparel company in Holland, called Prof Tech Styles with a sewing facility in Poland. The Dutch company specializes in high tech work apparel such as fireman’s uniforms, Gore-Tex and other high performance clothing.
Down through its history in Estill County, Carhartt has offered well-paying jobs to many local residents, allowing some with better education and ambitions to stay at home and prosper. For over 60 years, Carhartt and Estill County have been good partners. This relationship has been good for both, with Estill providing the place and the people and Carhartt the progress.