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Jack White And Shinola Purchase Flagship Building in Detroit's Cass Corridor

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It seems an unlikely pairing, but when you think about it a little, it makes good sense. Shinola capitalized on trained technical personnel left behind by Detroit’s biggest industry at its founding.

Another historically important industry for Detroit is music, and the city’s greater area has spawned a multitude of talent on this front as well. Think Motown, Bob Seger, Eminem, and Kid Rock just to name a few. Another, of course, is Jack White, formerly of the White Stripes and now involved in various projects such as his own record label Third Man Records.

Originally founded in 2001 in Detroit, Third Man Records opened its first retail location in Nashville, Tennessee. And now it partners with Shinola to open one in Detroit.

You might ask why Shinola would get involved in a music retail location. But then you might remember that Shinola manufactures not only watches, but also a host of other products like clothing, bicycles, journals, paper products, leather items, and even pet supplies. And it just recently invested into yet another category that now allows it to manufacture speakers, turntables, and headphones of audiophile quality. Like the watch category, this will also create more manufacturing jobs in the U.S.A.

So White and Shinola, spearheaded by former Fossil founder Tom Kartsotis, have now partnered to actually buy the historical building in which Shinola placed its flagship boutique at 441 W. Canfield in Detroit’s “Cass Corridor," an up-and-coming “gentrified” neighborhood (thanks in part to the movement that Shinola has spearheaded) in a previous run-down area of Detroit’s downtown.

White has a long history with the Cass Corridor: it was here that the first White Stripes show took place and it was here that White attended high school.

“[This area of the city] has always been the most inspiring area of Detroit for me as an artist and as a Detroiter,” White said. “From the great visual artists like Gordon Newton to the music of the Gories and the birth of the Detroit garage rock scene, the Corridor has nurtured Detroit’s soul and inventiveness for decades. That spirit pushes forward with Shinola’s passion and will come full circle for the artists of the Corridor that work with Third Man Records to plant a new foundation there to help keep that creative spirit alive for decades to come.”

Third Man Record’s Nashville retail location houses a record store, a “novelties lounge” that features the Third Man Record Booth, the label’s offices and distribution center, a photo studio, and the world’s only live direct-to-acetate recording capability.

“There goes the neighborhood,” Kartsotis quipped regarding Third Man Records moving into the Cass Corridor. Undoubtedly, it will represent yet another huge draw in a part of the city that is experiencing a huge upswing at the moment. Largely thanks to the efforts of Shinola.

The shared retail location is expected to be opened in late November.

Elizabeth Doerr is the editor-in-chief of Quill & Pad, an online magazine that keeps a watch on time.