Is Carhartt Made in the USA?
The answer is yes, and no. While we know the majority of Carhartt clothing is NOT made here in the USA, some of it is.
What Carhartt Says
On Carhartt's site, they say they have been building workwear since 1889, and they employ more than 2,700 American workers. They have manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky that are manufacturing the Made in the USA line inspired by American workers and features some of their most iconic clothes like work pants and jackets.
That being said, the far majority of Carhartt's clothing is not made in the USA. They are a glocal operation, with a European headquarters in Amsterdam and manufatoring and finishing facilities in Mexico. You can actually see a map that shows where all of their factories are. They're not hiding it. On Carhartt's website, they state, "Today, less than 2% of the apparel purchased in the U.S. is made in the U.S." and go on to assure that Carhartt is a part of that 2% but are outpacing that percentage.
Just so this is really clear, that means that 98% of the apparel that US consumers are buying is NOT made in America.
So, if Carhartt isn't made in America, then where is it produced? While Carhartt does import many items from other countries, they also own manufacturing facilities in Mexico.
Why aren't all Carhartt Products Made in the America?
So, why don't we just start making more products here in the USA? Everyone would like that better right?
Right! I've had the opportunity to talk to hundreds of people in this industry and the discussion about how great it would be if we could offer our customer American made always surfaces.
Remember, 98% of American's are buying non-USA products. The biggest three reasons I'm nearly always given:
The obvious: pricing is lower due to labor and manufacturing capabilities by foreign competitors. It is believed that the majority of the American consumers are not willing to pay the difference the price would have to be to have them made in the USA. That could certainly change in the future with changes in economics.
Less obvious: something I hadn't thought of as much, but absolutely makes sense, is that for large quantities, we no longer have the infrastructure to support that capacity in the textile mills or in manufacturing plants in America. This means that for a large brand, they would have to invest heavily to begin to rebuild infrastructure here in the U.S. and that presents a large amount of risk. I believe it's a risk they may be willing to take if the conditions are right and economics change.
This never occurred to me: '“We don't have the technology in manufacturing to build the technical clothing pieces that many consumers are buying today. We now need to be able to work with new membranes, laser seams, fully waterproof, lighter weight materials and those all require special machines and skills to produce." I've often heard that in many cases the quality can be even better.
Carhartt Products: Which ones are Made in America?
After hearing those challenges, and you look at the inside label of your favorite Carhartt's, it most likely doesn't say Made in USA. So what are they making here?
Two of Carhartt's most iconic products; the B01 Duck Double Front Dungaree work pant and the J140 Duck Active Jacket are the main products that Carhartt still makes in the USA. They specifically note that they are made from imported products.
Here's an interesting video that Carhartt made a few years back to promote their Double Front work pant and to help tell their story of the work they are doing here in the USA.
Although Carhartt may not be manufacturing the majority of their product line here in the USA, it's really hard to debate that they aren't making an effort that many are not. Along with the plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, they have a headquarters in Michigan and four other industrial locations in the US. In the past several years, Carhartt has also started to open their own retail stores across America, including two in Washington and one in Idaho.
In fact, they are producing more workwear here in the USA than anyone else, and if you want a great made in USA piece of workwear, Carhartt can provide it.