Few people, if any, had no idea what was in the basement.
With demolition underway at the Ford Product Development Center in Dearborn, rooms and closets filled with old furniture and automotive materials that had been out of sight and out of mind for years are being uncovered, the Detroit Free Press reports. , a publication of the USA TODAY Network.
More recently, Ford unearthed around 250 cowhides valued at $ 450 to $ 500 each or over $ 100,000 – formerly intended for premium leather seats on Ford F-150 King Ranch, Ford Explorer, Ford Escape , Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Navigator.
These leftover materials have been ordered for prototype vehicles and show cars made over the past six to eight years, said Jim Conner, director of 3D processes for Ford Design.
It is the man in charge of the manufacture, the modeling of the clay and the milling. But Conner only played that role for three years. It plays a key role in recycling and recovering materials to prevent things from ending up in the landfill.
“It kind of forced our hand, with the transformation of the campus,” Conner told the Free Press. “We have large areas where we’ve been storing things for a long time. We knew we had it, but we didn’t realize the type or the amount. These are very high quality leather skins, of the highest quality.
These are the remnants of small batches of prototype skins that have come and gone. Still premium, large-sized leftovers. Shades of black, brown and gray all vary.
Conner wanted to find a home for the leather scraps that would somehow make a difference and make an impact. The lot is too small to ship to factories, Ford said.
That’s where Pingree Detroit and Mend on the Move come in, two Detroit businesses run by entrepreneurs who create things that help change lives.
Pingree is a small business that sells handmade leather shoes and accessories, including wallets, coasters, and work slips created by American veterans and civilians. Their products range from handbags sold exclusively at the Detroit Institute of Arts to custom sneakers that take nearly three days to make. Its co-founders are a known presence at the downtown Oriental Market as onlookers touch and discuss the beautiful leather goods.
The $ 349 sneakers are individually numbered on the outside, like vintage cars.
“Each piece has character and purpose, just like the people who make it up. Right here in Detroit,” Jarret Schlaff, co-founder and CEO of Pingree, told The Free Press.
“We have diverted over 10 tonnes of leather from the landfill so far and we are going to put this leather to good use in our new pet, home and shoe collections,” he said. “On June 1st, we are launching our very first dog leash made with breakage seat belts and recycled automotive leather.”
The second recipient of Ford’s luxury leather donation, Mend on the Move, is a local nonprofit that employs abuse survivors to create jewelry using salvaged auto parts. This gift will be transformational.
“We’re only just beginning to dream of all the possibilities that having a lot of leather will bring,” said founder Joanne Ewald, herself a child sexual abuse survivor. “The ideas are endless.”
His organization has already purchased an industrial sewing machine. And now he plans to turn a leather palette into a Mend at Home collection, starting with decorative pillows and plant wraps that will be sold online and at sites in the Detroit subway and nationwide.
At Pingree, everything is handcrafted by a team of seven people at their Detroit factory at 15707 Livernois Ave.
This Ford giveaway will result in thousands of new products, Schlaff said. “Our team is beyond inspiration and gratitude for this opportunity.”
Nathaniel Crawford II, an Air Force veteran specializing in footwear manufacturing, said: “As a worker-owned cooperative that prides itself on serving above itself and making our neighborhoods stronger , expanding our relationship with Ford unlocks endless possibilities.
This latest initiative is part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability, Conner said.
“One of the things that’s really cool about that is, well, I can’t remember how many shoes you take out of one skin, but our donation is substantial. I think they get five or six. boots of a skin, “he said. “On the other hand, Mend on the Move did smaller things because they got scraps of leather and now that will allow them to sell much bigger pieces.”
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The auto industry and other companies are working to recycle and recycle auto parts, and have also reached out to Pingree and Mend on the Move.
Pingree has already received donations from Ford as well as General Motors, Corvette, Lear, Eagle Ottawa and Shinola. The company, founded in 2015, had sales of $ 200,000 in 2020, Schlaff said.
“We are a team of veterans and Detroiters,” Schlaff said.
“We have hired and taught skilled trades in industrial sewing, showmaking and leather crafts to 12 veterans to date and many of them have secured jobs with these skills in the automotive industry or in larger companies, ”he said. “As new jobs become available, Pingree will be walking through the blocks around his workshop to invite neighbors to apply and join the team and participate in free leather-making and leather-making workshops. sneakers.
Meanwhile, Mend was launched in 2015 at a fundraising event when Ewald first shared her personal story publicly. The organization has received donations from Eagle Ottawa by Lear, which was used to create pouches and pouches, as well as Ford, Ralco Industries, BAE industries and General Motors.
While luxury trucks and SUVs always include premium leather as an option, Ford noted that the award-winning 2021 all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E uses vegan, animal-free or faux leather – critics have praised its luxury design, appearance and feel. .
“We recycle and keep the materials out of landfills and do the right thing,” said Conner, a Northville resident who served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1990 to 1996. He has been working since. at Ford. “We take care of local businesses. It’s just a pretty cool story.”
Pingree’s website features pictures of their new products and says, “It smells like a new car because it almost was.”
To view the products or order directly:
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