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To
celebrate
its new
120,000-sq.
ft.
addition,
a tour
and
ribbon-cutting
was
hosted
on Nov.
18, at
MyLocker’s
facility
at 1300
Rosa
Parks
Blvd.,
featuring
Mayor
Duggan,
MyLocker
Founder
and
President/CEO
Robert
Hake and
hundreds
of
MyLocker
employees.
Also on
hand for
the
celebration
was
David
White of
the
Detroit
Economic
Growth
Corporation,
Josh
Hundt of
the
Michigan
Economic
Development
Corporation
and
Marcia
Ventura
of
Invest
Detroit
among
others.
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MyLocker
adds new
jobs to
Detroit
along
with
$14M
plant
expansion
·
Robert
Hake –
Native
Detroiter,
MyLocker
Founder,
President/CEO
– turns
down
offers
to
locate
facility
outside
of
Michigan
· New
and
existing
building
expansion
gives
boost to
Detroit’s
oldest
neighborhood
·
Company
currently
employs
more
than 450
– expected
to
increase
total
workforce
to 1,200
by 2022
DETROIT
– Nov.
18, 2019
– MyLocker,
the
manufacturer
and
online
marketer
of
custom
apparel
and
products
– and
one of
Michigan’s
fastest
growing
companies
– has
expanded
its
headquarters
in
Detroit
with a
state-of-the-art,
three-story
production
facility.
The $14
million
investment
reaffirms
its
commitment
to
Detroit’s
Corktown
neighborhood.
The
expansion
is
expected
to
increase
MyLocker’s
total
employees
to 1,200
by 2022,
nearly
triple
its
current
workforce.
Thanks
to
MyLocker’s
success
the
company
required
more
space. A
second
facility
was
recommended
somewhere
in the
western
U.S.
because
the
company
was
shipping
so much
product
there.
Through
teamwork,
the City
of
Detroit,
MEDC,
DEGC and
others
came
together
to
develop
an
incentive
package
that
allowed
MyLocker
to stay
in
Detroit
where it
wanted
to be.
“With
MyLocker’s
incredible
popularity
and
growth,
Robert
Hake
could
have
taken
his
company
anywhere–and
he
certainly
has had
offers.
The fact
that he
has
committed
to
expanding
his
workforce
here in
Corktown
sends a
message
to other
companies
that
Detroit
is a
great
place to
grow
your
business,”
said
Mayor
Mike
Duggan.
To
celebrate
its new
120,000-sq.
ft.
addition,
a tour
and
ribbon-cutting
was
hosted
on Nov.
18, at
MyLocker’s
facility
at 1300
Rosa
Parks
Blvd.,
featuring
Mayor
Duggan,
MyLocker
Founder
and
President/CEO
Robert
Hake and
hundreds
of
MyLocker
employees.
Also on
hand for
the
celebration
was
David
White of
the
Detroit
Economic
Growth
Corporation,
Josh
Hundt of
the
Michigan
Economic
Development
Corporation
and
Marcia
Ventura
of
Invest
Detroit
among
others.
Operations
have
already
recently
begun in
the
facility’s
new
expansion
wing.
Half of
the
expansion
features
a high
bay area
with a
sophisticated
robotics
picking
system.
The
other
half
features
three
floors
of
production
space to
support
MyLocker’s
growing
business.
This
project
replaced
an
existing
one-story,
fragmented
office
building
previously
located
at 1641
and 1661
Porter
streets,
directly
behind
MyLocker’s
original
facility.
“This is
another
great
day for
MyLocker
and for
Detroit,”
said
Hake, a
proud
Michigan
native
and
Michigan
State
University
graduate.
“Our
gratitude
goes
first to
our
dedicated
staff,
who make
the
magic
happen
and are
responsible
for our
success.
Thank
you to
Mayor
Duggan,
DEGC,
MEDC,
Invest
Detroit
and
Chase
Bank,
who have
witnessed
our
commitment
to the
city,
believed
in us
and made
it
possible
for us
to
expand
right
here.
We’re
proud to
have the
opportunity
to offer
more
long-term
employment,
not just
jobs,
for
local
residents.
MyLocker
team
members
can
learn
new
skills
and
enjoy a
rewarding
a
career.”
Established
in 1998
in
Warren,
MyLocker
moved to
a group
of three
facilities
next to
the
Trumbull
and
Porter
Hotel in
2013.
The
popularity
of
personalized
and
customized
apparel
and
online
shopping
spurred
business
growth
such
that
MyLocker
sought
expansion
and
modernization
for its
high-tech
equipment
and
staff.
Its
expansion
was made
possible
by a
grant
and loan
from the
Michigan
Strategic
Fund and
incentive
packages
from the
City of
Detroit
and the
Michigan
Economic
Development
Corporation.
MyLocker
developed
proprietary
software
that
provides
automation
from
start to
finish
of the
product
customization
process.
From its
first
product
– a
blanket
with
polar
fleece
on one
side and
water-resistant
fabric
on the
other – to
the
addition
of an
online
store
with an
integrated
design-production-delivery
system
in 2005,
MyLocker
outgrew
its
existing
space.
“MyLocker
is
engrained
in
southwest
Detroit,
providing
job
opportunities
to local
residents
that are
life
changing,”
said
David
White,
Director
of
National/Regional
Business
Attraction,
Detroit
Economic
Growth
Corporation.
“MyLocker
is
exactly
the type
of
business
that
deserves
the
support
of DEGC,
one that
commits
itself
to the
City and
plans
for
sustainable
growth
right
here in
the
community.”
Marcia
Ventura,
Senior
Vice
President
of
Lending
at
Invest
Detroit,
added,
“Job
creation
can have
a
profound
impact
on the
economic
mobility
of
individuals
and a
city.
MyLocker
shares
our
commitment
to
creating
good,
local
jobs for
Detroit
residents,
so we
are
thrilled
to
provide
our
resources
to
support
their
goal of
more
than
doubling
their
workforce.”
JPMorgan
Chase
helped
support
MyLocker
through
its
commitment
to the
Chase
Invest
Detroit
Fund.
Nearly
75
percent
of
MyLocker’s
workforce
is
comprised
of
Detroit
residents;
more
than
two-thirds
of its
employees
are
female.
During
the Nov.
18
celebration,
MEDC
Executive
Vice
President
Josh
Hundt
presented
Hake
with a
plaque
and
thanked
MyLocker
for
keeping
his
growing
business
in
Michigan.
“We’re
pleased
to work
with the
City of
Detroit,
DEGC and
Invest
Detroit
to
support
MyLocker’s
expansion
in
Michigan,
which
means
more job
opportunities
for our
residents
and will
add new
vibrancy
to
Corktown,”
said
MEDC’s
Hundt.
“The
company’s
proprietary
software
system
brings
innovation
to the
garment
industry,
further
boosting
the
state’s
reputation
as a
growing
technology
leader
and
building
on the
growing
garment
ecosystem
that is
gaining
momentum
in
Detroit.”
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