Thieves broke into Pingree Detroit’s workshop over the weekend, stealing about $5,000 worth of fine leather goods, petty cash, laptops, space heaters, gift and gas cards, and even a signed Pistons jersey gifted to the business for its work with U.S. military veterans.
Surveillance video captured the two crooks as they rifled through a room in the workshop at 15707 Livernois on the city’s west side for about 20 minutes. The video also picked up their voices.
Jarret Schlaff, CEO, the co-founder and co-owner of Pingree Detroit, says he hopes the video leads to the men’s capture.
“They took a lot of stuff,” Schlaff tells Metro Times. “It hurts because of the inventory we lost and the laptops that we use for work that were stolen. This is a slow season for us. We work really hard to ramp up.”
The theft hit Pingree Detroit especially hard because it’s a worker-owned cooperative that reinvests in its team, sharing 77% of its profits with employees, who include veterans. Pingree Detroit also teaches skilled trades to Detroiters and veterans.
“It’s a big loss,” Schlaff says. “We’re in a bit of shock.”
@metrotimes Thieves stole more than $5,000 worth of product from @pingreedetroit, a veteran-owned footwear business in #Detroit. #MetroDetroit #MetroDetroitNews #CrimeNews #crimenewsindetroit ♬ original sound - Detroit Metro Times
Pingree Detroit has been turning discarded leather from the auto industry into handcrafted shoes, bags, and accessories since 2015. Its name was inspired by former Detroit mayor and Michigan governor Hazen Pingree, who also ran a successful shoe company.
Pingree Detroit is a popular vendor at the Rust Belt in Ferndale and the Eastern Market in Detroit.
Among the items stolen was a signed Pistons jersey given to Pingree Detroit during a “Veterans on Hoops for Troops Evening,” an event designed to honor and celebrate military veterans. Video shows one of the thieves holding up the jersey to see if it fits.
Numerous purses were also taken, including a one-of-a-kind handbag.
“They cleaned us out of a lot of the bags we made,” Schlaff says.
The thieves also smashed in the workshop’s thermostats.
One suspect wore a dark coat over a lighter sweatshirt, and his face was covered by a dark mask. The other was a bearded man with a checkered jacket and a backpack.
The video shows the two men casually going through drawers and cabinets as they talk with each other.
Schlaff says an alarm company is coming Tuesday to beef up security and reinforce the door.
In the meantime, Schalff is urging people to continue supporting Pingree Detroit. The staff could also use laptops that are in good condition, Schalff says.
“We’ll be saving up for those,” Schalff says. “We’re going to keep moving forward.”
Anyone who knows the identities of the thieves is asked to call Detroit police at 313-267-4600 and reference the case number #250217-0119.
