Congratulations to SR Client Detroit Denim, NEIdeas Grant Winner!

  • November 2, 2015
  • Steve Wisinski, CPA, MAFF

We’re thrilled to congratulate ShindelRock client Detroit Denim, recently awarded the NEIdea $10,000 grant from NEI!  Way to go Erik, Brenna and team!

From The Detroit Free Press, by Tom Walsh:

Detroit Denim

Started in 2010 by Eric Yelsma after his career in specialty chemicals was derailed by a spike in oil prices, Detroit Denim began making men’s jeans at Yelsma’s, then moved to the Ponyride co-working space in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, where it has since expanded twice.

Now Detroit Denim has six employees and is moving soon to leased space in a Rivertown building at Franklin and McDougall that used to be a jazz bar.

Detroit Denim plans to use the NEIdeas grant to purchase equipment, train staff and hire marketing expertise to expand his denim repair service – “for anyone’s jeans, not just ours,” Yelsma said.

“Less than 1% of all jeans bought in the United States are made here, so this has been a labor of love,” he added, “and there’s really no place else between the east and west coasts of the U.S. that does complete repairs of denim jeans.”

Now there will be.