Tractor Supply and Carhartt Launch Exclusive T-shirt to Benefit the Future of Skilled Trades Jobs

By: Tractor Supply Company via Business Wire

August 23, 2021 at 11:30 AM EDT

Portion of proceeds from t-shirt fundraiser will go to SkillsUSA to build trade, technical and skilled service training programs

Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, today announced an extension to its partnership with Carhartt as they join together to help close the country’s skilled trades gap. Tractor Supply will be the exclusive retailer of two styles of “Support the Trades” shirts designed by Carhartt, America’s premium workwear brand, to benefit SkillsUSA.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210823005060/en/

Limited edition Carhartt t-shirts are now on sale at Tractor Supply stores nationwide with a portion of the proceeds to support SkillsUSA and its mission of closing the skilled trades gap. (Photo: Business Wire)

Support the Trades shirts will be available in Tractor Supply Stores and at TractorSupply.com beginning August 23. Customers can choose between a charcoal grey long-sleeved t-shirt or a navy short-sleeved t-shirt. For every shirt sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to SkillsUSA, a nonprofit that serves middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. Tractor Supply and Carhartt have each committed to a $50,000 maximum donation, totaling $100,000.

“Tractor Supply, Carhartt and SkillsUSA all share a common goal: to equip America’s hardworking tradespeople with everything needed to be successful for Life Out Here, whether it’s training, clothing or equipment,” said Jeff Rietveld, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager at Tractor Supply. “As the skilled trades gap widens, it is more important than ever that we work together to develop and support individuals to fill these important roles.”

The United States is facing a rapidly growing shortage of qualified workers in the skilled trades, which include the construction, manufacturing, transportation, service and healthcare sectors. According to Forbes, more than three million trade jobs will remain open in the U.S. by 2028. Further, Associated Builders and Contractors projects that the demand for construction workers will rise by 1.3 to 2 million jobs by 2023. Additionally, with a quarter of current trade workers expected to retire within the next five years, the number of available positions is expected to far outpace the supply of qualified workers.

SkillsUSA partners with students, teachers and industry professionals to build America’s skilled workforce. Their proven framework provides students with workplace and technical skills grounded in academics, as well as valuable industry connections. Its curriculum covers 130 job categories, creating a pipeline of talented entry-level workers. With the donation from the Support the Trades campaign, SkillsUSA will have the ability to expand its reach and offer its training capabilities to even more students.

“We are thankful to have partners like Tractor Supply and Carhartt that so firmly believe in our mission to build our nation’s next skilled workforce,” said Chelle Travis, Executive Director at SkillsUSA. “There is a brighter light shining on the skilled trades today. With the ongoing support of our partners, we can empower students to develop the personal, workplace and technical skills to succeed at work and in life.”

“For more than 20 years, Carhartt has been a proud supporter of SkillsUSA and their role in helping thousands of hardworking people find a rewarding path into the skilled trades every year,” said Janet Ries, Vice President of Marketing at Carhartt. “So, we are proud to partner with our friends at Tractor Supply Company to raise money that will help ensure the future success of America’s workforce.”

To learn more or to purchase a Support the Trades shirt, please visit www.TractorSupply.com/Carhartt.

Tractor Supply Company

Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, has been passionate about serving its unique niche, targeting the needs of recreational farmers, ranchers and all those who enjoy living the rural lifestyle, for more than 80 years. Tractor Supply offers an extensive mix of products necessary to care for home, land, pets and animals with a focus on product localization, exclusive brands and legendary customer service for the Out Here lifestyle. With more than 45,000 Team Members, the Company’s physical store assets, combined with its digital capabilities, offer customers the convenience of purchasing products they need anytime, anywhere and any way they choose at the everyday low prices they deserve. At June 26, 2021, the Company operated 1,955 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states, a customer mobile app and an e-commerce website at www.TractorSupply.com.

Tractor Supply Company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer focused on meeting the needs of pet owners, primarily in small and mid-size communities, and offering a variety of pet products and services. At June 26, 2021, the Company operated 174 Petsense stores in 23 states. For more information on Petsense, visit www.Petsense.com.

To stay up to date on all things for Life Out Here, follow Tractor Supply on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Carhartt

Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 5,300 associates worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company’s founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen our nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of positions go unfilled. Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have long ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has members nationwide in high schools, colleges and middle schools, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. departments of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. We have served nearly 13.9 million members since 1965. For more information: www.skillsusa.org.