Ford Motor and workwear manufacturer Carhartt have a partneship to support the Essential Economy skilled trades workforce and on May 7 they announced some new initiatives as part of their partnership.
First, Ford itself is offering employee pricing to commercial and small business customers on the purchase of Ford commercial fleet vehicles.
That means commercial customers can save $3,000 to $7,000 on eligible vehicles, according to www.fordpro.com’s list of the vehicle trims that qualify.
Ford is calling its commercial vehicle employee pricing campaign “From Our Business To Yours.” It will run from May 7 through July 6, giving commercial and small business customers access to what Ford employees pay on eligible Ford Pro vehicles, which include F-150, Super Duty, Maverick, Ranger pickups, Transit Vans and more.
Ford said the campaign is tied to Ford’s America 250th anniversary as a nation and is meant to recognize 250 years of American business and the workers who have powered it.
“This isn’t a promotion,” Alicia Boler Davis, president of Ford Pro, wrote in a blog. “It is a sign of mutual respect. It is our way of easing the burden on the businesses and unsung heroes that carry the weight of this country on their shoulders.”
Boler Davis said she has a unique appreciation for skilled trades workers because she grew up in Detroit, where her father and grandfather both worked in automotive manufacturing. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Boler Davis said it is crucial that Ford and Carhartt do what they can to help encourage people to work in the Essential Economy.
“These are one in every three jobs in America and these are really good paying jobs,” Boler Davis said. “If we don’t have young people or people willing to come into these roles, we’re going to have a huge shortage and these are the jobs that are really fueling our economy. The GDP is, what, $12 trillion. So this is a really, really important issue. It’s just not an issue for Ford. It’s an issue for our country.”
This commercial employee pricing program is in addition to Ford’s retail sales campaign launched on May 1 called “American Value. For American Values.” That campaign offers employee pricing for all retail buyers of many Ford vehicles. It also runs through July 6. Employee pricing, known as the A Plan, typically offers discounts from several hundred dollars to several thousand off the price of the car depending on the model and other incentives.
The automaker also announced on May 7 that it and Carhartt will support the Detroit ToolBank, a new community tool-lending facility that will give nonprofits and volunteers access to the tools needed to rebuild neighborhoods and finish service projects.
On Jan. 13, as part of the Detroit Auto Show, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard announced a multiyear strategic partnership between the companies that will impact three areas for what Farley dubs the Essential Economy: workforce development, community building and providing tools, all of which will help support the skilled trades.
The deal also included new co-branded merchandise and a special edition 2027 Super Duty Carhartt truck, which Ford will reveal later on May 7.
Hubbard told the Detroit Free Press there are three “pillars of the partnership” between Carhartt and Ford. One is workforce development where the companies amplify awareness to these skilled trades jobs by creating access to training and the opportunity for people to get these jobs because there is a shortage of skilled trades workers.
The second part is community investment and that includes opening the Detroit Tool Bank for the Detroit community to use. Finally, it is building durable products. The first example of which will be the 2027 Carhartt Super Duty truck.
“The other would be some of our products that will be co-branded with Carhartt and Ford, and they’ll be available, launching in a few months on our direct-to-consumer website, where people will be able to come on and actually purchase Ford Carhartt products,” Hubbard said. “I suspect, it will also, of course, be in our Detroit store, and we’ll have to figure out where else it makes sense. But it’ll be some of our work-worthy products that carry both of our brand labels on it.”
Farley has long advocated for the importance of supporting the Essential Economy, which he defines as industries such as manufacturing, utilities, transportation, construction and energy. In September 2025, Farley organized a summit called Ford Pro Accelerate: The Essential Economy where some 300 leaders convened at Michigan Central Station in Detroit to talk about ways to accelerate productivity in the Essential Economy.
Ford and Carhartt said their collaboration will invest in the Essential Economy industries and workers. It also reinforces the role of Ford Pro — Ford’s commercial vehicle division — as a partner to small businesses and fleets nationwide, from job creation to affordability and access to the right tools for the job.
Ford rival General Motors has also made a nearly $200 million investment in the past year to grow and modernize skilled trades careers across the country.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford announce new discounts for business owners
Reporting by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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