KEEP THE SHIRTS MOVING, THE TEAMS GROWING, AND THE WHOLE PLANT GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY.
Big plant. Big impact. Plenty of moving parts, and yes, most of them eventually become someone's favorite T-shirt. Lakeshirts is looking for a hands-on Plant Manager to lead manufacturing operations at our Detroit Lakes facility. This role owns safety, quality, delivery, cost, people leadership, and continuous improvement across screenprint, embroidery, sublimation/DTFX, garment dyeing, and accessories printing.
You will lead five Production Managers and a manufacturing team of 250+ people, set a clear daily direction, and turn performance data into practical action. The right leader is visible on the floor, steady under pressure, serious about developing people, and comfortable using Lean manufacturing tools such as Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, and 5S. Just as important, you bring humility, a sense of humor, and the kind of team-first leadership that fits our non-corporate culture.
Location: Detroit Lakes, MN headquarters; fully onsite.
Shift: Full-time leadership role. Schedule must flex with plant priorities and operating needs.
Pay: Competitive exempt salary. $120,000-$150,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications, with flexibility for exceptional candidates.
LIFE'S BETTER WITH GREAT BENEFITS. Exempt employees begin accruing PTO immediately and are eligible for holiday pay from the start date. Health, dental, vision, life coverage, and 401(k) participation begin the first of the month after 60 days. Company 401(k) match eligibility begins after 12 months. Lakeshirts also offers profit sharing based on company performance, merchandise discounts, an Employee Assistance Program, employee events and recognition, referral incentives, and a proudly dog-friendly workplace.
OUR CULTURE is one-of-a-kind and truly sets us apart. We are proud of our humble beginnings and non-corporate style. We offer a unique atmosphere, unlike any other manufacturer. We work hard to be the best and we seek only committed individuals that will help move our company forward and embrace our values and culture. Lakeshirts | Blue 84 is one of the largest privately owned screenprint manufacturers in the United States, responsible for decorating and distribution of a wide variety of garments for the resort, college and K-12 markets. At our headquarters in Detroit Lakes, MN, we employ over 1000 great people, proudly producing 35,000+ garments daily. It's not just a job but a lifestyle. Our job descriptions help support and guide you in the role you play in making our company successful. LIFE'S BETTER IN A T-SHIRT. IT REALLY IS.
Employee must be able to see and hear, read and write. Requires good judgment, people-oriented, flexible, organized, diplomatic, reliable, enthusiastic, courteous, helpful, and patient. The role also requires adaptability, analyzing, assessing, calculating, decision-making, dependability, reading, speaking, following direction, handling multiple priorities, and reasoning.
CONTINUOUSLY: Walk.
FREQUENTLY: Lift, stand, sit, carry under 10 lbs., and carry 10-24 lbs.
OCCASIONALLY: Carry, push, pull, bend, lift under 10 lbs., lift 10-24 lbs., lift 25-50 lbs., carry 25-50 lbs., carry over 50 lbs., and reach above, at, and below shoulder height.
NEVER: Climb, balance, twist, crawl, reach, and lift over 50 lbs.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive and should in no way be considered a contract or guarantee of employment. Employee may perform other related duties as needed, based on the ongoing needs of the business. Minnesota is an Employment-At-Will state and implies no specific length of employment.
Lakeshirts is a custom apparel decorating company that started in our owner’s parents’ basement in 1984. We have since grown to an $200 million+ company in a 275,000 square foot facility. Our production floor includes 48 automatic screenprint presses, 32 multi-head embroidery machines, six 60-foot laser appliqué bridges, three sublimation presses, and a number of dogs running around the place.
Lakeshirts sales continue to grow, as does its profitability, due to the hard work and continuous improvement efforts of its 500+ employees and over 60 nation-wide reps.
Lakeshirts provides decorated apparel to thousands of customers in the resort and college markets, being a preferred choice to customers based on its breadth of great designs, great garments in its inventory, and reliable and responsive delivery.
With more than 40 artists on our staff, we create thousands of pieces of art each year, giving each customer a unique look. We have over 100 bodystyles in stock, and each one comes in a multitude of colors, totaling more than 1,000,000 pieces in our inventory.
This is all done in a culture that reflects respect, community, and fun. Our culture is second-to-none and must be experienced to be truly understood. If you happen to be in the lakes area, we invite you to stop in and see for yourself. We always enjoy visits, and we’re proud to show off the community that we’ve called “home” for all of our lives. And if you happen to bring along a Milk Bone or two with you, we know you’ll make some very quick and deep friendships.
Life’s Better in a T-shirt
