— When Michelle Daggett, president of Lakeshirts, talks about her role, she doesn’t focus on titles or hierarchy. Instead, she talks about people — how every employee has value.
She points to ideas that come straight from the shop floor, from screen printers who spot process improvements to artists whose creativity sparks a bestselling design. For Daggett, they’re a testament to how the company thrives on collaboration.
“We maintain that culture here at Lakeshirts with all of our employees, where they feel able to contribute to their fullest,” she said. “It’s a pretty cool place, and there are a lot of great people. Of course, it helps that it’s a fun product, too. Who wouldn’t like to work with a bunch of artists being creative all the time?”
Contributed / Michelle Daggett
Daggett has been with Lakeshirts for 28 years, starting as the company’s first human resources manager. Back then, there were about 100 employees. Today, there are more than 1,100 across four production facilities in Detroit Lakes and Little Falls, Minnesota; Falconer, New York; and Longmont, Colorado, along with a sales force of 170 representatives. That kind of growth, she said, has always energized her.
“It was a growing company that just kept changing,” she said. “I’m one of those people who really enjoys change, I enjoy the challenge of growth.”
Raised on a dairy farm in Lake Park, Daggett credits her father’s work ethic and community involvement with shaping her values. At first, she imagined becoming a nurse, but business and communications courses at Concordia College in Moorhead sparked a passion.
Contributed / Michelle Daggett
“I remember my first accounting class at Concordia, the professor said, ‘Hey, have you considered going into accounting?’ And I just found myself on this business track, and how I got into human resources.”
She gained early experience through two HR internships: one at Fargo-based Great Plains Software, later acquired by Microsoft, and another at American Crystal Sugar Co. After graduating from Concordia in 1994, she joined Hewitt Associates in Chicago, a benefits consulting firm that used the same HR software she’d worked with at American Crystal. Those experiences, she said, gave her an early look at strong, healthy workplace cultures.
Eventually, her path circled back home. While she and her husband were engaged, she was living in the Twin Cities and he was in Grand Forks. With her roots in Lake Park and his in Frazee, they wanted to return to lakes country. When she saw an opening for Lakeshirts’ first HR manager, the timing was perfect.
Up until then, co-founder Mark Fritz had handled HR himself, but he wanted to focus on art and sales. Daggett stepped in and never looked back. Through every transition, her focus has remained on people.
Contributed / Michelle Daggett
“Being in HR and then moving into operations, into other roles of leadership, no matter what, there’s a human element,” she said. “People are our greatest asset.”
That philosophy has shaped her leadership style. She works to preserve the company’s open, collaborative culture, even as it grows.
“We don’t want to lose any of that nimbleness as a company,” Daggett said. “We’re trying to make sure that everybody understands that culture piece … that that culture is instilled in each one of our locations.”
For Daggett, maintaining this culture also means creating opportunity. She notes that women play a powerful role in Lakeshirts’ success.
“Here at Lakeshirts, we have so many women,” she said. “I think the last time that we had looked at it, I think it was somewhere around 56% of our employees are women (in manufacturing), and we have just as many in management positions, so leadership positions.”
Her belief in seizing opportunities extends beyond the company. As a mentor through a program at Concordia, she encourages students to say yes to experiences that may not seem significant at the time. She recalls taking the unpaid internship with American Crystal Sugar while also juggling school and work.
Contributed / Michelle Daggett
“I remember people saying, ‘What are you doing?’ But that internship gave me experience in the HR field, which then led to my job that I got right out of college in Chicago,” she said. “Get involved in clubs. Get involved in the community. Take the opportunity … You don’t know where that can lead to later on.”
That same philosophy meshed well with the culture of Detroit Lakes — a place that is more than the company’s headquarters; it’s home.
“Even in the 28 years that we’ve been (in Detroit Lakes), so many things have been added,” she said. “It’s a growing community. And you can’t say that about a lot of small communities, that they’re growing the way that we are.”
She feels fortunate to live in a place where people want to return after time away and support one another. Lakeshirts, she said, reflects that same spirit. It’s not just a workplace, but a community hub, rooted in creativity, opportunity and giving back.
“For me, the legacy isn’t just about shirts,” Daggett said. “It’s about creating opportunities, supporting community and having fun while doing it.”
Contributed / Michelle Daggett