(via: Marketplace.org) 2014 was a big year for Detroit. It was the year the city emerged from bankruptcy, shed a crippling load of debt and saw a renewal of interest from outside investors. Despite the positive buzz, 2015 will be another year of challenges for the motor city, as it seeks to continue creating jobs, while also slowly starting the process of rebuilding neighborhoods.

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But, if you’re looking for proof that the “Detroit brand” still sells, take a look at Shinola. The epitome of hipster chic, the company makes thousand-dollar watches and high end leather goods. Shinola moved to Detroit in 2013 with the idea of tapping into a kind of collective pining for America’s blue collar manufacturing past. And it was right. Shinola employs 350 people, with 260 actually based in Detroit. The company has plans to add 5 to 6 new stores in 2015. Following the resolution of the city’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy, many investors and corporations now see Detroit as a bargain.

Digging out from the depths of it economic depths not going to be easy, say city leaders and observers. For example, it can’t depend on the types of incentives used by other cities to attract large employers.

Says Amy Himerl, editor of Crain’s Detroit Business: “In the past, it was always about tax breaks and get the big company to come in from somewhere else. That’s wonderful, but we’re also focusing on the other end of jobs creation which are neighborhood businesses, small businesses which may only hire 3 or 4 people at a time.”

Illustration: City Bird is a retail store located in Midtown, Detroit, that carries housewares, jewelry, paper goods, apparel, accessories, and home decor by hundreds of independent artists and designers and features work from Detroit and the region.