It stands to reason when products are made in America that they’re made by Americans, right? And one of the most important issues facing America is putting people to work. So, this story from The Atlantic’s site, In Focus, is a great way to see Americans at work making American-made goods.
Some of the companies represented here are American institutions including Gillette, Ford Motor Company, Electric Time Company, Sargento Cheese Company, Boeing, and L.L. Bean Company. Others are companies creating products that didn’t exist in 2009, like Instagram. Think about these and all the companies mentioned on this site when you’re shopping or sourcing a major purchase. Everything from orange juice to razor blades is better, and better for the economy, if its made in America.
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I’ve been waiting for two months to wear my new Frye boots. They’re gorgeous and I’ve wanted a pair for a long time, so today I decided to wear them, regardless of the fact that it was almost 100 degrees here in Fort Worth. They’re really comfortable and just what I expected.
Frye is another historic American company still in business and thriving since it was founded in 1863. Take a look at their boots at the Frye Company, but keep in mind that not all their boots are still made in the USA. The ones made in their US factory are noted in the details of the individual boots and include most of the Harness and Engineer lines.
According to an article in Country Living magazine, Colonial Candles was started by a home economics teacher, Mabel Kimball, who decided to make hand-dipped bayberry tapers for her friends and family in Hyannis, Mass. in 1909.Colonial Candle employs 175 workers who produce candles in more than 35 different colors and 60 fragrances. Last year, the company used 44 million pounds of wax to make an astounding 392 million candles.
I’ve already confessed to my love of office supplies, but I think I should extend that to include pens and paper in general, and thick, beautiful paper specifically. That would really be the definition of Crane’s note cards and papers. I’ve always been a fan and even more so now that I realize they’re an OLD American company. This one sentence from Crane’s website says so much:
Paul Revere engraved banknotes for the Colony of Massachusetts Bay on Crane paper to help finance the American Revolution.
Wow. This company started before the American revolution. Our currency, the US Dollar, has been printed on Crane paper since 1879. No wonder I like their papers. Read about their history and take a look at their products at www.crane.com.
I need to make it clear that I haven’t received any kind of compensation from the companies I write about.
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There are creative people at the Columbus Washboard Company. They started making washboards there in 1895 and in 1931 the company sold 1.3 million washboards. Fortunately for most of us, simpler, more automatic ways of cleaning our clothes came along and washboards were no longer in great demand. But those creative people at Columbus realized that musicians love washboards, they make good signs, cabinet doors, and they still do a great job of washing clothes.
They even have a program where they send laundry supplies to service men and women overseas. Talk about American initiative! According to their website: The troop kits containing one washboard #2033-F, one washtub, clothesline, clothespins, 3 bars of ivory soap, foot powder and most importantly instructions on how to use a washboard. They accept donations to cover the $25 cost of this program, and shipping is paid by the company.
Take a tour of their factory Monday-Friday in Logan, Ohio, USA. Or just take a tour of their website at Columbus Washboard.com
Have you been thinking about painting the ceiling of your home office now that your daughter has moved to Amsterdam and the “blue sky with puffy white clouds” floating overhead is no longer the look you’re trying to pull off in that room? Well, if your search includes paints that are made in the USA, then check out Benjamin Moore.
I received a great response from their website assuring all of us that their paints are made in one of 7 locations, all located here in America, from Boston to Birmingham to Dallas. And of course they have a great range of colors, finishes and degrees of green-ness. Check them out at www.benjaminmoore.com.
Small disclaimer: I didn’t ask about where other finishes, such as varnish, etc. were manufactured, only their paint.
The classic children’s toymaker, RadioFlyer, makes great, well-designed, age appropriate toys, including this one that I just put together a couple of hours ago. And, of course, it’s made right here in the USA. I found ours at one of the big box stores, and the box proudly shows the “Made in the USA” logo along with the American flag.
Way to go, RadioFlyer!
I clicked on an advertisement link from a blog I really like, Design Sponge. What attracted me to that link wasn’t just the company name but also the picture of gorgeous colored binders. I love office supplies. There’s something about those blank notebooks and packages of pens and pristine note cards that makes me think I can do anything. When I opened the Naked Binder site, I fell in love. These binders are gorgeous, made of recycled material and created in Des Moines, IA! In the USA!
These can be purchased from the Naked Binder site (link above), and there are price breaks for buying larger quantities. Definitely a site to keep in mind if you buy supplies for your office, bookstore, etc., or if you’re like me and just love office supplies.
Made in America 
