Tab News - Made In America

Tim Cook sees Made-In-America in Apples Future.

gdt — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:45:33 GMT

In the interview with Brian Williams of NBC News, Tim Cook talks about a future Mac PC being Made-In-America. An additional interesting bit of information was about the iPhone containing components like the Gorilla Glass being Made-In-America in Kentucky. Tim Cook ... "You know, this iPhone, as a matter of fact; the engine in here is made in America. And not only are the engines in here made in America, but engines are made in America and are exported. The glass on this phone is made in Kentucky. And we've been working for years on doing more and more in the United States. Next year, we will do one of our existing Mac lines in the United States."

K'NEX a Very Cool Toy for Christmas

gdt — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:10:20 GMT

A lot of fun to put together for my 10 year old Son and I (with a little help from my 8 year old daughter) was the K’NEX Collect Build Amusement Park Series #2 Corkscrew Coaster. I was a little worried when I saw that the item had 300 parts, but my son is so in to Roller Coaster that I just had to buy it for his birthday. Now, it just so happened that the day that the Coaster arrived from Amazon was the day that I saw on ABC Nightly News a segment showing President Obama touring the K’NEX factory. I was so happy to hear that I could find a good quality toy that was Made-In-America. Looking through the K’NEX website I see that they have many cool and innovative toys. I feel much more comfortable buying a toy made from plastic that we made in the U.S.A., one never can really know what goes in to plastic from toys made in China. I plan to finish off my Christmas shopping with a few more toys from K’NEX.

A little about the company from their website:

K'NEX Brands, L.P. is a privately held company, with the headquarters and manufacturing facility located in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Today, K'NEX is the most innovative and fastest growing construction toy company. Internationally, K'NEX products are distributed in over 30 countries. K'NEX Brands is also proud to distribute Lincoln Logs in the North America.

Did you know that K’NEX also owns the LINCOLN LOGS brand and makes a wide variety of traditional Lincoln Logs products? I’ve already sent them an email to get a breakdown on which of their products are Made-In-America. I’ll post back here once I get an update.

K’NEX’s plastics partner the Rodon Group has an interesting video on the K’NEX’s manufacturing page and worth taking a few minutes to see how the product is manufactured. The Rodon group has multiple measures in place to reduce a great deal of waste in packaging, shipping and scrap materials.

I must admit that I was very to discover that this toy was Made-In-America, who would have guessed.

PEZ Candy a part of America for over 50 years

gdt — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:05:09 GMT

PEZ candy was invented in Vienna, Austria in 1927 by Eduard Haas III. Originally invented as a breath mint the name PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint, “pfefferminz”, taking the P from the first letter, E from the middle, and Z from the last letter. In 1952, the U.S. subsidiary was established in New York City and obtained a patent for their unique dispensers. In 1974 the U.S. company headquarters relocated to Orange, Connecticut and the PEZ Visitor Center is located at 35 Prindle Hill Rd, Orange, CT 06477 (admission is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for Children 3-12). Visits to Visitor Center are self-guided with windows into the production floor. It is a wonder place to take the family and everyone is extremely friendly.

(The largest collection of PEZ memorabilia on public display in the world)

Oscar Uxa designed the first PEZ dispenser, called “Box Regulars” which resembled cigarette lighters in an attempt to encourage people to quit smoking. In the Early-mid 1950’s in an effort to grow the U.S. market, PEZ introduced fruity flavors and character dispensers geared toward children. The first to dispense the new fruity flavored PEZ tablets, were the Full body Santa, Full body Robot, and the Space Gun. Since the late 50’s PEZ dispensers have been a pop culture phenomenon and a hot collectible. We’ve seen dispensers from Popeye, Mickey Mouse, Batman, Tweety Bird, Star Wars and even William and Kate.

PEZ continues to stay current with the candy by introducing a chocolate flavor in 2008 and two new flavors in 2011: Strawberry-Vanilla and Raspberry Lemon.

Annin Flags Make it to the 2012 Olympic Games in London

gdt — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:39:52 GMT

The Oldest and Largest Maker of Flags in the United States is Annin Flagmakers. Founded in 1847 by the brothers Benjamin and Edward Annin who started the company with their father Alexander on Fulton Street in New York City. Annin flags have paralleled our history: present at all Presidential inaugurations since Zachary Taylor; raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945; accompanied the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and will be part of Team U.S.A. at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Today the company is committed to retaining its position as America’s largest manufacturer and distributor of US flags with their Corporate Headquarters in Roseland, NJ and Manufacturing plants in Coshocton, Ohio ; South Boston, Va. And Verona, NJ. The company is still family owned with the 6th generation of the Annin family still working for the company.

The demand of Annin flags is currently very high, with the company typically making 30,000 units a week the numbers have risen to over 100,000. The company's 125 employees have stopped production of other products to keep up with the demand for American Flags. If you'd like an easy way to buy American pick up an Annin Flag on Amazon - they're of good quality and last.

Part of Diane Sawyer’s special series on goods manufactured in the USA
Video footage taken at Annin’s manufacturing plant in Coshocton, OH.

COLOR! that's the trend today...

gdt — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:06:08 GMT

Fiesta Ware proudly manufactured in the U.S.A. Since 1871. With this ceramic dinnerware why limit yourself to a monochrome table setting, mix and match from the wide selection of bright colors.

As an early Homer Laughlin Company brochure stated:

"COLOR! that's the trend today..." and it went on to say, "It gives the hostess the opportunity to create her own table effects....... Plates of one color, Cream Soups of another, contrasting Cups and Saucers....it's FUN to set a table with Fiesta!"

The Homer Laughlin China Company of Newell, West Virginia began as Laughlin Pottery in East Liverpool, Ohio. The company continues to manufacture all of its products in the United States and in the late 1920 all production was shifted to the West Virginia factory. The company employs over 900 people, most of whom are second, third, fourth and fifth generation employees.

Contemporary Fiesta (from 1986) – after a production lapse of 13 years the HLC Company reintroduced the product line with five colors: Rose, Black, Cobalt, White and Apricot. The new Fiesta differs from the original Fiesta in that it is very smooth, hard, much shinier and of slightly different size. The manufacturer continues to maintain collector interest by discontinuing glaze colors and limiting production quantities. Over the years fiesta has appeared in over 29 new glazes, none of which are an exact match to the vintage 13 colors. Keeping up with the times, HLC announced the latest Fiesta color “Flamingo (light salmon pink) on Facebook-Fiesta, March 10, 2012

The history of Fiesta by CBSNews Video: Fiesta: Brightening up the table

THE AMERICAN LIST | A Continuous Lean.

gdt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:25:25 GMT

Let Them Eat Cake! Bundt Cake ...

gdt — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:36:07 GMT

Talk about a classic American manufacturer. Nordic Ware was founding in 1946 and has been making cookware and bake ware products for over 60 years. I first saw the company featured on ABC news and finally got around to checking them out. It was interesting to learn that 2 out of 3 American households own and use Nordic Ware product – that’s great! Nordic Ware is the brand that created the “Bundt pan” which was invented back in 1950. Nearly 60 million Bundt pans have been sold in the United States.

Still family owned, Nordic Ware is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a large shipping and warehouse facility in St Louis Park, MN. In addition to their own retail products they have over 300 industrial and O.E.M. customers throughout North America. It's wonderful to hear that Nordic Ware is committed to keeping jobs in America. They employee over 300 people in their local community.

Radius Tooth Brush - Made in Kutztown, Pennsylvania

gdt — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:57:27 GMT

A great product that's American Made. The original tooth brush designed by Radius happened in the Caribbean island of Tortola by James O'Halloran and Kevin Foley. The founders took control of their manufacturing and renovated an old Mill in Kutztown, Pennsylvania in 1988. The 20,000 square foot mill, built in 1863, was restored into a very beautiful workplace, where all RADIUS toothbrushes are manufactured.

My Kids love the Scuba toothbrush – “The original idea for this product came from fascination with injection molded rubber. This material is bendy and non-slip, two qualities that are perfect for a toothbrush. In 1988 when we developed SCUBA, nobody was using rubber in toothbrushes (today 80% of toothbrushes use rubber).

SCUBA has a very bendy neck, it lets you know that you are applying too much pressure when you brush. The non-slip material reduces the amount of pressure needed to hold the handle and makes it very comfortable to use. An updated version of this brush now incorporates hexagonal tuft holes, hexagonal bristles and a much thinner head - an example of the translation of learned experience into product improvements.”

Radius has a number of very innovative (cool) designs that you can check out on their website and learn more about the company. Radius Website You can buy the toothbrush from a number of stores including Amazon. Even Marth Stewart is a believer ... check out the video.

Support another American Made Product ... Go Radius!

Remember the feeling of excitement you had as a kid when riding a new bike?

gdt — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:15:23 GMT

BOWERY LANE BICYCLES a truly amazing find ... not only Made-In-America, but made in New York City! I'm in the market for a new bicycle and have been searching for one that was Made-In-America. To my complete surprise I found Bower Lane Bicycles in New York City.

Their website states: “Ninety-nine percent of bikes sold in the US are not made in America. We are a part of the 1%. Our bicycles are welded, painted, assembled, packed and shipped in New York City. No big assembly lines, no mass production, no robots. Human hands. American Hands. Our bikes are made with pride by a family owned and operated company that has been making bicycles since 1891.”

The Bowery’s urban bikes look to be just what I need to keep up with the kids around the neighborhood or for just a quick ride down to the corner store.

If you are in the market, check out some of the other 100% American made bikes companies.

Aegis Bicycles (Camden, Maine) - 100%

Ahearne Cycles (Portland, Oregon) - 100%

Ellsworth Bikes (Ramona, California) - 100%

Trek Bicycles (St Waterloo, Wisconsin) - ~ 20%, I felt the need to give them a mention because of the well know brand and location. If shopping Trek, make sure to ask for an American made model.

Please share your favorite american-made bikes. Would love to hear about some from the center of the country.

A Good Week To Be Out On the Water In A Chris-Craft

gdt — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:15:41 GMT

Chris-Craft Boats began in 1922 and was founded by Christopher Columbus Smith and his three sons. The company started in Algonac, Michigan and remained in the family until around 1960 and has changed hands several times since. We happy to say that the Chris-Craft brand is still a 100% American Made Boat with Headquarters and Production now in Sarasota, FL.

A very interesting book about the original Chris-Craft Company “Building Chris-Craft: Inside the Factories” written by Anthony Mollica and Chris Smith (founding family) is worth having a look for those that love boating. The title does not truly represent the content of the book, which talks about the early days of boat building, racing as well as recreational boating in the United States. Also check out Thousand Island Life to learn more about the Author.

We are happy to see that this brand has managed to survive and they are again building quality products in the United States.

A Lawn Mower That’s Good For The Environment

gdt — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:36:59 GMT

A Mower that is not only Made-In-America, but it’s environmentally friendly! The American Mower Company has a series of Reel mowers that are manufactured, designed and distributed out of Shelbyville, Indiana and Muncie, Indiana. Look for the Reel mowers under the brand name “American Mower Company (models: 404-16,414-16,705-16,1404-16,1414-16,1705-16) and the Earthwise name (models: 1304-14EW,1405-16EW,1815-18EW,2001-20EW).

A brief history of the company: The company was founded in 1895 by the family of Robert B. Kersey, the grandfather of the company's current president. The original facility was in Richmond, In. The company moved to Muncie, In. in 1901.

In 1936 American Lawn Mower Company purchased another push reel mower manufacturer, Great States Corporation in Shelbyville, In. Today the company still operates out of the same plant and makes push reel mowers under both the American and Great States label with 50 employees producing 700 to 900 mowers a day.

Reviews on A mazon have given the Reel Mowers high marks and worth reading. We were happy to find another classic American product still manufactured in the United States, check out some of their other product if you have a chance (i.e. electric mowers).

M&M's To Open a U.S. Plant

gdt — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:39:08 GMT

It was reported today by Mars Chocalate North America that they will be building a new state of the art plant in Topeka, Kansas. The new facility will be the first new Chocalate site build in the U.S. in thirty-five years.

The new site was announced today by “Vice President of Supply at Mars Chocolate North America on the campus of Washburn University. We are excited to announce our plan to construct this new manufacturing site in Topeka,” said Wittman. “The site will be a reflection of our commitment to manufacture our products in the markets where we sell them. Mars looks forward to becoming an important part of the Topeka community.”

Phase I of the site will be completed in 2013 and employing over 200 people. Later Phases may employee up to 1000.

Great news for Candy lovers!

A Rare Breed

gdt — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:01:17 GMT

Features on Fox Business, ABC World News and CNBC, The "All American Clothing Company" is a rare breed. Shop for Jeans, Shorts, Socks or my new favorite Tee Shirt. The stuff is good quality and a competitive price to items made in China – I strongly recommend you have a look. All American is a family owned business located in Arcanum, Ohio and was started in 2002.

Like many in the clothing and manufacturing business the founders of All American Clothing found themselves in a business that was moving off shore – they decided to do something about it and started their own company. One of the company founders has his own blog which is also an interesting read.

That iconic flying saucer coming back to the U.S.

gdt — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:23:38 GMT

Invented in the 40’s by Fred Morrison the Pluto Platter, was the original model for all the modern flying toy discs used today. In 1957 Fred sold the rights for the flying disc to Wham-O toy company in California. In 1964 Wham-O added the patented flight ridges to the design, giving the Frisbee greater stability and speed. The improvements by Wham-O allowed for multiple new sports such as Frisbee golf and Frisbee horseshoes. Ownership of the Wham-O company (and Frisbee) has passed through several hands over the years and until 2010 was manufactured in China. In 2010 the toy manufacturer brought half of Frisbee production back to the United States.

Hopefully in 2011 we will see Wham-O bring back the production of the Hula Hoop!

If you get a chance check out Wham-O Has Heart, a worthy cause dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world. Wham-O Has Heart builds orphanages, digs wells for clean water and in the U. S. works with local community organizations to providing healthy safe activities for children.

Hot dogs on your American grill

gdt — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:13:10 GMT

Hotdogs and hamburgers on the old Weber grills just says summer time and yes there are grills still Made-in-America. All of Weber’s charcoal grills are made in Huntley, IL, and the Summit and Genesis gas grills are made in Palatine, IL. Now, I must admit that when I started researching where some of the more popular grills are manufactured I did not expect to find such a long list of grills still made domestically. If you have a favorite Made-in-America grill feel free to post a link and review.

I need my morning coffee (maker)

gdt — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:49:19 GMT

Bunn-O-Matic (Springfield, IL): Some Bunn Home Coffee Makers (BT, BX and GR models) are assembled in Creston, IA from domestic and imported parts. So, technical this coffee maker is not made-in-america - According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), in order to claim that your product is “Made in the USA” your product must be “all or virtually all” manufactured in the USA. However, we will give them a B+ for effort in keeping the assemble (and jobs) in the U.S.

Now, I have been searching the web for a few days now looking for a Made In America coffee makers and still haven't found one. The Bunn maker is the closest I've come in this search. I haven't give up and will post again if I find something the has the FTC seal of approval.

Giant Gummy Bear

gdt — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:56:13 GMT

Made in Raleigh, NC the worlds largest Gummy Bear weighs in at just under 5 pounds! According the the company website www.giantgummybears.com these giants are over 1000 time larger than a regular gummy. You can purchase them in one of 11 flavors or event have custom 3-tone bears made to order. The company also makes a giant gummy worm - 2 feet long.

Initial created as a joke, friends and family kept asking the company founders to make more - so began the company. I have to give them credit for coming up with a unique product. I'm not as sure about he gummy brain, heart or snail, but the gummy bear on a stick is kind of interesting.

If you are ever in the Raleigh area, stop by their shop. You can always ordered directly from the company or via Amazon (buy here).

KitchenAid Mixer

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 18:18:39 GMT

This Kitchen-Aid Mixer is still made in a Greenville, Ohio factory. The parent company to Kitchen-Aid is Whirlpool. Whirlpool has moved several product lines over seas, but all the mixers are still American made.

The interesting thing about the KitchenAid Mixers is they have that feeling of something solid and built to last. It really does remind you of the days when buying a kitchen appliance was not a two year purchase, but something intended to be around for a while.

Amazon has this baby online for $202.49 - Mixer The reviews are generally favorable.

I must admit that I never expected to see any kitchen small appliance still made in America, but this has me searching for others.

Still Made in USA.com - American-Made Products for Home and Family

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:58:16 GMT

Toys Made In America

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:51:17 GMT

Marketplace for American made products

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:50:27 GMT

Directory Listing of Products Made in USA

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:49:35 GMT

Etsy - handmade, vintage, and supplies

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:48:47 GMT

USAonly.US

gdt — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:47:48 GMT

Faucet Source for New Kitchen

JTD — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:02:21 GMT

This Company complies with both the Buy American Act of 1933 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. See pages 1 and 2 here: http://www.chicagofaucet.com/pdf/BAAProductListing.pdf

All-Clad Pots and Pans

gdt — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:42:34 GMT

Directly from their website: "Today, from its rolling mill in Southwest Pennsylvania, All-Clad Metalcrafters is the only bonded cookware manufacturer who utilizes American craftsmen and American-made metals to produce a complete line of finished bonded cookware products" Here is a nice set on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005AL0K?ie=UTF8&tag=tabup-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00005AL0K Nice stuff, built to last - and American Made 0:-)

Searching for Made in America.

gdt — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:29:04 GMT

ABCnews ran a series last week on products made in America - it really peaked my interest. Like many watching the program I began to search around my home to see which items were made in America. I did pretty well on furniture, but when it came to electronics I found few items not made in China.

If you get a chance, I would recommend the series. Made in America features a family who removes all items from their home NOT made in America. The house was basically empty. ABCnews than worked with them to identify and re-furnish the house. As I would have guess, they did a pretty good job on the furnishing. The story was a little weak on the electronics.

I've started this tab as a resource pages for those interested in sharing their favorite Made In America products and services. Feel free to talkabout what you find and I will highlight some of the more interesting finds in the Journal.

Good luck on your search.

Do you shop for products Made in America?

gdt — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:12:46 GMT