Proudly Made in America

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For entrepreneurs, artists, salespersons and customers alike, it’s the tag that puts a smile on our faces and proudly states “Made in America”!

So many American-made products are the result of creative minds that see a need, whether in their lives or another’s, and figure a way to meet that need. Drew Ann Long realized that her daughter, Caroline, who has special needs, would outgrow a regular shopping cart. Anticipating the difficulty of negotiating both a shopping cart and a wheelchair through a grocery store, she designed the cart and enlisted Technibilt of Newton, North Carolina, to produce a shopping cart that, according to Long, “fully loaded, turns on a dime.” Caroline’s Carts are now used in several major retailers and smaller grocery stores across America.

Mighty Tykes™ weighted wrist bands sprang from the desire of Isabella Yosuico to strengthen the muscle tone of her son Isaac, born with Down syndrome and hypotonia. Isaac’s physical therapist suggested to Isabella that her handmade wrist bands could be therapeutic for other children and conditions, and Isabella embarked upon a journey to develop prototypes that were extensively tested by families, independent physical and occupational therapists and institutions. Mighty Tykes are latex and lead free and proudly made in the USA.

Soul Carrier’s founder, Jenn Boonlorn, describes the company as “a pioneer within the conscious fashion movement that aims to delight people while supporting the well being of others.” Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Soul Carrier produces to pre-order and handcrafts the order, employing artisan manufacturers and natural cowhides so that each item, including handbags, totes and messenger bags, is unique. In their commitment to socially responsible entrepreneurship, the startup gives back to the Greater Phoenix community by donating a portion of sales to Crisis Nursery, a children’s shelter in downtown Phoenix.

Stock your Soul Carrier tote with a selection of beautiful Decomposition books, journals and sketch pads from Michael Roger, Inc., a family-run company located in Brooklyn, New York. These paper goods are not only made in the USA, they’re created with 100 percent post-consumer-waste recycled pages and soy ink printing, which contains fewer VOCs than regular, petroleum-based ink and is also easier to recycle. Or stash your goodies in one of their large, screen-printed canvas totes, also an American-made product.

The Peachy Clean® silicone scrubber filled the need for its developer, Zach Hubbs, to keep nasty-smelling sponges and bacteria out of the home when his first child was born. It’s made in the Peach State (in Dalton, Georgia) and makes a great soft scrubber for dishes, pots and pans. The scrubber has a typical useful life of three to four months, depending on usage, and is specially designed to dry quickly.

If you’re looking for a fashionable place to “store your assets” while you take a run or work out, check out Hip Appeal. This hip wrap fanny pack is made of four-way spandex and nylon stretch fabric, fashioned with two zipper pockets and one hidden seam pocket, in ten colors and four sizes that fit women from sizes 0 to 28. The front seam pocket fits all phones on the market and the other pockets can secure a passport, credit cards, keys and identification. It’s especially good for vacations, when security and the ability to be hands-free are helpful. This fashion-forward accessory is proudly made in the state of California.

Artisan glass crafters Cal and Christy Breed established Orbix Hot Glass in 2002, after many years of studying technique and gleaning knowledge from schools, studios and glass artists in the mountains of northeast Alabama, where they had grown up. Today, Cal leads a team of glassblowers who handcraft each piece with attention to form, balance and color, striving to make excellent work that can gladly be invited into anyone’s home and life. The jewel-toned collection of vases, pitchers, tumblers, ornaments and wine accessories are carefully hand made one at a time and hand signed by the artist. And if you want to learn to work with hot glass and blow your own ornament, the studio offers classes in October, November and December.

Fiele Fragrances is an American company that produces old world artisanal fragrances interpreted for the modern woman. The formulas of globally sourced organic essential oils are developed in house, blended, triple-filtered and assembled by hand in small, fresh batches in Santa Monica, California, resulting in fragrances that evoke a feelings of happiness and well-being.

Napa Soap Company was founded by Sheila Rockwood, who wanted to create a product that used ingredients made in the Napa Valley. After researching the therapeutic benefits of a by-product of the local wine industry, cold-pressed grapeseed oil, Sheila chose to use this wonderful ingredient throughout her line. Soaps are crafted by hand in small batches of 50 bars each at the shop in downtown St. Helena, Napa Valley.

These are only a few of the myriad of ideas and products resulting from American ingenuity and supporting American craftspeople and workers. Keep your eyes open for more where you live and shop! HLM

Sources: carolinescart.com, fielefragrances.com, getpeachyclean.com, hipappeal.com, michaelroger.com, napasoap.com, soulcarrier.com and Technibilt.com.