Making Things Around the USA
Once a year this newsletter celebrates vendors who make their products in the USA. Here are some familiar brands and some newcomers.
Pennsylvania
Channel Craft began as a one-man operation back in 1983 from the back of a step van / traveling wood shop. President and founder, Dean Helfer, drove from craft shows to folk festivals peddling his hand-crafted wooden Boomerangs. He would arrive at a craft show the evening before and set up his wood shop for the next morning ready to sand and sell his Boomerangs that were finished right before the customer's very eyes.
As the years went on and sales grew, Dean and his crafters sought out a larger manufacturing facility than a step van to continue to produce the American Pastimes that had brought them this far. In 1991, Channel Craft settled into an old Army Corps of Engineers building south of Pittsburgh on the banks of the Monongahela River in Charleroi, PA.
A worker runs a machine in the process of making Channel Craft's train whistle, while others work on the company's trademark boomerang.
Workers imprint toys in the printing room at Channel Craft's factory
Channel Craft founder Dean Helfer with the van in which he began making American Pasttimes toys.
40 years later, Channel Craft is still "Quality Crafting" Toys, Games, Puzzles & Edu-Tainment for thousands of specialty toy and gift shops right here in the USA. And, believe it or not, the returning Wooden Boomerang is still Dean's best seller!
Georgia
A Grandparent Gift Company employee assembles a "heart" sentiment gift.
The Grandparent Gift Co. started with a single sentiment and has grown to hundreds of gift items for all family members and all occasions.
Owned by Teri Harrison, the Alpharetta, Georgia, has been in the gift industry for nearly 30 years. The company started selling USA-made greeting cards, framed prints and other sentiment gifts in the mid 1990's. The company still depends on local printers and suppliers for components in over half their total gift assortment from US vendors. The company's popular stained glass hearts are handmade in Heartland of the United States and assembled with the companies original sentiments in their Alpharetta, Georgia warehouse. The stained glass hearts join the company’s assortment of other popular handmade glass items made by small USA crafters. Each cross and heart offering stores a one-of-a-kind gift at great wholesale prices.
The company is constantly innovating gift ideas and creating new American made gifts for the whole family and for all occasions.
Minnesota
Dutch House Confections is a small business in rural, central Minnesota. They specialize in homemade-style caramel candy. Their beginning goes back to 1997 when the goal was simply to make a little extra money. Today they operate in a 10,000 square foot facility and employ 10 people.
Butter from Minnesota and Wisconsin dairy farms is added by a Dutch House Confections worker to her batch of caramel.
A Dutch House employee runs the cooled caramel through a machine that cuts it in strips.
While expanding their operation they continued to focus on quality products and quality customer service. At tradeshows, you often hear buyers commenting that it is the best caramel they ever tasted. This comes through careful selection of ingredients and continued hands-on approach to production. Their current cooking equipment is capable of completing a batch in half the time used by Dutch House employees, but they learned that patience produces a tastier end-result.
Texas
Cin Chili boxes ready for shipping.
Are you tired of bland and boring meals? Look no further than Cin Chili Company, a family-owned business with 19 years of experience in the industry. Our high-quality dry seasoning mixes, hot sauces, and unique pickle products including Passion Pickles habanero and ghost flavor and Pickle Sips in dill and sweet heat flavors are sure to add a kick to any dish. But don't just take our word for it - we've won the CASI International Chili Cook-Off two years in a row and have been featured on The Food Network's Throwdown With Bobby Flay: The Chili Challenge. Our commitment to quality means we will never sacrifice flavor for price. So why settle for boring food when you can spice up your life with Cin Chili Company?
...and more!
Below is a list of other US-made manufacturers who either entirely make their products in the USA or may assemble products in the US. Links to these can be found at GiftsWholesale.com, USMadeWholesale.com or in the CAMEOEZ.com directory.
Quick Industry News
NEW WHOLESALE WEBSITES
G I Jerky has a new CAMEO EZ© wholesale website. What started out as a snack to take to the field, quickly turned into other paratroopers at Fort Bragg, NC, wanting to purchase the snack. Over the next year, pounds and pounds of GI Jerky was made in the 82nd Airborne barracks and sold to soldiers all over post. G I Jerky says "We manufacture all of our jerky to the highest USDA standards. All of our jerky is sliced, smoked and then bagged in a USDA facility. When you open a bag of GI Jerky, you can be sure that you are eating the highest quality jerky that money can buy!"
Featured Vendors
indicates a CAMEO EZ© web site.
Ala Carte Alice
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Ala Carte Alice's mission is simple: to provide the best products and service to their customers and use the freshest ingredients that they can find. Alice Wooten takes great pride in her company, their commitment to customer service and in the products they sell. Ala Carte Alice’s products include savory sauces, red dog rubs, glazes, relishes and jams. Black and Blue Bacon, Creme Brulee and Sante Fe are just some of the yummy cheese balls Alice offers. In addition, there are mouth watering desserts, party dips and awesome entrees. You have go to try Ala Carte Alice for an excellent cullinary experience!
Beach Walks and God Talks
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"Beach Walks and God Talks" is a full-color book by Karen Ellison of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The full-color glossy pages of this Christian devotional gift book take your customers on a beach-combing journey where they will find treasures from the sea and for their souls. Each double page spread features an inspirational story set at the beach with stunning photography and enriching sidebars. Your customers will find themselves peacefully reflecting on God's love for them as revealed through His creation. Endorsed by Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, they will want one for themselves and more as gifts. It is an especially meaningful Christian Christmas gift.
Cin Chili
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Cindy Reed Wilkins, aka The Chili Queen, is a legend in the chili community. Cindy has won an extraordinary 15 first-place awards, over 100 total, in the world of championship red chili. For 35 years, she's been tweaking her best chili recipe, from the size of her beef cubes to her secret blend of powdered chili spices. Cin Chili & Company has grown since it's conception in 2005, from one awesome product to seventeen and counting.
Drew DeRose
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Drew DeRose's lines run from tabletop to decorative figurines and include candle holders, cannisters and cookie jars. All products are colorful and original. The company has a creative staff that designs merchandise for Drew DeRose Designs.
Dutch House Caramels
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Dutch House Caramels was founded in 1997, when the owners of Bayfields Bake Shop & Grill, in Alexandria, Minnesota developed a recipe for caramel candy and started making the product in the restaurant. Today the company features caramels in a variety of assortments and gift boxes.
EMV Trading
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EMV's products are deeply inspired by nature with an emphasis on creating beautiful lasting memories. The company's vast selection of unique products complements fine jewelry stores or gift/souvenir shop. EMV jewelry is perfect for any occasion, ranging from formal to casual events with specialization in Hawaiian Koa jewelry and also offering: license plates, shells and pearls jewelry, sterling silver/stainless steel/tungsten/wood collections, assorted natural gemstones and stone fashion jewelry.
Fancy That Gift & Décor
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Fancy That Gift & Decor, Inc. celebrated its 18th anniversary in August, 2019. Owners, Steve and Carmen Mendelson, have used their experience in gift and home decor to build a company that takes pride in providing quality Coastal Decor products and service with the highest levels of integrity always at the forefront.
G I Jerky
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What started out as a snack to take to the field, quickly turned into other paratroopers at Fort Bragg, NC, wanting to purchase the snack. Over the next year, pounds and pounds of GI Jerky was made in the 82nd Airborne barracks and sold to soldiers all over post. G I Jerky says "We manufacture all of our jerky to the highest USDA standards. All of our jerky is sliced, smoked and then bagged in a USDA facility. When you open a bag of GI Jerky, you can be sure that you are eating the highest quality jerky that money can buy!"
Gina B. Designs
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Gina B. Designs is an award-winning greeting card, gift and stationery products company featuring exceptional art and design. With an array of styles, variety of products and outstanding customer service, Gina B. Designs has "something for everyone." All products are proudly made in the U.S.A.
Global Building Blocks
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Global Building Blocks features the D'Ora Bamboo line of garment racks with shelves. A family-owned business founded in the United Kingdom, Global Building Blocks' the prime objective is to offer a range of household products made using sustainable alternatives. The company is dedicated to ensuring your purchase meets our three core goals of which are quality assured, authentically pleasing and durability.
JTP Wholesale
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JTP Wholesale is a wholesale website offering monogrammed coasters, IcyBags, and Keeping It Positive affirming sheets and pillowcases.
Magnolia Lane Collection
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At Magnolia Lane, our desire is to produce gifts that become part of celebrations, memories, and family treasures. Our licensed tailgating products, Christmas line, The South collection, and outdoor decor will enhance and compliment every occasion! We are proud of what we do and are ever grateful and dedicated to our customers.
Nebibo
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Nebibo says, "Our mission is to get kids off their electronic devices and out exploring the world. We'd love for you to come on that journey with us. We started this journey when we realized there was no recognizable and reliable snorkeling brand that parents could feel assured their kids would be safe using. We are that brand!" The product is full-face snorkel mask with a 180-degree view and water-tight seal in the patented shark design. The "fin" is designed to seal in the event the snorkel goes under water. Made of non-toxic materials.
The Pocket Plus
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The Pocket Plus is portable pockets that attach with magnets for a convenient way to carry things on the go. The Pocket Plus is made in the USA and comes in seven different sizes and is available in over ten colors – perfect for holding your phone, a water bottle, keys, your wallet, and more! It’s a great, inexpensive gift idea for someone of almost any age.
Pure Factory Naturals
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Pure Factory Naturals collections, including Flip Flop Foot Repair,Splash. The collection includes lip balm, foot repair, body lotion, hand cream, solid lotion bar, salt glow, skin repair.
Pure Mana Hawaii
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Pure Mana Hawaii Founders Sue Mandini and Kollette Stith bring the wisdom of living close to the land and in harmony with nature's rhythms to the marketplace in their luxury skincare line. Built from the ground up, the brand features wild harvested ingredients and a synergy of raw, wild macadamia nut oil and green coffee bean oil, grown on their family's certified organic farm, Mahina Mele in Hawaii.
Quintessential Chocolates
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Quintessential Chocolates specializes in the centuries old art form of casting “Liqueur Praliné” or the European style Liquid Center Chocolates (“with a sugar crust”). The process the company uses is more than 200 years old. Quintessential is the only manufacturer of this specialty confection in America and has been creating these chocolates since 1984.
Red Carpet Studios, Ltd.
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Red Carpet Studios, Ltd. features All Jazzed Up™ Fashion Accessories for Fall & Spring. A wide range of Giftware for the Home & Garden. Visit our website for New Products & Specials.
Reginas Farm Kitchen
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Small-batch artisan fruit spreads from Regina's Farm Kitchen® are made from the heart, the old-fashioned way. With only real fruit, no preservatives, artificial sweeteners or thickeners. Each of our unique flavors is carefully crafted to ignite your culinary curiosity or jazz up your next event. We invite you to try us.
Rudolph and Me
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Joe and Sue Brielmann have taken their combined experience of over 28 years in personalized products and design to create one of the fastest growing cart businesses in the country. Their creative ability, attention to detail, and the highest standards for quality and customer support, are among the reasons Rudolph and Me has experienced such huge growth.
Sunset Vista Designs
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Sunset Vista Designs offers you extra margin opportunities, and sells thru at retail. They offer innovative designs, in proven products, with space saving merchandising solutions, and attractive package deals that all add value to the quality products we offer. Many say this is the "best ever" line of innovative gift, garden, and home decor.
Tizo Design
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Lines include Tizo and Siena frames in a variety of styles and colors plus elegant candleholders from tea lights to pillar candles. The site also features boxes and trays in a variety of materials.
ZappoBZ
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ZappoBZ features Home to fun handmade accent decors, capiz figurine lamps, and hand-painted bamboo curtains. Categories also include bird feeders and figurines.
Billy Joe Homewares