American Made

Jennifer Polanz

We’ve heard more lately about the importance of manufacturing products domestically thanks to the bottlenecks in the supply chain and
difficulty in getting shipments from overseas.

It isn’t realistic to source everything in the U.S., but there are ways to not only offer these products, but also convey their story in a way that can enhance the perceived value. For example, I sat in on a talk at Cultivate last summer where Jessie Jacobson, co-owner of Tonkadale Greenhouse in Minnetonka, Minnesota, talked about bringing in local potters to showcase their locally made products.

They often feature collections from local artists and rotate through which products they carry, telling the story of each creator. The pieces often sell out with customers excited to hear when more arrive. When they promote the new arrivals on Facebook or Instagram, they tag the creator, too, making sure customers can visit their page to learn more about them.

When I visited The Botany Shop in South Bend, Indiana, owner Benjamin Futa also made it a point to buy from local vendors, often finding smaller suppliers on a wholesale website called Faire, where local, independent producers offered smaller minimums. On the site, you can find suppliers for everything from home décor and food and drink to wellness products and even some plants.

We reached out to some long-time industry manufacturers we know make at least some of their products in the U.S. to highlight them and help tell their story. Read on for more. And if you make your products in the U.S., but aren’t featured here, please email me at jpolanz@ballpublishing.com and we’ll tell your story in upcoming newsletters and magazine issues.

SallyeAnder

This is another company born out of necessity. When founders Gary and Karen Austin’s son was born with eczema they decided to make a pure, natural soap to soothe his skin. That was in 1982 and the Hudson Valley, New York, company continues to create skin products that are 100% hypoallergenic today.

“Many of our ingredients are sources from local farms, like our goat’s milk or beeswax, rose petals, pumpkins and apples,” said Sallie Austin Gonzales, daughter of Gary and Karen and the second generation in the business. “Using local ingredients gives our customers the highest amount of effectiveness from our product, as the local farmers share our same values.”

Just one successful product they create is No-Bite-Me, an all-natural, DEET-free blend of herbs and essential oils that’s proven to be effective against black flies, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and more. It can also work as an after-bite to soothe itches. www.sallyeander.com

Wind River Chimes

Those lovely harmonies that tinkle in the breeze are the specialty of the Manassas Park, Virginia-based Wind River Chimes. For more than 35 years the company has been perfecting the “Science of Sound” to create handcrafted and hand-tuned chimes. On the website, visitors can watch the process of the wind chimes being made and better understand the process of what goes into making these works of auditory art.

The Corinthian Bells is one example of chimes featuring hand-tuned alloy tubes made in Virginia with materials sourced in the U.S. The chimes come in eight designer colors and you can go to the website to hear their sound. Wind River Chimes also chooses a different charitable partner every month to make a donation, providing support to organizations like Doctors Without Borders, local food banks and more. www.windriverchimes.com

Henri Studio

There’s a reason products from Henri Studio have a touch of romantic Tuscan style to them: founder Eneri Prosperi emigrated to the Chicago area from Tuscany more than 70 years ago. His designs evoked the Old-World charm of those Italian villages. Today, Henri Studio continues to create and distribute from its location outside of Chicago, making its products not just IN the U.S.A, but also OF the USA. Owner Frank Honold says the fountains, birdbaths and other stone products are made from Indiana limestone, Illinois sand and cement, and Lake Michigan water.

One of 21 new Henri Studio originals for 2022, the Acadia Fountain makes a perfect background on a patio or in the garden. It features three extra-large copper spouts spilling in unison into the oversized rectangular basin below. Inside the basin sits a pivoting LED light. www.henristudio.com

Dewitt Company

This Sikeston, Missouri, company has been cranking out landscape fabric for the trade for more than 40 years. Founder Larry DeWitt created the landscape fabric out of necessity after looking for a way to stop weeds without using chemicals or black plastic. Today, the family-owned and -operated DeWitt offers a variety of U.S.-made weed-control products for retail, including the OMRI-listed Garden Weed Barrier.

It’s an economical lightweight paper mulch that helps to control weeds and is 100% organic. It’s great not just for ornamental beds, but also vegetable gardens, which continue to be popular with the newer gardening crowd. Garden Weed Barrier stops weeds, conserves moisture and doesn’t interfere with the natural balance of the land. It’ll naturally biodegrade or can be tilled back into the soil. www.dewittcompany.com

Panacea Products Corp.

Panacea is a third-generation family-owned business based in Columbus, Ohio (you likely have seen their large booth at Cultivate). They manufacture thousands of SKUs of garden, birding, fireplace and fire pit, and home organization products at factories in the U.S., Mexico and overseas. Panacea has been in business for more than 50 years and has U.S. factories in Columbus, Ohio; Antioch, Illinois; and Mount Ayr, Iowa; as well as one on the border of Arizona and Mexico. Between those factories they make 15 million (million!) wire tomato cages and plant supports. Recognized brands made in the U.S. include Audubon and Woodlink birding products, and its new Woodlink Garden Collection, featuring upscale western red cedar planters, as well as wire garden products under its Homeland Collection.

In fact, manufacturing of some additional product lines has moved back to the U.S. as supply chain pressures continue.

“We’ve been able to overcome a lot of those challenges by having U.S. factories,” says Dwayne Williams, VP of Marketing and Product Development.

Just one example of the products made in North America is the tomato cage pictured. The company has more than 50 different styles of plant supports and cages, and can even create custom-designed wire supports for large-volume growers. www.panaceaproducts.com GP

Tonkadale Greenhouse
CLICK HERE to see how Tonkadale Greenhouse highlights their local makers on Instagram.