Born in the USA: 8 companies committed to making consumer products in America

Most Americans say they would rather buy a U.S.-made product if given a choice between it and an identical import.
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Inside the WaterField Designs factory in San Francisco.

I got an Ipad mini this past Christmas. So in January I found myself at Staples, hoping against hope to find a good-looking, well-made case for it. My preference was to find one made in the U.S. of A.

Nothing doing. It was just one import after another, so I vowed to search for a domestic option on my Chinese-made computer.

Without a lot of effort, I discovered WaterField Designs in San Francisco. It is one of eight U.S. consumer product manufacturers featured in this post, similar to lists I shared a year ago and last Christmas.

A Consumer Reports story from 2013 said that 78 percent of Americans would rather buy a U.S.-made product if they had a choice between it and an identical import. So I’m here to wave the Stars and Stripes and offer more options, including several big names based in Pennsylvania.

WATERFIELD DESIGNS
I ended up buying a tablet travel case ($49 but apparently no longer available). The case has a padded slot for my iPad, plenty of room for a charger and earphones, and closes with a locking zipper. Given its high quality, it represents a great value.

Gary Waterfield, who started the maker of bags, backpacks and laptop sleeves in 1998, is front and center, from the “[email protected]” email address to his entertaining product demonstration videos. Imagine, an executive with a public sense of humor:

“We put a lot of thought into designing a clean, comfortable, easy-to-use duffel, and it had to be good looking,” he says in this video. “So whether you’re heading to the gym, to work, out to rob a bank, or on a weekend trip with friends, you’re going to love this duffel.”

ALL-CLAD
Founder John Ulam started Clad Metals in 1967 as a small metallurgical company, which received more than 50 U.S. patents for bonded metals and a contract with the U.S. Mint to make dimes, quarters and half-dollars.

In 1971, All-Clad Metalcrafters began producing professional bonded cookware for chefs and avid home cooks. All-Clad products are still hand-crafted in Canonsburg, Pa.

MAG-LITE
Born in New York City and raised in Europe, Anthony Maglica started Mag Instrument in 1955 as a one-man machine shop in a Los Angeles garage. The company produced its first flashlight in 1979.

“When it comes to outsourcing, we’re just not interested,” according to the Ontario, Calif.-based company’s website.

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CHANNELLOCK
In 1886, blacksmith George B. DeArment of Evansburg, Pa., began hand-forging farmers tools that he sold from the back of a wagon. That enterprise evolved into Channellock Inc., which is now run by the fifth generation of the DeArment family.

You want pride, how about this company tagline: “Fiercely made in Meadville, Pa.”

All Channellock pliers are made in Meadville, where the company has two facilities covering 400,000 square feet and employs nearly 400 people, most of them belonging to the United Steelworkers union.

CHANDLER BATS
Seemingly overnight, Norristown, Pa.-based Chandler has become a major player among Major League Baseball hitters. Furniture maker David Chandler started parent company Rx Sport only in 2009.

It’s also worth mentioning that Pennsylvania, which has a long history of growing ash for use in bats, is home to other bat makers including BWP Bats in Brookville and DS Wood Bats in Hummelstown, which was crippled by a fire in early June.

chandler bat

FILSON
Seattle-based Filson began in 1897 as C.C. Filson’s Pioneer Alaska Clothing and Blanket Manufacturers, an outfitter for prospectors heading to the Klondike Gold Rush. More than a century later, Filson remains committed to offering U.S.-made outdoor clothing and bags.

From a September 2014 story in the Seattle Times:

“The brand has long been a go-to choice for hunters, ranchers, fishermen and bush pilots, but has lately become the outfitter of a new generation of cultural players … — designers, artists and indie bands. As they have embraced hog butchery, single-gear bicycles, backyard chicken coops, Mumford & Sons, and Appalachian beards, so have they embraced brands like Filson that trade on a sense of shared heritage.”

TOPO DESIGNS
Another source of U.S.-made outdoor gear, apparel and bags, Topo has partnered with Pennsylvania outdoor legend Woolrich on several products. Topo likens its approach to that of the local and organic food movement.

“We love the idea of being able to translate that movement to the outdoor world with high-quality gear and clothing that is produced locally by our neighbors,” according to its website. “People can stop by our shop, meet us in person, and hopefully feel a sense of a bigger community every time they use one of our products.”

YETI COOLERS
If you encounter a Yeti snow monster, please tell him there’s a cooler waiting with his name on it. Brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders found that other coolers weren’t a sufficient match for their outdoor adventures, so they started Yeti Coolers in 2006.

“We decided early on that product innovation would come from necessity and firsthand experience – not from market research and data analysis,” according to the company website. “And we’d never sacrifice quality for a few extra bucks. Because having your cooler’s lid cave-in when using it as a casting platform should never be part of anyone’s fishing trip.”

Whether you’re fishing or hunting, tailgating or going to the beach, a cooler filled with chilled beverages is a good friend to bring along. And the good news is that Yeti is one of many U.S. cooler makers, a list that also includes brands Esky, Grizzly, Orca, Icon and Bison.

A choice of U.S.-made products?

I’ll drink to that.

About the Author

Neal Goulet

Neal Goulet, Owner
Having been a journalist, Neal knows writing, grammar and style, as well as the language and movements of a newsroom.
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