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The Tip is 'Don't procrastinate' For years I've been buying ink jet cartridges from a big box office supply store. These cartridges were made overseas and labeled with the well-known brand of a large American printer company. One I remembered a local store that advertised quality cartridges. I had traveled by this local store hundreds of times but never stopped. This time I stopped at the local store. To my surprise I discovered that they carried the cartridge I needed and it was a Made in USA cartridge. Made in Chicago, to be precise, and it was half the price of the imported ones I had been buying for years. The quality is exceptional and they last longer too. Who knew? After that experience, I make a point to stop at every store I can. By doing so, I've been finding more and more Made in America products. Occasionally the clerks don't know the country of origin; this can be discouraging but finding the origin information yourself isn't difficult I've come to realize. Believe it not, there are actually a number of computers made in the US including laptops made in the USA. When the label is not visibly displayed I use the other Made in America buying tips to help me find Made in US. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. If enough people are asking for Made in America products stores will begin to carry them. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Blue Canoe Organic Blue Canoe was started by Laurie Dunlap in 1994 as an all organic, made in USA clothing line. Its first home was a small cottage under some redwood trees in Northern California. It was shared by four industrious women all starting their own clothing businesses - from hemp hats to hand painted silk kimonos. The little space was bursting with machinery, supplies and the energy of new beginnings. It was a noisy, friendly place where the four of us brainstormed ideas, traded resources and information, helped walk-in customers, and hammered out ways to build our businesses. My first purchase was a $200 roll of un-dyed cotton/spandex fabric. I did all the designing and pattern making, some of the sewing, the bookkeeping, garment dyeing and purchasing. Marketing meant going to craft fairs. I divided my time between growing my business, waitressing, and building an organic, off-grid homestead with my husband and two sons. My first design was a two-piece swimsuit styled for comfort and movement. I wasn't much of a sunbather and needed a suit that would stay put when I played volleyball or body surfed. The suits were instantly popular in Humboldt County, and when women began buying them as bras and panties I realized I was on to something. There was a ready niche for organic cotton, comfortable underwear both locally and in small eco stores opening across the nation. Gradually the line and the business grew. We moved into our own building beside Benbow Lake. Inspired by a hand-made wooden blue canoe I noticed floating among the familiar green fiberglass models, I named my company Blue Canoe. Today Blue Canoe is thriving in San Francisco where we manufacture a full line of stylish eco-friendly clothing and lingerie. The years have not altered our commitment to organic cotton and manufacturing in the USA. Nineteen years ago, I followed my dream. Thousands of customers later, I can see that was the right thing to do. I hope you'll love wearing Blue Canoe as much as I love creating it! |
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