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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 Colonial Candle Crafters Colonial Candlecrafters' candle shop was started on top of a family's kitchen stove. Now owned by Patricia and Gregory Hess, the business was the brainchild of Pat's mother and father, Beverly and Howard Bird. We had this tiny kitchen, Pat recalls. One candle mold grew to three molds, three molds grew to five and before long mom and dad moved operations to the basement and were making 100 candles at a time. They arrived at a juncture: either do something with this so-called hobby or quit. In 1971, the Birds purchased property two miles south of Lewisburg on Route 15, the current site of the existing Colonial Candlecrafters shop. They officially opened the store on March 3, 1972 in one long room on the first floor and two years later enlarged the space. This has been my only job. Pat HessPat literally grew up with the business of candle-making. She started working at the shop at 14. After high school, she graduated from Bloomsburg State University and came back to Lewisburg in 1979. She managed the business from 1979 to 1982. In 1982 mom and dad decided to sell the business. Greg and I had been married three years. I said 'Let's either buy it, or move to Florida.' I couldn't stand by and let someone else buy the business I had not only grown up with, but also one I had truly grown to love. Over the years many changes have taken place in the candle-making industry, but one factor has remained the same: At a time when most candle makers have switched to an automated manufacturing process, Colonial Candlecrafters has stayed with its tradition of hand-pouring its candles, despite the lengthy process. We have spent many hours deciphering why certain candles burn differently than others. There are numerous variables which help to develop the way a candle performs. We put everything we have learned over the past 35 years into making our candles, which makes them a very special product. Pat HessCandle making has been part of our family tradition for over a third of a century. We take pride in the fact that all our candles are of the highest quality standards, ensuring great fragrance impacts and long burning times. Our candle makers hand poured about 80,000 pounds of wax last year alone! From our humble beginnings, we have grown into a multifaceted candle business offering candles of many sizes and shapes as well as other candle related products. Catering to guests near and far, Colonial Candlecrafters has grown from a family hobby to a full-time business. Whether you are drawn to color or fragrance in a candle, Colonial Candlecrafters has a variety of both from which to choose. |
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