Info Click Icon
|
The Tip is 'Teach Grandchildren' One day, while I was on the Made In America Secrets site my granddaughter noticed and asked me what I was doing. I told her about the Big Secret and as I explained, she began to ask me more questions. After several minutes she left my office to play with her little sister. Months had gone by and until recently, I had forgotten about that moment. She was visiting again and I was talking to her about buying a custom printed T-Shirt. She immediately told me about a website that I could use to buy one. Wow I thought, she is only eight years old and already teaching me. The most amazing thing then happened, she said "Pops they sell Made In America T-Shirts". Thanks to her I purchased six custom Made In USA T-Shirts. Her name is Britton, she understands the Big Secret and I love it when she tells me her Little Secrets! Now she is ten and writing a screenplay called Mertastic. It is a story about a mermaid. Recently, she was visiting our house again and using my computer. She called me to come into my office and of course I came to her because that is what grandparents love to do. One of the reasons I love to be with her is because it is always interesting to see what she is up to. This time, she needed a mermaid tail for her movie, so we began to look around using Google. Her mother is a talented seamstress and will make the tail so we were looking for fabric that would be satisfy my granddaughter's vision of her mermaid tail. Once again we began to talk about Made in America and therefore started to investigate the country of origin of the fabrics she was considering. Because of that experience Made in USA fabric is now one of Made in America Secrets products. Thank you, Britton. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Allen Edmonds In 1922, Allen Edmonds founder Elbert W. Allen launched his new shoe company (originally called the Allen-Spiegel Shoe Company) in Belgium, Wisconsin, less than 10 miles from our current headquarters. A family man at heart, Allen knew, as did his future partner and salesman extraordinaire, Bill Pops Edmonds, that to be a success they needed to stay close to their roots, knowing that the Midwestern values of hard work, honesty, humility and trust would be the cornerstones of a new kind of shoe company. Elbert and Mayme Allen with employees Elbert and Mayme Allen gather with the employees. (1923) We say new kind of shoe company because of Allen's innovative manufacturing techniques that relied on Goodyear welting to make fashionable and durable shoes that were nail-less and shankless (meaning they had no uncomfortable metal bar under the instep). The new brand of shoes were an instant success, and when the other shoe companies of the day emulated us, we set ourselves apart by continuing to up the ante on craftsmanship, style and service. While a great deal of the Allen Edmonds' success can be credited to Allen's groundbreaking ideas, our longevity is also attributable to the company being at its heart, a family business. From 1922 till 1978, either Allen or one of his sons- Bert and Boyd-was in charge of the company, and their strong and steady leadership allowed Allen Edmonds to succeed despite the hard times of the Great Depression, the rationing years of World War II (during which we made shoes for officers to wear with their dress uniforms), and the mounting pressures of foreign competition in the 1960s and '70s. We credit our strong values and work ethics as the reasons our footwear is consistently chosen by corporate, political, entertainment and community leaders. Our lineage not only highlights our Wisconsin roots and Midwestern values, but underscores how being an Allen Edmonds Man is passed down from one generation to the next. For us, there is nothing better than having a father bring his son into one of our stores to get him fitted for his first pair of Allen Edmonds. They may not pick out the same style, but this sharing of wisdom and sense of style-getting the most for your money-speaks to tradition and fellowship, and we are honored to be a part of these moments. As you can imagine, this sort of loyalty has attracted customers from all walks of life, especially those whose drive to be the best has pushed them to the top of their chosen professions. We credit our strong values and work ethics as the reasons our footwear is consistently chosen by corporate, political, entertainment and community leaders. Whether it is receiving a glowing endorsement from the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, or Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all choosing to wear Park Avenues for their inaugurations, we cannot help but be proud that leaders all over the world are wearing our shoes during the most important moments of their esteemed careers. Salesman Salesman hits the road with the mobile showroom Soldier WWII soldiers were customers during and after the war Catalog Cover Catalog Cover from 1949-1950 President Ronald Reagan President Ronald Reagan with John and JoEllen Stollenwerk |
|