There’s no place like home
The good news for American manufacturing is that companies love to say that they’re Made in the USA. The bad news is that many say so without really meaning it. Even while demand accelerates for homegrown products, the FCC requirements for advertising Made-in-USA products remain shrouded in ambiguity. So long as they’re “all or virtually all” made in the United States, they qualify, but HCN’s February Made-in-USA survey found that as much as 48% of the home improvement industry doesn’t think the standard is clear and easy to follow, with an additional 36.7% voting neutral on the issue.
HCN decided to do a bit of the hard work for its readers by coming up with this short list of Made-in-USA products by companies with a stake in championing the cause. Here, you’ll see goods ranging from all-natural dog treats to insulation, all 100% American-made. After all, as Adams Manufacturing CEO and founder Bill Adams puts it, being “deeply committed to American innovation — and to the idea of making products that enrich people’s lives ... is what Made in USA is really all about.”
Leviton Decora Switches and Wallplates
Leviton has been U.S.-based since the turn of the last century, and today, half of its home electrical department is certified Made in the USA. Its Decora switches, wall-plates and receptacles are all manufactured in Morganton, N.C. (leviton.com)
Savino Wine Saver
This All-American concept goes even further in its localization: founder Scott Tavenner was born and raised in California’s wine country, which gave him the right set of eyes to appraise the age-old problem of wine preservation. The Savino Wine Saver, made in Mountain View, Calif., creates a physical barrier between the wine and the oxygen, creating a discernible difference in taste within as little as 12 hours — though it’ll keep for much longer. (savinowine.com)
Weyerhaeuser Hardwood Edge
Touted as the industry’s first OSB floor panel engineered for use under hardwood floors, Hardwood Edge is made in Elkin, N.C., with locally sourced wood and then distributed in Virginia and the Carolinas, where the stable, high-density subfloor can best serve the needs of the humid region. Weyerhaeuser says it developed the product based on years of research and close work with local builders and contractors. (weyerhaeuser.com)
Estwing Pro Claw Roofing, Siding, Construction Bar
Drop-forged from fine tool steel, this all-purpose tool hails from Rockford, Ill., is pro enough for contractors but is user-friendly enough for the DIYer. The bar has a 2.5-in. fulcrum on one blade for an advantage in removing shingles, downspouts, gutters and nails. (estwing.com)
Yost 31C, 3-1/2-in. Combination Pipe and Bench Vise
Here’s a gripping proposition: an all-American-made line of vises with multiple custom options. This one, made at company headquarters in Holland, Mich., features an interlocking swivel base and 65,000 PSI tensile ductile iron body parts. (yostvises.com)
LoggerHead Tools Bionic Wrench
American-made lifetime guarantee aside, this wrench (hailing from Palos Park, Ill.) gets points for its creative and unusual design. Think of it as adjustable wrench meets pliers, with patented Bionic Grip technology to distribute force equally and multiply gripping power. (loggerheadtools.com)
DeckWise Hidden Deck Fasteners
There’s little doubt that DeckWise’s fasteners hail from Bradenton, Fla. The patented design is made to hold up stronger in humid, tropical-storm-prone regions by allowing the decking material to expand and contract. The result is a structural soundness that’s up to three times stronger than other deck fastening systems, with no unsightly or dangerous screws sticking out. (deckwise.com)
CalStar Bricks
Manufactured at the company’s Racine, Wis., plant, CalStar bricks use up to 81% less energy and generate up to 84% less CO2 than products that use clay, Portland cement or firing techniques. The bricks are made up of 37% post-industrial recycled material and bear all the good qualities of their traditional counterparts, as the testimonials would have it. (calstarproducts.com)
Pawtriotic Natural Dog Treats
Winner of the National Hardware Show All-American Award for Best New Product, these oven-baked treats come from a human food safety certified facility in Monroe, Wash., and feature real American dogs on their packaging. (pawtriotictreats.com)
Bode Man Hanger
When hardware and design combine, one gets the Man Hanger, a heavy-duty clothes hanger made from construction-site rebar. Assuming most customers don’t wear suits made of iron (but just in case they do), the design element puts this item in the industrial-chic league. And they’re all hand-bent (and made) in the mountains of Arizona. (bodegoods.com)
Bully Tools Long-Handled Mud Shovel
In celebration of the Steubenville, Ohio, company’s American-made tradition, this mud shovel states its case with a commemorative perforated design. Minus the flourishes, this hardy shovel features a 14-gauge steel head and ferrule and wood-reinforced fiberglass handle. (bullytools.com)
Tub O’ Towels All Purpose Wipes
The self-described “wipes on steroids” contain nine cleaning agents in each supersized 10-in. by 12-in. scrubbing towel. These brawny wipes are 100% made in Cleveland and fit to tackle rustbelt-worthy jobs (such as cleaning motorcycle parts). What’s more, the low-VOC solution is biodegradable. (tubotowels.com)
Adams RealComfort Adirondack Chair
Adams Manufacturing is so committed to its status as a certified Made-in-the-USA company, it hired a professional Lincoln impersonator to greet visitors at its National Hardware Show booth. Here, an employee hammers in patented SafetyGrip feet onto an Adirondack chair at the company’s Portersville, Pa., headquarters. (adamsmfg.com)