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AMERICAN MADE MATTERS® BREAKS ONE HUNDRED FIFTY MEMBER COMPANIES AND RELEASES VIDEO.

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The American made movement continues to gain momentum and American Made Matters® (AMM) is at the forefront! AMM, founded July 4, 2009, has elevated awareness among consumers about the compelling importance of buying US-made products. The organization tripled its membership in the past year eclipsing one hundred and fifty companies representing thirty seven states. A three minute video which has received high praise has just been released.

Launched by America’s oldest hat manufacturer, Bollman Hat Company, AMM is run by a board comprised of manufacturers who share a vision to grow jobs in the US as well as strengthen communities, protect the environment, build the economy and improve the independence and security of America.

A video narrated by Bollman CEO, Don Rongione, and filmed by AMM sponsor, West Field Films, has just been released to facilitate the mission of educating consumers on why American made matters. The video can be viewed at the organization’s website, www.AmericanMadeMatters.com.

“It is really exciting to see new companies create brands dedicated to American made and mature companies bringing back manufacturing to the US. We are making a difference. It is demonstrated by the increase in manufacturing jobs,” said Rongione.

The AMM logo now appears on tens of thousands of products. The organization has an active and growing following of over twenty thousand in social media and subscribers to its newsletter. On-line and physical events promoting American made products, encouraging plant tours and an ecommerce store featuring products that contain the AMM logo all serve to help strengthen the organization’s mission which is to educate consumers that buying US-made products strengthens the American dream.

Manufacturers interested in joining and consumers looking to buy American made products, should visit www.AmericanMadeMatters.com for further information.

‘AMERICAN MADE MATTERS’ CELEBRATES ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS AND SPONSORS

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ADAMSTOWN, P.A. (November 9, 2012) – American Made Matters® celebrated the addition of their one hundredth member on November 6, 2012. American Made Matters®, founded on July 4, 2009, has a mission of educating consumers that buying US-made products strengthens the American dream. By proactively engaging with over 8,000 of their fans on their Facebook page, over 1,200 of their followers on their Twitter account, and over 800 subscribers to their newsletter, American Made Matters® is strengthening their mission every day. American Made Matters® directs consumers who may struggle with finding US-made products to their website which lists the logos of their members and sponsors.

The members of American Made Matters® sell a variety of US-made products including hats, caps, shirts, jeans, belts, bags, underwear, pants, toys, socks, pet supplies, vacuum cleaners, Christmas tree ornaments, t-shirts, jewelry, bedding, towels, sunglasses, and shoes. These members come from thirty one of the fifty United States.

American Made Matters® was founded by manufacturers and is run by manufacturers and is a consumer movement not a political movement. While policies that support American manufacturing are needed and welcomed, the organization is not holding out for a solution from the U.S. Government. It seeks to build US manufacturing by connecting consumers with US made products.

According to Don Rongione, Founder of American Made Matters® and CEO of Bollman Hat Company, “American Made Matters® is focused on American citizens, the largest consumers of world goods, and helping them understand why American made does matter to all of us. The reasons are compelling including jobs, the economy, America’s security and independence, America’s safety, local communities and strengthening the American dream. It is what we can do for our country and our future!”

American Made Matters® seeks to translate the knowledge of the importance of a strong U.S. manufacturing base into action through their members’ use of the American Made Matters® logo on the member company’s products, packaging and marketing materials. The American Made Matters® logo, a common branding identity, has come to symbolize American made craftsmanship, durability, quality, product safety and ingenuity. As it continues to gain awareness and recognition, it increasingly will be sought by Americans who understand that buying American made matters.

There is power in numbers and the American Made Matters® organization is growing. The voices of their members are being heard and more and more consumers are looking for American made products.

For more information about American Made Matters®, please visit: www.AmericanMadeMatters.com.

The CEO of Bollman Hat Co. is on a crusade

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The CEO of Bollman Hat Co. is on a crusade to convince people that the ‘American Made’ label means better jobs and better quality.

To read the full article, click here: http://businessweekly.readingeagle.com/?p=4984

Don Rongione, Founder & President, of American Made Matters stands outside the Bollman Hat Company in Adamstown, PA.


Walter Rotkiske hand shapes a hat at Bollman Hat Co.
Kay Crockett hardens a hat at Bollman Hat Co.
Orville Wagner does a process called white multirolling at Bollman Hat Co., Adamstown.

 

 

Exclusive Interview with Don Rongione, Founder of American Made Matters

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DON RONGIONE, FOUNDER OF AMERICANMADEMATTERS.COM


Exclusive Interview with Don Rongione, Founder of AmericanMadeMatters.com

Exclusive interview with Don Rongione, Founder of AmericanMadeMatters.com and President and CEO of America’s oldest hatmaking company, Bollman Hat Company. Hear firsthand about their organization’s mission to educate consumers, how America lost its competitiveness, and why purchasing American-made goods is important to turning around our lagging economy .

Click here to listen to this exclusive interview!

K’NEX® Brands and The Rodon Group: Building An American-Made Holiday Season

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Hatfield, PA, (November 2012)—At a time when most toys are made overseas, K’NEX Brands, the only U.S. construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love TM®, is committed to making toys in the USA!

K’NEX has become America’s Building Toy Company–over 95% of its parts are manufactured by The Rodon Group, K’NEX’s sister company. In business since 1956, the Rodon Group makes billions of parts each year in its 125,000 square foot eco-friendly facility and is one of the largest family-owned and operated injection molders in the United States. In addition to manufacturing K’NEX parts, The Rodon Group serves a diverse group of industries including consumer products, medical, fenestration, construction, and pharmaceutical.

Both K’NEX and The Rodon Group–third generation, family-owned businesses located in Hatfield, PA–are active members of American Made Matters, an organization whose mission is to educate consumers about buying US-made products to help strengthen the American Dream.

One of the hottest toys this holiday season, the K’NEX 50 Model Building Set, was recently featured on the TODAY Show and includes 700 made in the USA rods and connectors and building ideas for 50 unique models!

“We’ve learned that the more items we are able to manufacture at home, the more people we can employ. If every American were to spend just $64 a year on things Made in the USA, 200,000 new jobs would be created,” said Michael Araten, President & CEO of K’NEX & The Rodon Group. “Spending our dollars on Made in the USA goods enables our whole economy to get stronger and with that our whole country becomes stronger. You just have to take that extra second and look at the label. Together, we can build a better America.”

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About The Rodon Group

The Rodon Group is an ISO 9001:2008 certified landfill-free, plastic injection molder. In business since 1956, The Rodon Group makes billions of parts each year in its 125,000 square foot facility. With over 105 injection molding presses, Rodon is one of the largest family-owned and operated plastic injection molders in the United States. Since 1992, Rodon has manufactured over 30 billion parts for the K’NEX building toy system, and is a subsidiary of K’NEX Brands, L.P. For more information, please visit www.rodongroup.com

About K’NEX Brands

Founded in 1992, K’NEX Brands, the world’s most innovative construction toy company, was established to make and sell what has become one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner of over 250 international awards and recognitions, K’NEX is America’s building toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love, and encourages youngsters to “imagine, build and play.” Since 1992, The Rodon Group, a subsidiary of K’NEX Brands, L.P., has manufactured over 31 billion parts for the K’NEX building toy system. For more information, please visit www.knex.com or www.rodongroup.com.

Local retailer sponsoring event highlighting U.S.-made products

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Local retailer sponsoring event highlighting U.S.-made products

By Donna Goodison
Thursday, October 11, 2012

An “all-American” pop-up market is headed to Boston’s South End this month.

Thirty-plus vendors will sell made-in-the-USA clothing, footwear and accessories at the Oct. 20-21 “American Field” event at the old power station building at 540 Harrison Ave.

Ball and Buck, a Boston retailer of U.S.-made men’s fashions, is hosting the free event.

“It’s kind of a full American experience,” founder Mark Bollman IV told the Herald. “The whole goal is to take this momentum building behind the made-in-the-USA movement and the pride behind the made-in-the-USA label … and highlight the (companies) doing their part by keeping manufacturing here and making great products in the USA.”

If every consumer spent 5 percent more on U.S.-made goods, it would create a million domestic jobs and help the domestic economy, said Bollman, who sits on the board of American Made Matters, an Adamstown, Pa., group trying to educate consumers about how buying U.S.-made products impacts the country.

American Field also will include food trucks, live music from six bands, laser engraving of sunglasses by Randolph Engineering, workers hand-sewing shoes from Maine’s Rancourt & Co. Shoecrafters, and Ball and Buck’s own in-store barber giving hot shaves.

Sterlingwear of Boston, which has made the official U.S. Navy pea coat since 1968 and has men’s and women’s retail lines, will be among the vendors. The company makes all of its clothing in East Boston.

There’s been a surge in awareness of the value of American-made products, according to marketing director Jack Foster.

“You hear it in the political debates, and the younger group (is) starting to become more aware of it because they see it with their parents losing their jobs, losing their homes,” he said. “We’ve been banging the drum for the last 10 years, trying to get people to wake up and notice that it’s not a good thing to send everything offshore.”

Fall River’s Frank Clegg Leatherworks also will sell its products at American Field. In business since 1970, owner Frank Clegg says he’s witnessed various “made in America” movements over the years.

“Every time things get bad, they always come out and want things made in the U.S.,” Clegg said. “I hope it continues, and it’s back to stay. I always like to promote the fact that we’re in the states, and we struggle to make that happen.”

Bollman, meanwhile, hopes American Field can become an annual event that’s duplicated in other cities. “I think it’s as comfortable in Boston as it would be in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta,” the 25-year-old Babson College grad said.

-— dgoodison@bostonherald.com