ABOUT US

Our Story

American Made Matters® is an organization that educates consumers on the powerful importance of buying US-made products.

Our members are manufacturers who represent various industries from apparel and toys to steel fabrication and cleaning supplies. Members self-certify or certify through a third party that at least one of their products meets either the FTC’s standard*, which is a product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S., or that the product meets AMM’s standard, which is 50% of the cost (labor, materials, overhead) is incurred in the U.S. and the final assembly or transformation takes place in the U.S.

Sponsors include American made retailers, patriotic organizations, trade organizations, and service providers who support our cause.

American Made Matters® makes business-to-business introductions and has facilitated many collaborative efforts.

We believe that by working together, American manufacturers, eCommerce websites and retail shops can better convey the message that American made truly matters!

Are you an American manufacturer or retailer? Do you want to promote the importance of buying American made goods*? If so, join our community and help us change our country and our economy one purchase at a time.

* American Made Matters® and the Federal Trade Commission Standards for Origin Claims are Different. Learn More.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Don Rongione

Founder and President, American Made Matters; President and CEO of Bollman Hat Company

Don grew up in Philadelphia and attended LaSalle College High School and LaSalle College. He became President of Student Government in both schools. He was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in management and accounting from LaSalle in 1979 and obtained his Certified Public Accountant designation in 1981. Prior to joining Bollman, Don was as a Senior Auditor with KPMG in Philadelphia. In 1982, Don joined Bollman Hat Company and has held a verity of positions including controller, VP of Operations, Senior VP of Manufacturing, COO and, since 2002, CEO and President. Don launched American Made Matters July 4, 2009. Don’s father instilled in him the importance of American manufacturing and buying American made products. As CEO of Bollman, Rongione experienced the tragic decline of American manufacturing first hand when loss of major customers to foreign competition forced him to lay off 100 U.S. manufacturing employees. It was this experience that led Rongione to create an organization dedicated to educating consumers on just how important American manufacturing is to our country and our citizens. With the help of a handful of US manufacturers, American Made Matters was born. Don and his wife, Maryellen Kueny, have been married since 1976. They have four sons and two grandsons. They are loyal fans of the Philadelphia Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles and enjoy music, sports, and outdoor activities.

Michael Araten

President and CEO, K'NEX Brands, L.P.

K’NEX Brands has two primary business units, K’NEX, LPG, (the global building toy company), www.knex.com, and The Rodon Group, (one of the America’s largest plastics injection molders), www.rodongroup.com . K’NEX building toys are distributed to nearly 40 countries, and over 95% of the component parts are made at The Rodon Group. Mr. Araten joined K’NEX and the Rodon Group in May 2005 to serve as their Vice President and General Counsel. He became President & COO in January 2006 and assumed his current position as President and CEO in January 2009. Mr. Araten has been on the Board of Directors of American Made Matters® since January of 2012. Prior to joining K’NEX and Rodon, Mr. Araten served as Chief Litigation Counsel to Toll Brothers, Inc. as well as Senior Vice President and Corporate Counsel to O’Neill Properties Group. In those capacities, Mr. Araten was responsible for risk management, regulatory approvals, human resource issues and the management of over 100 law firms in 21 states. Mr. Araten also formed numerous joint ventures, led due diligence and acquisition teams, and obtained land development approvals that created over five billion ($5 billion) in new home sales and land value. K’NEX and Rodon are active members of American Made Matters®, whose mission is to educate consumers about buying US-made products to help strengthen the American Dream. We are proud to be a part of the local community while encouraging American entrepreneurship. “Our membership in AMM ties in perfectly with our strategy of educating the world’s consumers that products of the highest quality are MADE in the USA at lower retail prices than imported products”, said Michael Araten, “If we can do it with toys like K’NEX, we can do it with anything.” “Community is one of our core values, so as a company, we are proud to invest in American workers who demonstrate unparalleled commitment to innovation and some of the greatest working spirit in the industrial world,” said Michael Araten, President and CEO of K’NEX and The Rodon Group. Mr. Araten holds a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member SMARTCEO (an exclusive community of CEOs and business leaders whose mission is to educate and inspire our community through the pages of their magazine) and CEOintronet (an exclusive social network for CEOs to find each other, develop trust, connect and do business together). He resides in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania with his wife, Ellen and their two children.

Carly Glasmyre

Executive Assistant to the President and Founder

Carly Glasmyre earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Communications from Alvernia University in 2012 and her master’s degree in English from Kutztown University in 2014. She currently works at Bollman Hat Company as an executive assistant to Don Rongione. A passionate lifelong learner, Carly is excited to be a part of American Made Matters and to fulfill its mission of educating consumers on the importance of buying products made in USA. She enjoys devouring good books, taking her rescue dog for walks, and spending time with her family.

Mike Axe

President & CEO, Autograph It!

Mike is a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Currently, Mike serves as President and CEO of his celebrity autograph company, Autograph It! LLC. Prior to that position, Mike worked at Bollman Hat Company as the executive assistant to Don Rongione. It was in this position that Mike became very passionate about American manufacturing. Mike also serves as marketing and social media consultant for American Made Matters. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, watching movies, learning about marketing trends, and writing.

Todd Shelton

Founder, Todd Shelton

Todd Shelton is the founder of the American fashion brand, Todd Shelton. Todd has proven his commitment to American manufacturing, the American-made movement, and his own community by building a fully operational factory in East Rutherford, NJ where all Todd Shelton clothing is made today. Todd Shelton believes design without manufacturing is simply marketing, and companies that commit to manufacturing the product they design display a higher ambition for their product and company. The goal of the Todd Shelton factory is to re-think how clothing can be made and offered to consumers. The brand is proud of its American manufacturing model and what the products represent, and hope that feeling transfers to the customer. Todd Shelton joined the Board of American Made Matters when it was founded in 2009. He fully supports AMM’s mission to educate consumers that buying American-made supports the American Dream. Todd Shelton believes that American innovation cannot exist without American manufacturing. He has personal interests in lean manufacturing principles and ethical and environmental manufacturing issues. Born and raised in Tennessee, Todd leads the brand’s day-to-day operations. He resides in Jersey City, NJ.

Brooks Moore

Founder, Black Mountain USA, LLC.

Brooks spent over thirty years working for companies that contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense, served the aerospace industry and the medical device marketplace. During this timeframe he held general management positions with both publicly held corporations and with privately held businesses. The companies developed manufacturing disciplines to produce product lines for the U.S. DOD and aerospace industry that included fire control systems, laser systems, and night vision products. The primary medical device product lines were systems for laser eye surgery and liquid oxygen systems for the home health care marketplace. Brooks is the founder and principal of Black Mountain USA, LLC. The company is focused on the use of sheep’s wool for the commercial and residential building insulation marketplace. Brooks is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Business Administration and is a holder of two U.S. patents. Brooks has served on the American Made Matters board for the past five years. Through his experience in technically demanding manufacturing companies he has a clear understanding of the importance of quality produced products made in the USA whether they are for the U.S. DOD customer or for use in the commercial marketplace. Going hand in hand with this is the creation and maintenance of jobs in the manufacturing sector that afford people the opportunity to earn a competitive wage with a chance to enjoy the benefits of living in America. American Made Matters is an organization that strives to help make every American aware of how important these concepts are in order to make the U.S. economy strong and to maintain our national security. Brooks spends his free time with his family that includes five grandchildren. In addition, he is an avid golfer and generally is a sports enthusiast.

Dave Huber

CFO and COO, Bollman Hat Company

Dave is a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and graduated from McCaskey High School in 1984. In 1988 Dave graduated cum laude from Millersville University with a bachelors degree in business administration and a concentration in accounting. Upon graduating from College Dave joined KPMG Peat Marwick and received his CPA. In a public accounting career of 13 years, Dave progressed to the position of senior manager in the assurance and business advisory practice before joining his former client (Bollman Hat Company). Dave joined Bollman in 2001 and serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Company. Dave’s primary responsibilities include overseeing the global financial, information technology and operating functions of the Company. Dave and his wife are the proud parents of two boys. Dave enjoys spending time with his family exploring the great outdoors.

Mark Bollman IV

President and Founder, Ball and Buck

Mark Bollman IV, is the president and founder of Ball and Buck, a sporting inspired lifestyle brand making all its products in the USA. Ball and Buck operates a brick and mortar store located on Newbury Street in Boston that has been voted Boston’s best menswear store. The brand manufactures many of its products in the Boston area and has been recognized by press including GQ, Esquire, NY Times, Boston Globe, Improper Bostonian, and Men’s Journal, to name a few. Under his leadership, the company continues to grow at over 100% year-over-year since its founding. In addition to Ball and Buck, Mark serves on the board of American Made Matters, an organization focused on educating consumers as to the importance of USA manufacturing, and is the retail advisor to Main Street Partners, a non-profit with a mission to empower, improve, and support urban small businesses. Mark has been a FoundersCard member since 2011.