MBeze Natural Skincare and Fragrances

It is always a pleasure to hear from young entrepreneurs with a good idea and an energetic spirit. In this case, the idea is fresh and lively fragrance products made in USA with natural and organic ingredients.

MBeze, a skincare and cosmetics company founded by Mary Beth Worzella, first caught my eye because of the visually stunning graphics on the website. I commented to Mary Beth that if the scents were anywhere near as wonderful as the graphic design, she had a winner!


Now that I have tested out a number of MBeze products, I am happy to report that they are every bit as lovely as I expected. The scents range from light and floral, to exotic, to bold. Packaging is elegantly simple. And, product ingredients read like a botanical directory rather than an organic laboratory textbook.

MBeze offers a number of scent collections, each of which comes in a natural oil perfume, body mist, body oil, and deodorant. Cruzee was an instant favorite of mine, with a light but intense floral scent. I also loved Once Bitten, with its soft and subtle blend of apple blossom and vanilla, and Koko with its traces of coconut.

The perfume oils come in a handy roll-on applicator, small enough to tuck into an evening purse for a refresher. Another favorite product of mine was the little Deodorette, also a purse-sized product that is easy to take along for a day out or for travel. Used in combination with the Dabber Dust, a clay-based antiperspirant powder, the Deodorette kept me fresh and dry during a recent public speaking engagement. “Look Mom, no aluminum chlorohydrate!”

Check it out. I think you’ll love these products! All made in USA, of course.

Stephanie, Webmaster
StillMadeinUSA.com

I'm Running For President ... Sort Of

After watching the two national political party conventions, many of you may be thinking..."I could do that!" Thanks to a tip from a friend, I have discovered how easy it is to launch an internet campaign for the highest office in the land.

If you would like to see a Buy-American, green energy lovin' webgoddess in the White House, join me!

Here is a summary of my qualifications:

Attended colleges (technically, still attending one!)

Mother of three boys

Working knowledge of English

Have a website AND a blog

Let's work together to CHANGE AMERICA. (Campaign motto: "What we change is less important than the fact that we changed.")

Stephanie, Webmaster
StillMadeinUSA.com

Vise-Grip Tool Factory Leaves Small Town for China

Loyal users of Vise-Grip locking pliers were saddened to read that the Nebraska-bred tool line will soon be made in China. Most of the Internet chat I have seen expresses worry about a possible decline in the quality of the tools.

However, looking beyond the common theme of manufacturing moving to cheaper countries, I see another example of a small town losing a part of its history and identity.

DeWitt, Nebraska boasts on its town home page that it is “Home of Vise-Grip Tools.” In a town with only 650 residents, Irwin Industrial Tool, maker of Vice-Grip tools, was the key employer. But more than that, the town and the tool company’s history were intertwined from the early 1930’s when the Vise-Grip locking wrench was invented by a Danish immigrant to DeWitt named William Petersen.



The town website describes the lifeblood of the community as agriculture and the tool manufacturer, saying “DeWitt, while a town of only 650 people, is a community that has a lot going for it. It has made its mark worldwide through its good people, the products of the factory, and the purebred breeding stock of its specialized agricultural ventures.” I guess now they’re down to just agriculture.



The other oft-repeated story line is sale of the family-owned business in 1984, followed by a string of acquisitions and corporate ownerships, culminating in its current status as a subsidiary of Newell-Rubbermaid. Not surprising, really, that the folks at the corporate office can make the decision to take production to China, closing down the DeWitt factory and severing the long association between another little town and its home-grown manufacturing employer.

Stephanie, Webmaster
StillMadeinUSA.com