On My Mind

Happy New Year to all! The holiday shopping season was fast and furious, especially for American-made toys. Perhaps there was a silver lini...

Today is one of those clear, sunny, fresh autumn days that I love so much. The sunlight falling on the trees makes them glow-- red-orange ma...

At a time when many manufacturers are eyeing low-cost locales in Mexico or Asia, a New Zealand manufacturer of washers and dryers has set up...

At the end of February 2007, Camillus Cutlery (Camillus, NY) closed its doors for the last time. The knife manufacturer, in business since 1...

As Valentine’s Day approaches, I am happy to say I am in love. But let’s talk about cars! After several months of driving my Pontiac G6...

One symptom of advancing age is declining ability to adopt new technologies. Egad! So, here I was, seemingly the last person on the planet (...

I like to enjoy each holiday as it comes along, including Thanksgiving. It’s the last bit of sanity before the winter holidays. I made my pu...

How does a “Buy American” goddess go about buying a new car? Particularly a goddess that likes hybrids and high gas mileage and worries abou...

[ Part 4 of my Manufacturing Travel Log (Previous installments are at Greenfield Village , Dearborn Assembly Plant and Ford Rouge Complex...

[ Part 3 of my Manufacturing Travel Log (If you can't get enough, read Part 1 and Part 2 . More to come!)] Greenfield Village in Dear...

Part 2 of my trip report on the Ford Rouge Complex in Dearborn, MI ... [Part 1 gives my reactions to the tour inside the Dearborn Assembly ...

This summer, rather than head to the beach or something else predictable, our family took a “manufacturing” vacation! I figured I’d better g...

Sorry to be such a girl, but my idea of tools is hammer, saw and screwdriver (and yes, I know about the slotted vs. Phillips head thing). Th...

I thought I was so crafty when I decided to have all of my children in late summer. I wanted my maternity leave to be in the fall, and after...

Perhaps it is my East-coast bias, but I always associated furniture manufacturing with North Carolina/Southwestern Virginia/Pennsylvania, wi...

American-made polo shirts are scarce as hens’ teeth, but perhaps will be spared the fate of the Passenger Pigeon. Pine Island Sportswear , m...

Every year, our elementary school PTA holds a Silent Auction to raise money for various projects and purchases. Last year’s auction raised a...

I have written before on this blog about Hartstone Pottery ( Zanesville , OH ), and it’s a great comeback story! A pottery closed, then re...

Wal-Mart has announced a new plan for entering the urban market, which has in the past been unreceptive to the retailer. The company plans ...

Selling happiness . Marketers never sleep, as evidenced by the mailer today from Safeway. “Joyful people are more compassionate toward other...

No surprise that the Internet is littered with junk sites. The worst are the automatically generated lists of links, based on a few keywords...

Cancel the APB, the missing blogger has been found! I took a sabbatical of sorts, and was hanging around machinists. I felt a bit like Alic...

A few months ago, I wrote about the dilemma facing customers and retailers who liked USA WORKS jeans but were concerned that they were bein...

With all due respect to my friends in the Wisconsin dairy industry, I recommend that all of us go out and buy something Danish in support o...

Almost unnoticed, the Dan River Inc. textile mill slipped quietly under the waters of the global economy. Dan River was best known for its ...

It’s hard to imagine a wardrobe without denim jeans. What started out as hard-working wear for men has evolved into a fashion basic for men,...

Visiting VillageTraditions.com is like taking a leisurely trip through the unspoiled countryside of northern Vermont . The site offers simp...

Today I received an email that shouted: “Make Your Home Clutter-Free!” “Tackle Your Toughest Storage Tasks!” “Shop Our Problem Solvers Colle...

My first virtual catalog, posted for Fall 2004, featured hand-painted pottery by Hartstone Pottery of Zanesville, Ohio. I loved their Pumpk...

For those who felt that I set my sights too low for 2006 , here is an important "news story" (Disclaimer: not a true story) by Dav...