MADE IN AMERICA
From coast to coast, Americans have created and manufactured some of the most recognizable products on the planet. Some brands become iconic, with the power to remain in the marketplace for a long time, but even these can fall victim to outsourcing these days. Iconic American clothing brands like Levi Strauss & Co and Converse have been ousted from American soils, as have brands such as Mattel and Dell. However, some of them remain.Here is a selection originally in the mid Atlantic state of Pennsylvania
Hershey’s Chocolate, PA
Milton Hershey was raised by his mother in the tradition of her strict Mennonite religion. In spite of this, he embraced modern technology and surrounded by some of America’s most productive dairy farms, Milton S. Hershey opened the world’s first modern chocolate factory and built the ‘model town’ for employees and their families so they have an attractive place to live, work, and play. In the end, he didn’t just build a factory in the town that bears his name — he built a community.
Harley Davidson, PA
It’s a story no one on earth could have made up. Four young men experiment with internal combustion in a tiny wooden shed. Not only does the shed not burn down, but themotorcycle they build goes on to serve for over 100,000 miles, under 5 owners. And that’s just the beginning…
Over the years, thousands of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts have made the journey to York, PA to witness passion forged in steel.
Andy Warhol Museum, PA
Warhol is practically a brand in himself; his art utilises some of the most iconic images and brands.
Set inside an old warehouse, the museum includes thousands of works in many media: painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, film, and video.
His work has been at the centre of many a controversy; he shocked the world with his infamous portraits of Campbell’s soup cans and his Brillo boxes in one Swedish museum have since been declared fakes
Philadelphia Mint Factory
At Philadelphia Mint Factory, the Nations first mint, makes circulating coins of all denominations, commemorative coins as authorized by Congress, and produces the dies for stamping coins and medals. In addition, the Philadelphia Mint employs the elite team of sculptor-engravers who are entrusted with creating designs and sculptural models for the production of all the Nation’s coins and medals.
Heinz Factory, PA
The Heinz Company was founded in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1869 by Henry John Heinz (1844–1919), who was later to become nationally known as the “Pickle King.” Heinz had become interested in selling food when he was a child; by age 16 he had several employees working to cultivate the hotbeds and gardens he had built and to deliver his produce to Pittsburgh grocers. His first company, a partnership with two other men, was formed to prepare and market horseradish. Although the company did not survive the business panic in 1875, Heinz reorganized it in 1876 and built it into a major national company by the end of the century. By 1905 it had become the H.J. Heinz Company, the largest producer of pickles, vinegar, and ketchup (catsup) in the United States. By 1919 the company had more than 6,000 employees and 25 factories. Heinz was an astute marketer of his products as well, and he set up a massive electric sign in New York City (1900) to advertise his firm’s relishes, condiments, and pickles .Heinz was a progressive employer for his time and was one of the few food processors to support a federal Pure Food Act. The corporation was headed by members of the Heinz family until 1969.
Crayola Factory, PA
Inspiring scribblers since 1903, these classic crayons come in 120 colors, ranging from Burnt Sienna to Robin’s Egg Blue. Nearly three billion crayons are produced annually, enough to circle the globe six times!
