Mainely Labs
Portland, ME
All New American came across Mainely Labs back in 2016 and never forgot the outstanding renditions of man’s best friend, the gentle lab, created by artist Jim Williams. Jim’s “Lab Art” travels occasionally from Portland, ME to various Arts Festivals but had never considered an AF Market. All New American thought it was time for the AF customer to be introduced to this very talented artist, his goods and a very cool American small business. See him in Boston for the 2018 Spring AF Market.
Testimonial: “Participating in the American Field Pop Up in Boston, I was struck by the quality of the products of the various small companies. Many of those companies have established strong brands and an obvious following. I was pleased that the customers attending the event were able to be exposed to my products and to Mainely Labs Studio.”
Jim Williams
Mainely Labs
Artist
https://www.mainelylabs.com
Modernplum
Chicago, IL
Modernplum is a central Chicago based American small business founded by Allison Warren. The company offers simple yet elegant linens with an emphasis on modern design. Modernplum was an All New American featured Monday Maker in 2017 and we felt that the company would be an excellent fit for the AF Market. Modernplum has been awarded a booth at the AF Brooklyn 2018 Spring Market.
Testimonial: “Dear Elizabeth, It was great to meet you in Brooklyn last week, and thanks again for sponsoring Modernplum. It was a great show for us. We enjoyed meeting new potential customers and are thinking of doing the Boston event in the Fall. Will keep you posted! Thanks again.”
Allison Warren
Modernplum
Founder
https://www.modernplum.com
Holley Pocket Knives
Lakeville, CT
In 2017, All New American met with V.J. Maury, founder of Holley Knives. Holley Knives is a startup American small business inspired by the first pocket knife manufacturer in Lakeville, CT dating back to 1844. V.J. has been working hard to build a company that can offer the customer a new kind of pocket knife that can be fully custom built for all of his/her traveling, sporting and recreational needs. All New American has been following V.J.’s continued progress and felt Holley was ready for the 2018 Spring AF Market in D.C., and a booth was granted.
Testimonial: The American Field market was a great opportunity for HOLLEY pocket knives to reach a wider audience. I also made some great new contacts with other vendors who might be able to create some new businesses together. Like everything entrepreneurial, I was quite unexpectedly approached by the owner of DCSharp at the Union Market. He’s now HOLLEY’s first retail partner in Washington DC.
Thanks Elizabeth for all the moral support and this sponsorship at this key time in the company’s growth. Coming off this market, HOLLEY is creating unique pocket knives with wood from the Mayflower 2 restoration for sale at the Plymouth Plantation museum shops.
V.J. Maury
Holley Pocket Knives
Founder
https://holleypocketknives.com
Luke’s Toy Factory
Danbury, CT
All New American: While Luke’s Toy Factory makes a very special toy truck, founder James Barber could not justify the cost of a booth at the American Field Market. All New American believed otherwise and sent Luke’s off to the AF Boston Market Oct. 2017. James did so well that he signed up for the AF Brooklyn Market, Nov. 2017.
Luke’s Toy Factory: Luke’s Toy Factory attended the 2017 Boston American Field show with the generous sponsorship of All New American. We had been interested in attending, but the cost was prohibitive at our stage of startup.We found the show to be profitable with sales, so we decided to attend the Brooklyn show, which was also profitable.
I found that, aside from exposure to educated and motivated buyers, we were able to connect with other small makers like ourselves. The ability to share ideas, sources and best practices was invaluable.
One of the most difficult aspects of starting a company from scratch is the lack of information about who else is doing this, and how we can help each other. All New American was one of our first supporters when we did our Kickstarter, and helped get the word out about us, and connect us with other makers. It’s the community that makes the difference, and is what will ultimately drive the success of the growing US maker movement.
As a direct result of attending the Boston show, we found another maker who is working with us on an extension of our product line, using their areas of expertise. Likewise, we were able to advise another small startup in the toy industry on negotiations with a reseller that we had worked with.
Thanks to All New American for your generous help and support!
Jim Barber
MWB Toy Co LLC dba Luke’s Toy Factory
Managing Partner
https://lukestoyfactory.com
3DUX/DESIGN
Bridgeport, CT
All New American: 3DUX is headed by two young kids, Ayana and Ethan, both still in high school. All New American saw something different in their Responsibly Engineered Architectural Sets and sent them off to the American Field Market in Brooklyn, Nov. 2017. While 3Dux had a great showing, these two entrepreneurs are still studying and readying for college. Maybe Mom and Dad will take on this very special start-up!
3DUX/DESIGN: For a company open just shy of one month, it was both exciting and inspiring to be taken seriously and given the opportunity to take part in the American Field Market. On a personal level, it gave me instant confidence in both myself and my product. For the company, this market opened doors for us and helped elevate 3Dux/design from a fledgling startup to a business with external validation.
All New American and the American Field Market support our company’s commitment to making high quality, american-made products and being involved in the community. From the beginning, we believed that Brooklyn would have the demographics that would match our costumer base; so the opportunity to test this out was a big step for us.
We were able to showcase our architectural sets in front of thousands of visitors. We watched children interact with our product, discussed the concept and our mission with parents, and unknowingly chatted with journalists. Beyond getting great feedback and making more sales than we could have hoped for, when Martha Stewart Living named us as one of their “Favorite American-Made Goods to Gift” this year, 3Dux/design went instantly from a small local business to a national brand. It also gave us the external validation needed to get us wholesale deals and opened doors to unique sales channels.
I believe in our product and am confident that we destined for great things but the support from All New American got 3Dux/design on the pathway to success faster than I would have ever have imagined.
2018 Update:
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for the week-of-3Dux/Design on the website! We appreciate everything you have done to support us. I wrote it on instagram but truly do believe that your helping us get into American Field started the chain reaction we needed to get to the next level. We are having a great time here. We are now working with this amazing team from Zaniac, an after-school STEM program with 8 franchises! And, we just shipped off our first order to uncommon goods.com
Ayana Klein
3Dux/Design
Co-Founder
https://www.3duxdesign.com
National Picnic
Philadelphia, PA
All New American: Betsy is passionate about her sewing and womenswear line and while very successful in Philadelphia, felt the costs involved with an American Field Market too high. All New American begged to differ and sent National Picnic to the 2017 Fall AF D.C. Market. Betsy had such a great show that she signed up for the AF Brooklyn Market, Nov. 2017.
National Picnic: Elizabeth, thank you for introducing me to American Field with your generous grant. The Washington DC Union Field event gave National Picnic a unique opportunity to find its customer and communicate directly with them in a lively environment that celebrates the American Maker. AF also concentrated like-minded businesses that I was able to network with in a fresh new way. I didn’t even know such a hybrid trade show/pop-up market existed. I have had my share of failed trade show experiences. I would not have risked trying another without your invitation to participate, your encouragement was just the boost I needed.
Washington DC gave me a generous amount of direct-to-customer sales, a bucketful of qualified emails of people that were sincerely interested in following my business, and a weekend full of memorable business interactions. Worthwhile, worthwhile, worthwhile. I was able to exhibit in the following American Field in Brooklyn with no worry about whether or not it was another right move for growing my business. I ended 2017 knowing I have had my best year yet and can’t wait to see how I can grow more in 2018, thanks in great part to your All New American grant.
2018 Update: Good morning, Elizabeth, Just another update, National Picnic will exhibit at American Field again in May. (Washington, DC) and I’ll be hiring my first employee in March. Thank you!
Betsy Cook
National Picnic
Founder
https://www.nationalpicnic.com
Noteworthy Chocolates
Bethel, CT
All New American: Jennifer and Michael were offered a last minute opportunity to participate in The Big Chocolate Show in Manhattan, NY. As the costs associated with a booth were beyond their reach, All New American teamed up with their chocolate supplier, Guittard Chocolate Company, and sent them off to the show. As it turns out, many sweet deals are on the horizon!
Noteworthy Chocolates: The grant we received from All New American made it possible for Noteworthy Chocolates to exhibit at The Big Chocolate Show 2017, NYC’s largest fine chocolate show. Having been in business for just under a year, it was our first public show and was an unveiling of our custom chocolate engraving service to the larger community of chocolatiers, artisans, chefs, experts, and chocolate-loving attendees.
The grant allowed us to create a stunning professional promotional video and financed the screen we played it on throughout the event. With the grant we were also able to purchase a telescoping banner, and print materials that were instrumental in Noteworthy Chocolates having a professional and eye-catching presence in a crowded exhibition hall. This investment provided us with resources we continue to use at other shows and on our website. During the show we were able to connect with leaders in the chocolate industry, explore future business opportunities with several businesses, as well as gain new customers who ordered from our website. All this would not have happened without the generous support of All New American.
Jennifer Sauvageau
Noteworthy Chocolates
Co-Founder
https://www.noteworthychocolates.com
The Village Common
Catskill, NY
All New American: Blake and Ben make the best scented candles All New American has ever come across. While they participated in Field & Supply sharing space with others, they felt that the cost of space at American Field to be out of their reach. All New American believed otherwise and sent them to the AF Brooklyn Market, Nov. 2017. They had a great show and we are positive that Village Common will be part of the AF Market in 2018.
Village Common: American Field was an opportunity to meet new clients we may not have had the chance to capture in the past. We were also surrounded by brands we weren’t completely familiar with so this put us in a position to expose ourselves to a completely new group of peers and clients. We also had never been in Industry City and felt the opportunity was something not to pass up.
Ben + Blake
Village Common Mercantile LLC.
Co-Founders
https://www.thevillagecommon.com
Words With Boards
Baltimore, MD
All New American: Words with Boards® is a Baltimore, MD American small business owned by Kim and Mike Pararas. The company personalizes cutting boards by carving words into the wood. The highly labor intensive method has enabled the company to distinguish itself from other like companies thereby making the personalized goods truly one-of-a-kind. Kim and Mike contacted All New American hoping for an “equipment” grant in order to grow their collection of goods and bring the company to a new level of business. All New American awarded them a cash grant in 2018 and they are now the proud owners of a new NOVA. We look forward to following the continued growth of Words with Boards®.
Words with Boards: Just wanted to say thanks to the folks at All New American for the generous equipment grant they recently sent our way. With it we were able to acquire the NOVA DVR Variable Speed Drill Press. I had been to a local woodworkers show recently and saw this machine on display and was really impressed with its capabilities. I mentioned it to my wife and told her how useful this would be in the development of new products and product features that we are constantly working on in our Cutting Board business. Since receiving the grant and purchasing the machine, it has become a proud centerpiece of new technology in our woodshop that helps makers like ourselves create new products more efficiently and with better precision.
Kim Strassner
Words with Boards
Co-Founder
https://wordswithboards.com
