2013 National Hardware Show All-American Award

As a supporting partner of the National Hardware Show’s Made in USA Pavilion, Made in USA Brand presented the National Hardware Show All-American Awards. The award ceremony took place on May 8th in the Made in USA Product Display at the 2013 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, NV. Marcie Gabor, President, Made in USA Brand; Principal, Conrad Phillips Vutech, presented the awards alongside John Lederer, Representative, National Hardware Show.

The four award winners were chosen from over 125 companies exhibiting in the Made in USA Product Display within the National Hardware Show’s Made in USA Pavilion. These four award-winning exhibitors reflect Made in USA excellence in design, quality and innovation in the following categories:
National Hardware Show All-American Award for Best Packaging: Tub O’Towels, Federal Process Corp., Cleveland, OH
National Hardware Show All-American Award for Best Marketing: Adams Manufacturing Corp., Portersville, PA
National Hardware Show All-American Award for Best Trade Show Display: Made in America Store, Elma, NY
National Hardware Show All-American Award for Best New Product: Pawtriotic, Doggy Delirious, Monroe, WA

Purchasing products that are made in America is becoming increasingly important to conscientious consumers. The National Hardware Show and Made in USA Brand are working together to support manufacturers, retailers and consumers who are at the forefront of this national trend.

According to Made in USA president Marcie Gabor, “Shoppers are becoming increasingly interested in buying local and purchasing goods made in America, because they associate them with American jobs and quality products.” She adds, “We salute the winners of the National Hardware Show All-American Awards for their marketing excellence in helping consumers easily identify products that are made in the USA.”

Made in USA Brand commissioned Art of Fire Contemporary Glass Studio to fabricate the National Hardware Show All-American Award. Located in northern Maryland, Art of Fire is a working glass studio producing major pieces of art for retail and the collector.

About the National Hardware Show®: The National Hardware Show® celebrates a rich history spanning 67 years of serving the home improvement marketplace. The National Hardware Show is the place for global manufacturers, associations, organizations and the media to unveil new products, ideas and insight to a broad spectrum of home improvement resellers. The Made in the USA Product Display at the 2013 National Hardware Show® gives retail buyers a chance to source products that are proudly made in the USA. For more information on the National Hardware Show, visit
www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

About the Made in USA Brand Certification Mark: The Made in USA Brand Certification Mark is the only registered certification mark for identifying goods made or grown in the United States. For more information, visit www.madeintheusabrand.com.

About Conrad Phillips Vutech: Conrad Phillips Vutech is an award-winning, full-service marketing and branding firm that specializes in brand building. For more information, visit www.cpvinc.com.

A veteran-owned company with revenues exceeding $50+ million dollars, Adams Manufacturing is the leading “Made in USA” supplier of residential and commercial outdoor resin furniture and accessories. We’re also the world’s leading manufacturer of suction cups. Our full range of products can be found at retailers ranging from Lowes and Walmart to Ace Hardware and Amazon.

Since our founding in 1976, Adams Manufacturing has actively promoted our “Made in USA” advantage – long before it became the popular thing to do. Over the years, we have seen many “Made in USA” certification programs come and go – with many of them being nothing more than fly-by-night website listings with generic logos. The Made in USA Brand Certification Mark is the only accreditation program that we were 100% willing to endorse.

With so many mixed “Made in USA” messages out there, we strongly believe that The Made in USA Brand will provide companies like Adams with a common and consistent brand identifier that will result in better overall market awareness, while minimizing confusion.

And unlike many of the other certification programs we’ve seen, The Made in USA Brand has dedicated a great deal of time and resources into promoting this brand while advancing the value proposition behind “Made in America” – which is why we chose to support this program.  Anyone can create a logo – but it was critically important to align ourselves with an organization that would champion our cause.

Over the next few months, we plan on transitioning our packaging to include The Made in USA Brand Certification Mark – and have already started incorporating it into our website, advertising and trade show promotions.

Any company that is looking for a reputable and highly recognizable way to promote their American-made products should seriously consider, and would strongly benefit from, partnering with “The Made in USA Brand.”

Dan Stainer

Director of Marketing

Adams Manufacturing
www.adamsmfg.com

Max Gresham, 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion and Camping World Truck Series driver partnered with Made in USA Brand to bring awareness to American made products.

CONCORD, N.C. (April 9, 2013) -The moment Max Gresham pulled away from the Martinsville Speedway last Saturday, his attention was focused on Sunday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at the Rockingham Speedway.

“You don’t race by looking in the rearview mirror,” the 19-year old Gresham said. “You’re always looking ahead.”

Gresham recently tested with the No. 8 Made In USA Brand (MIUSA) Chevrolet at the track affectionately known as “The Rock.” The Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team compiled copious notes for Sunday’s 200-lap race, including strategies for tire management.

“When you’re at Rockingham managing your tires well is always an issue,” crew chief Chris Showalter said.

“From a racer’s standpoint, it’s a great track. You spend so much time up in the corners; if you aren’t careful you’ll wear out your tires, or your truck. You have to manage everything well there.”

Gresham finished 18th there a year ago in just his sixth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start. He considers an additional year of experience as well as the recent test session will give him a new perspective for Sunday’s race.

“You really have to hit your marks and be smooth,” he said. “The more laps you get there, the more you realize that. I know we’ve got a good package for the race. We have great trucks at Eddie Sharp Racing. I know Showy (Showalter) has a good strategy. And I know I have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful there.

“After the test session, I had a new respect for the track and became more comfortable with it.”

Gresham qualified 18th for the race at Martinsville, a career best starting position at the historic track before brake issues relegated him to a 30th-place finish.

“What I like most about racing is each week is a chance to forget about a bad race and create a better memory,” Gresham said. “We’re very confident with our preparation for Rockingham. I feel very good about the race. It’s a great way to look ahead.”

With the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series both racing at Texas Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be on center stage on Sunday. Teams will have two practice sessions on Saturday and qualify at 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday. The green flag will wave at 2 p.m., and the race will be televised on SPEED.

“A new week, a new race and a chance to keep looking forward,” Gresham said.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning racing team housed in a 45,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After getting its start in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series, ESR has accumulated upwards of 20 race wins, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Championship, and countless top-five and top-10 finishes in just five years of competition. By 2010, ESR began to make the transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with a partial schedule before racing in the series full-time in 2011. By 2012, the team expanded to be a multi-truck team and secured its first victory in just the team’s 35th NCWTS race. Additionally, ESR continues to build its driver development program fielding various drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series and other late model events across the southeast.

About Made In USA Brand

The Made In USA Brand Certification Mark is the only certification mark logo registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for labeling and identifying goods either made or grown in the United States.

The number of Made In USA Brand accredited companies has grown to over 900 in just over a year.

Companies interested in securing the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark to label their products and marketing materials are encouraged to log on to www.MadeInUSABrand.com.

Race fans interested in pledging along with Max Gresham to look for and purchase made in USA manufactured goods can take the pledge for FREE at www.PledgeForUSA.com.

The No. 8 Made In USA Brand Chevrolet Silverado at Martinsville Speedway

He’s spent a lot of time around the Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) shop. He’s tested at the Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway as well as at Motor Mile Speedway in Dublin, Virginia, preparing for upcoming races. He’s also worked as a driving coach on Eddie Sharp Racing’s Late Model program with driver Will Gallaher.

He admits, however, that he’s impatient to get behind the wheel of his No. 8 Made In USA Brand (MIUSA) Chevrolet Silverado during a regular race weekend.

“I know it takes a team time to recover from Daytona, so the gap between races is understandable,” Gresham said while he prepared for Saturday’s Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. “But a driver just wants to race as much as possible. It’s hard to ask a racer to slow down for that long.”

Saturday’s race at the iconic .526-mile short track is one of the popular stops on the truck series schedule. The speedway has hosted NASCAR races since 1949 – many years before 19-year old Gresham was born.

“I really like Martinsville,” Gresham said. “Most NASCAR drivers have a true appreciation for short tracks. It’s where we all grew up. It’s where we all learned to race.

“The cars and trucks have evolved a lot through the years at Martinsville. But one thing never changes there – it’s still a track where a driver has to fight for every spot on the track.”

The paperclip-like raceway has been famously described as a pair of drag strips connected with a pair of u-turns. Martinsville is tough on brakes, tough on engines and tough on nerves. Every pass frequently involves some sort of contact. Statistically, it’s unlikely any of the 36 scheduled starters will finish without damage.

“The secret is to use enough bump-and-run to work your way to the front without making many enemies,” Gresham said. “That’s a delicate balance.”

With three career starts at the historic short tack, the Milner, Ga. native has more starts at Martinsville Speedway than at any other track on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule.

Gresham started 21st and finished a career-best 11th at Martinsville last October. He and crew chief Chris Showalter have set their sights on improving on that solid result.

“We try to set goals each week and our goal for this one is a top-seven finish for Martinsville,” Showalter said. “With six weeks to get ready, we’re as prepared as we can be for this race. Max quickly adapted to Martinsville last year and he made up a lot of ground in the final 50 laps. We aim to pick up where we left off.”

“Keep in mind,” Gresham said, “a win would be a top-seven finish, too.”

For Gresham, Saturday’s race also jumpstarts a stretch of three races in three consecutive weekends. Gresham and Eddie Sharp Racing will be at Rockingham, N.C., on April 14, followed by a trip to the Kansas Speedway on April 20.

“This is a busy stretch for us,” Gresham said. “And that’s the way I like it.

 
About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning racing team housed in a 45,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After getting its start in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series, ESR has accumulated upwards of 20 race wins, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Championship, and countless top-five and top-10 finishes in just five years of competition. By 2010, ESR began to make the transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with a partial schedule before racing in the series full-time in 2011. By 2012, the team expanded to be a multi-truck team and secured its first victory in just the team’s 35th NCWTS race. Additionally, ESR continues to build its driver development program fielding various drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series and other late model events across the southeast.

About Made In USA Brand

The Made In USA Brand Certification Mark is the only certification mark logo registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for labeling and identifying goods either made or grown in the United States.

The number of Made In USA Brand accredited companies has grown to over 900 in just over a year.

Companies interested in securing the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark to label their products and marketing materials are encouraged to log on to www.MadeInUSABrand.com.

Race fans interested in pledging along with Max Gresham to look for and purchase made in USA manufactured goods can take the pledge for FREE at www.PledgeForUSA.com.

Made-in-USA label pays off for investors

More consumers are shopping for Made in USA products. The Made in USA Brand Certification Mark label helps the consumer identify quickly the LEVITON products that are made in the USA. Photo courtesy of LEVITON.

Leviton incorporates the Made in USA Brand Certification Mark as a Marketing Tool
Leviton has initiated a variety of programs for incorporating the Made in USA Brand Certification Mark into packaging, displays, website resources and other materials to help educate consumers, retailers and professionals. The certification mark allows Leviton to visually demonstrate the company’s commitment to producing products that are made in the USA, and as a result, promote the values that Leviton has carried out for more than 100 years. This effort has been very well received by Leviton customers as they are eager to promote Made in USA goods on their shelves. Leviton congratulates the Made in USA Brand organization for taking on the initiative to unify and certify the Made In USA identification.

-Carol Lynch, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Retail

More consumers are shopping for Made in USA products. The Made in USA Brand Certification Mark label helps the consumer identify quickly which products are made in the USA. Photo courtesy of LEVITON.

Made in the USA: More consumers buying American

via NBC News Business | Click head line for full article.

Courtesy Green Toys

Green Toys co-founders Laurie Hyman and Robert von Goeben. All of their company’s toys are made domestically.

A curious thing is happening among American shoppers. More are checking labels and asking, “Is it ‘Made in the USA?’ ”

Learn how inbound and content marketing can help you generate better leads.
Download it today!

CONCORD, N.C. (February 18, 2013) — Max Gresham got to Daytona Beach on Tuesday, February 12 – 12 full days before the NextEra Energy Resources 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at Daytona International Speedway.

The driver of the No. 8 AmWINS Chevrolet Silverado was so eager to start the 2013 racing season that he arrived at the world’s most famous beach early to do some dirt racing and get geared up for the season-opener.

“For a racer, there’s no place more special than Daytona,” Gresham said. “I plan to soak up the atmosphere there for as long as I can. I love racing over at Volusia Speedway Park, and I love being at Daytona.”

Gresham, who plans to run the entire truck series season, is not only looking for his first top-10 finish in his young Truck Series career, but he also hopes to make Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) a winner for the first time at the World Center of Racing.

The team also will be carrying the blue and silver colors of AmWINS, a leading specialty insurance broker that’s one of the fastest-growing companies in North Carolina, and especially in the Charlotte region.

“When you start a new season, you bring over your best truck and everyone is energized,” the 19-year-old driver from Milner, Ga., said. “The same goes for our sponsor AmWINS. We’ve spent nearly three months getting ready for our biggest race, so we’re ready to get things rolling.”

The 2.5-mile speedway will open for practice on Thursday, with pole qualifying at 1:40 p.m. ET on Friday. The 100-lap race is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. green flag on SPEED.

While Gresham said the team’s primary goal is to establish and build momentum for the rest of the season, he knows survival is ultimately “a crap shoot” when the trucks run two- and three-wide on the 31-degree banking. A year ago, John King rebounded from two earlier accidents to win the race.

Gresham’s first Daytona start ended with a 26th-place finish a year ago. In addition to his one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Daytona, has had ARCA Racing Series success at Daytona with a sixth place finish in 2012. This event will mark the career-second start at a super speedway.

“The key is to keep the truck under you, stay out of trouble and make a run in the last couple laps,” Gresham said. “If you’re not in the middle of something, you’ve got a good chance for a win.”

Gresham also came to Daytona Beach early because he loves the racing atmosphere that surrounds the iconic raceway.

“I really enjoy the fan interaction when you’re at the racetrack,” he said. “People come from all over the world to see racing there. It’s become a classic racing tradition. I can still remember taking my father there in 2008 for the 50th Anniversary Race and sitting in the stands. It was five years ago, and is still a special moment for both of us.”

Gresham also loves the largemouth bass in Lake Lloyd along the backstretch. Part of last year’s race preparation also included an afternoon of fishing where he caught a big bass.

“That fish gets bigger every time I tell the story,” Gresham said with a laugh. “Hopefully we’ll make some new memories with our AmWINS truck this weekend. It’s been a lot of fun to be around Daytona Beach for nearly two weeks. Now it’s time to get busy and have some real fun.”

About Eddie Sharp Racing: Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) is a championship winning racing team housed in a 45,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After getting its start in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series, ESR has accumulated upwards of 20 race wins, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Championship, and countless top-five and top-10 finishes in just five years of competition. By 2010, ESR began to make the transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with a partial schedule before racing in the series full-time in 2011. By 2012, the team expanded to be a multi-truck team and secured its first victory in just the team’s 35th NCWTS race. Additionally, ESR continues to build its driver development program fielding various drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series and other late model events across the southeast.

About Made In USA Brand: The Made In USA Brand Certification Mark is the only certification mark logo registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for labeling and identifying goods either made or grown in the United States.

The number of Made In USA Brand accredited companies has grown to over 900 in just over a year.

Companies interested in securing the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark to label their products and marketing materials are encouraged to log on to www.MadeInUSABrand.com.

Race fans interested in pledging along with Max Gresham to look for and purchase made in USA manufactured goods can take the pledge for FREE at www.PledgeForUSA.com.

Jan 15, 2013

By Susanna Kim

Walmart announced today that it is increasing the sourcing of U.S. products by $50 billion over the next 10 years, hoping to boost U.S. manufacturing and jobs.
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