American Boom Blog, Buy American and Save America

Want to know Cheerwine’s secret formula? Being awesome.

Cheerwine is a tasty cherry soda, mostly popular in the southern regions of the country, specifically the Carolinas and Virginia. The Carolina Beverage Corporation brews this fine elixir in different parts of the country, but it all started in Salisbury, NC in 1917 when L.D. Peeler bought a recipe for a cherry soft drink from a mysterious St. Louis businessman. Peeler must have sold his soul to get that recipe because Cheerwine has been a success since.

The most interesting piece of Cheerwine history would have to be that during World War II, the Carolina Beverage Corporation donated scrap metal Cheerwine memorabilia signs to the war effort in order to help out. Some soldiers reported being able to vaguely make out the Cheerwine logo in the metal of the hull of the USS Intrepid. If that’s not good American advertising and product placement, I don’t know what is.

Cheerwine tasted so good that eventually it couldn’t be constrained to just being a soft drink. There is a Cheerwine cake, ice cream, pie, and even a Cheerwine Championship BBQ sauce. These recipes are available on the Cheerwine website and I will certainly be giving them a try to see if they live up to the awesome deliciousness that Cheerwine is known for.

Cheerwine has been an American favorite for 92 years and will continue to impress thirsty Americans across the country. Even President Eisenhower declared upon tasting Cheerwine for the first time that “Ike likes.” Cheerwine was good enough for President Eisenhower and the USS Intrepid, so it’s certainly good enough to make you to go out and buy a few cases to support one of the best American-made sodas of all time.

{ 0 comments }

Do you feel like pregnancy has crushed your style? Well cheer up because A Pea In The Pod is reminding you that that baby bump is no reason to dress like a slob. Many clothing companies use foreign labor to produce their clothing, but A Pea In The Pod abstains from this. Now that’s a principle to stand by! If you’re an expecting mother, do you really want your child to spend nine months wrapped in clothing made by mistreated sweatshop workers. It’s just un-American!

A Pea In The Pod sells many different styles of dresses, blouses, jeans and even swimsuits that show off your bun in the oven. Tons of female celebrities chose to wear A Pea In The Pod when they got bitten by the pregnancy bug. Jessica Alba, Rebecca Romijn, Kate Winslett and Sarah Michelle Gellar all sported pieces by A Pea In The Pod.

Pamper your partner and remind her that she’s still beautiful with an elegant black dress from A Pea In The Pod!

{ 0 comments }

In the first half of the nineteenth century, many of our relatives were immigrants in the United States. In Cincinnati, a couple of brothers-in-law from England and Ireland went into business together selling their candles and soaps. The company they started, Proctor & Gamble, soon took off, and the company introduced Crisco in 1911, and the product represented the beginning of the company’s product diversification, which has made Proctor & Gamble one of the most successful companies in the world.

Crisco was first marketed as the first all-vegetable shortening that would remain solid year-round no matter how hot it got in the summer. As an economical alternative to animal fats and butter, Crisco soon gained popularity and notoriety among American households in the early twentieth century. According to an early ad for the product, “You can fry fish in Crisco, and the Crisco will not absorb the fish odor! You can then use the same Crisco for frying potatoes without imparting to them the slightest fish flavor.” The physical and chemical properties of Crisco allow it to be heated at a much higher temperature than lard (which was much more common back then than it is now), without burning. Furthermore, Crisco is not absorbed by the food fried in it, making is the economical choice for homemakers across the country.

Crisco set off a chain reaction in the American kitchen of the early 1900s. It was such a revolutionary product that it changed the way people cooked. Proctor & Gamble released a Crisco cookbook to educate homemakers in Crisco cooking methods and utilizing the product for everyday use, and radio programs in the 1920s featured Crisco advertisements and recipes. Recognizing the heterogeneity of the American populace, Proctor & Gamble also released cookbooks targeted at various ethnic groups, printed in their own languages. One example of that was “Crisco Recipes for the Jewish Housewife,” which contained both English and Yiddish translations, and pointed out that Crisco, which contains no animal-based products, is a kosher product.

The years passed, and Crisco kept its place in kitchen cabinets. During the war, Crisco switched from tin packaging to glass to conserve metal. The 1960s brought about the introduction of Crisco Vegetable Oil, and with the 1970s came Puritan Oil, “the delicious new way to help fight cholesterol.” Puritan Oil was made with sunflower oil, and had more polyunsaturated fats than other vegetable oils, making it a choice alternative to other oils. More years passed, and Proctor & Gamble continued to release more quality American products. In 2002, the Crisco and Jif (peanut butter) brands merged with the J.M. Smucker Company, which picked up where Proctor & Gamble left off with exponential releases, with the latest release being Crisco Puritan Canola Oil with Omega-3 DHA, the most complete form of Omega-3.
Crisco’s dedication to providing American households with economical quality products that can be used in a variety of ways for baking. I always use Crisco to grease pans when I bake cakes or cookies, with much better results than butter or cooking spray. Crisco is a staple of the American Boom, and shows that the entrepreneurial spirit and tolerance that built America during the industrial revolution and beyond persists, and is both nutritious and delicious.

{ 0 comments }

Ever heard of Whirpool, Maytag or KitchenAid? Of course you have. These are all brands owned by the Whirpool Corporation. It only makes sense that the products they make for your home be manufactured near your home in the United States of America. Beginning with only one patent for an electric washing machine in 1908, today Whirlpool is the absolute leader in the industry. It’s not only Whirlpool’s household appliances that benefit America; the company is an employer of over 70,000 people and operates plants all across this great nation! Whirlpool has even been to space! The company designed the feeding and waste system for NASA’s Project Gemini, the program that preceded the Apollo program.

Whirlpool’s success comes from a number of intelligent business decisions. In 1986, they acquired KitchenAid, a company famous for their mixers and other kitchen appliances. Whirlpool’s biggest acquisition was the purchase of Maytag in 2006, a leading retailer of dishwashers and refrigerators. Whirlpool is also very active with charity organizations. In 1951, the Whirlpool Foundation was founded to be the philanthropic arm of the corporation. Whirlpool has also donated over $34 million and 70,000 appliances to Habitat for Humanity! It’s nice to know that no matter how succesful American companies become, they don’t forget about the community.

{ 0 comments }

Marlin Firearms is a true American company and have been manufacturing guns in America for over 139 years. Founded by John M. Marlin in New Haven, Connecticut after working for a Colt plant in Hartford, Marlin attracted extremely creative inventors that helped to create the 1891 and 1893 models that have endured to this very day in the form of the 39 and 336 models, which are the world’s oldest shoulder arm designs still in production. The lever action 22 repeater, now known as the Model 39, even became a famous favorite of Annie Oakley.

During World War I, the company was bought out and became the Marlin Rockwell Corporation, which would become one of the world’s largest producers of machine guns at the time. By 1923, the firearms part of the Corporation had split back off into its own entity and had fallen into poor condition, causing it to go up for auction. This is how the Kenna family became the face of Marlin Firearms, because when Marlin Firearms was auctioned off, only a few children, a small dog, and Frank Kenna were present at the auction. Kenna only had to bid $100, thus securing his acquisition of Marlin Firearms and a $100,000 mortgage that came with the company.

The mortgage was eventually taken care of and the company would go on to reintroduce some if its more popular models as the company stayed in the Kenna family line. Today, run by Frank Kenn III, the successful company continues to dedicate itself to the use of creative engineering methods that made it successful to begin with. As a company that helped America fight in WWI, Marlin Firearms is a true American company that makes reliable and dependable products right here in America, so that when you buy from Marlin Firearms, you make sure that you are supporting other Americans for a better country.

{ 0 comments }

Ever wonder where those marshmallow Peeps that line store shelves around Easter come from?

In 1916, Sam Born opened up a small candy shop in Brooklyn, New York. He branded his freshly made confections Just Born. When the business grew beyond what this storefront could contain, Sam along with his brothers-in-law opened up a manufacturing plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Born family is a classic example of the entrepreneurial spirit America prides itself on.

So, you might be wondering what candies Just Born produces: some of America’s most classic sweets! We’re talking Mike and Ikes, Hot Tamales, Marshmallow Peeps and Peanut Chews.

Mike and Ikes and Hot Tamales are always a staple at American movie theaters. I can remember cramming Hot Tamales into my mouth when I was a kid until I thought my mouth would explode from the cinnamon.  You always wanted to be the kid who was still munching on Tamales while your friends were frantically searching for something to drink.

Just Born’s Peeps have quite a following. These fluffy marshmallow confections have become as much a part of Easter in America as egg hunts. Peeps have many devoted followers. The “Peep Off” is an event that is held annually on the day after Easter when Peeps are discounted. Participants compete to see how many Peeps they can devour in 30 minutes.The record of 102 Peeps set in 2003 still stands. You think you can do better? Head to Sacramento next Easter for the competition!

{ 0 comments }

Did you know that New Balance is the only manufacturer of athletic shoes in America? The quality of their shoes comes from the fact that every pair is handstitched right here in the USA. Like many successful American businesses, New Balance had humble beginnings.

In 1906 William J. Riley, a waiter in Boston, came up with a design for arch supports to relieve the pain anyone who has worked on their feet in the restaurant business is familiar with. Soon Riley was making shoes, and in no time (or rather, in 35 years) New Balance was making custom-made shoes for running, tennis, boxing, basketball, and the great American pastime. In 1960, New Balance began offering the Trackster, which, like all other New Balance running shoes, comes in multiple widths. Thanks to the Trackster, the company grew to mainstream popularity as a maker of running shoes and other athletic shoes in the 1970s, and has been going strong since. New Balance continues to manufacture most shoes in the United States and to push the limits of shoe technology to achieve the brand’s mission: “Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host.”

Today New Balance continues to manufacture and sell the type of shoes that made them famous, with the ongoing ideas of comfort and fit in mind. According to the company’s website, “Our philosophy is simple. Listen, learn and refine. It’s an approach to technology that puts us face to face with world-class athletes, every-day athletes and non-athletes alike. Keeps us focused on the goal we share with everyone who runs, walks or competes.” It is refreshing to see a company that has held on to the ideas and philosophies that made it so popular in the beginning. Maybe I’ll dust off my old sneaks and go for a run in the American Boom…

And take a look at the video on their website if you have a chance: http://newbalance.com/USA/

{ 0 comments }

PING is one of the very few golf equipment manufacturers in America, and it is considered one of the best. The story of how the PING company came into existence is one of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Karsten Solheim was an engineer at General Electric in 1959. Solheim had a problem. His problem had nothing to do with his work at General Electric, but rather what he liked to do after work: play golf.  However, the one thing that always seemed to get in the way of Solheim winning his match was the design of the putters he was using at that time.

To overcome this problem, Solheim took to his garage. He invented his own putter, called the “PING 1A”. Solheim’s new putter wowed all of his friends, and they too wanted their own. The hype around the “PING 1A” was huge. Sports Illustrated ran a story on it and it wasn’t long before the pros became interested. Despite the boom in sales, Solheim continued to handcraft each putter from inside his garage. That type of dedication and work ethic is the recipe for success in America.

It wasn’t long before the “PING 1A” was the putter of choice for PGA golfers. Solheim went on to invent other revolutionary golf clubs like the “Anser” in 1967. Nowadays, PING has expanded from just selling putters to manufacturing high-quality drivers, irons, and woods as well. PING also sells clothing for golfers and sponsors a number of professional golfers in the PGA and European Tour.

{ 0 comments }

If you’ve visited a college campus in the past few years, you have most likely noticed the popularity of the Nalgene water bottle. These nearly indestructible water bottles, which gained popularity amongst outdoorsmen,  are keeping people hydrated across the country. However, the Nalgene company didn’t always manufacture camping supplies.

The company was founded in 1949 by a chemist named Emanuel Goldberg and manufactured lab supplies. Nalgene earned a great deal of respect among chemists and biologists for their shatter-proof laboratory bottles, jars, test tubes and petri dishes, but were virtually unknown to the average consumer.

It was by a stroke of American ingenuity that campers and outdoorsmen in the 1970s realized that these laboratory bottles would be ideal to store liquids in while exploring the outdoors. Campers began flipping through the pages of laboratory supply catalogs to purchase these light and durable containers.

The Nalgene company understood what they needed to do. Like all great American businesses, they were able to adapt to stay competitive. They heavily marketed the one liter wide-mouth plastic bottle and outdoorsmen were eager to buy. In the past couple years, Nalgene bottles have moved beyond the wilderness niche, and are seen as a durable container that can be taken anywhere you might need to stay hydrated. So pick a color, slap on a sticker to personalize, fill it up and take a sip!

{ 0 comments }