My friend works at the Swiss running shoemaker ON. She recently texted me and suggested I try their running shoes. Three weeks later, I was handling two boxes of their Swiss engineered shoes. On one ON shoe, there is a little Swiss flag and the words “Swiss Engineering” printed. When I get a pair of Nike’s, they don’t say "Beaverton-engineering" or "US-engineering." Nor do Adidas shoes proclaim “German engineering.” ...
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Do you love a great deal on a t-shirt or TV? Sure, we all do. Yet, sometimes when we shop, the lower the price we pay, the less we pay: people. People that make the goods (factory workers) and people that sell the goods (aka indie store owners) are the victims in the discount-pricing rush.
Today’s Times shares that making a bathing suit in Sir Lanka costs about $4 per unit while in Portugal it may cost $16. In NYC, the minimum wage is $15/hour—making production in NYC ...
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Although there is no conclusive evidence where cheese making originated from, the production of cheese predates the recorded history of man. This predates well over 7,000 years ago, it was possibly developed on accident and lets just say it was one of the best accidents to ever happen!
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In Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0, which the Bridge team is currently reading, the author Jim Collins confesses that he missed a key ingredient 25 years ago when he wrote the first edition. He states that he now realizes the most important part of achieving a great company is: getting the right people 'on the bus.’ I agree. Fourteen and a half years ago (long before I opened this book), I was lucky enough to pick up the right ‘passenger:' Moshe replied to my job posting (...
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Some people like to sit on the sofa and eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I roll my eyes at this because I’m very different: I like to read the Wall St. Journal’s Christopher Mims …while eating an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s on the sofa. This past weekend, Mr. Mims suggested companies may be reassessing where they source products, some even considering more domestic production. The motivation for this started a few years ago with the U.S.-China trade war, ...
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At Mottahedeh, we choose to be colorful. That is for dinnerware or decorative objects for your home.
The historical story is important to us, because it represents the best of a culture of the past. For our reproductions and adaptations of designs, we try to understand the perspective of someone in those times and be true to their idea. For instance, if we are making an adaptation of a dinner plate from the 1750’s we would not take one motif that is repeated six times around the plate and...
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The WSJ shares that Fiesta tableware has seen overwhelming demand during the pandemic. Growth is fueled by its U.S.-based production and families’ return to at-home dining.
As you may already know, production of stainless steel flatware has perhaps been the most impacted business in tableware during the Covid crisis. This is where we stand with Couzon: our factory that produces the "U.S. only" patterns of Le Perle, Lyrique and Consul was closed for most of the summer due to Covid issues. They are just now getting back up and running and slowly at best. Orders that we placed over the summer we will not see until May of ...
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Wouldn't you agree that people around the world are cleaner as they undertake to get beyond the global pandemic of Corona virus. It seems that it is time to stop advising people to do what we all have memorized about washing hands, social distancing and wearing masks. “Following simple handwashing practices is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness." Dr.Michele, MD, of the FDA says. “We can’t advise this ...
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A number of years ago, Wendy Kvalheim wrote a book about the history of Mottahedeh, having bought the company, along with her husband, Grant, and long time friends, Jeff and Pamela Mondschein in 1992. Wendy has been design director and CEO for more than 25 years. The motivation for this enterprise is to make great classic and reproduction designs to tell the human story and express the cultures from where the designs came. "From Drawing Board to Dinner Table" also describes the process...
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Costa Nova and Casafina commit to 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging
Costa Nova and Casafina proudly announce the use of 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging in the US.
First orders with “plastic-free” packaging were delivered at the beginning of April, for both B2B and B2C customers. The biggest change to this new policy is the use of eco-friendly starch peanuts to use as void fill.
Startch TM peanuts are an environmentally-friendly ...
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November 16, 2019
November 16, 2019
When we make products overseas, are we long-term weakening our businesses and our communities, and in fact strengthening the product’s country of origin? Today’s WSJ makes the point that foreign countries that produce the goods are the ones gaining high-tech jobs and therefore the high-flying lifestyles. As you may have heard, every day a new person becomes a millionaire in China. Can we say the same in America? Historically, businesses and economists approved the strategy of “innovate here, ...
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March 23, 2019
March 23, 2019
We are very excited to announce that Kobenstyle---the iconic, enameled steel, oven-to-table cookware designed for Dansk® by Jens Quistgaard in 1956, is now back ... A collectors' item since going out of production more than 20 years ago, Kobenstyle is instantly recognizable for its high-gloss colors, welded cool-touch sculptural handles and inventive lids that double as trivets.
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December 22, 2018
December 22, 2018
Just arrived! The Longines Avigation Type A-7 limited production chronograph #80 of 100. Inspired by a watch the U.S. military ordered in 1935.
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October 11, 2018
October 11, 2018
Have we lost our way? A recent HFN magazine article by Allison Zisko shares how tariffs may raise the price of low cost goods from China. Question: what happened to our industry asking for things to be made in America? We haven’t just slid a little—the article states that 56% of furniture comes from China. Is anyone making anything anywhere in America anymore? And, why is this question relevant? I work daily to get consumers to shop local. Lives depend on it. Family owned businesses depend on it...
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March 29, 2018
March 29, 2018
such a long process to make the Conty design but so worth it at the same time
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March 8, 2018
March 8, 2018
Following his transatlantic solo flight from New York to Paris in 33 hours and 30 minutes, timed by Longines, Charles Lindbergh conceived the design of the Hour Angle Watch whose production was then entrusted to Longines. It is back today in its original 47.5 mm diameter size, this time with a state-of-the-art selfwinding movement.
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November 30, 2017
November 30, 2017
Interior designer Arlene Angard created a Harlequin-inspired table for the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge Bash held at the beginning of November. We love the inclusion of our Princess Victoria Black, Silk Ribbon Black and Gwendolyn pattern pieces to create this beautiful tablescape.
Photo credit: Generic Brand Human Media Production
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September 28, 2017
September 28, 2017
I'm from Update New York and I want to help my hometown grow and succeed. Today's WSJ front page has an article about Elmira, NY struggling in the retail world. A few factors have led to this, including overbuilding of stores, a drop in shale oil production, and the rise of online shopping. The town's ability to provide services is now suffering because it relied on retail sale tax.
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