An inspirational American success story, Nordic Ware was founded in 1946 by a determined wife, Dotty, and her resourceful husband Dave, newly back from the second world war. With only $500 in their pockets, a few good ideas and a desire to create a business of their own, a humble kitchenware company was launched from the basement of their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the beginning, Nordic Ware’s product line started out with only a handful of items, all of which were specialty Scandinavian ethnic cookware products—the Rosette iron, Krumkake iron, Platte Panne pan, and the Ebelskiver pan. But times have changed!

Did you know that ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile? Also, jumping rope for approximately 10 to 15 minutes is enough to burn off the calories from a candy bar? That’s great exercise!

Wash and iron; cook and clean; repeat. Such was life for many women in 1868. But times were changing. Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first Women’s Medical College. Louisa May Alcott captured the period’s ideals and values in Little Women. And, hard-working wives and mothers with tired, aching muscles found relief in a new, all-natural liniment manufactured and sold by Joseph Ray Watkins.

Ted Dennard is the founder, president, and head beekeeper for Savannah Bee Company. An elderly beekeeper, Roy Hightower, sparked young Ted’s journey in the magical world of bees and honey, and it’s been 35 years of it ever since.

The SmartWool story started on a rugged Colorado ski slope with the belief that toes didn’t have to be cold. One simple pair of Merino socks challenged the conventional wisdom and forever changed the way outdoor enthusiasts looked at their feet. It’s not just about the Merino, though. It’s what Smartwool does with it that makes their product different. For over 20 years, they've been pushing the boundaries of Merino to create smarter, more capable products from head to toe.

The historic Old Mill of Guilford was founded in North Carolina on Beaver Creek (near Winston-Salem) in 1767 to grind grain for the early settlers of what is now Guilford County. Today, this fully-operational, water-powered grist mill continues to produce all-natural, stone-ground, whole grain foods, just as it has for nearly 250 years.

The legacy of Pointer Brands begins with L.C. King. At age 12, L.C. began working at for his uncle's general goods store and four years later, he joined his brother in the wholesale dry goods business. A salesman there for 25 years, L.C. decided to strike out on his own and develop a clothing line that reflected his love of the outdoors.

Seventy years ago, Ruth Campbell Bigelow changed the way we drink tea in the United States. An avid tea connoisseur, Ruth thought tea drinkers, like herself, would enjoy a more zestfully flavored tea. Happening upon a special colonial recipe that called for tea to be blended with orange peel and spices, she decided to try to re-create what she felt sounded like a wonderful idea....

Lodge Manufacturing is one of America's oldest cookware companies in continuous operation. Founded in 1896 by Joseph Lodge, it is still owned and managed by the descendants of the Lodge family. All of the company’s cast iron cookware is produced at the foundry in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. It has been which has been in operation since the company first opened.

Manual Woodworkers is based in the mountains of Western North Carolina and calls Hendersonville home – which is also home to one of our Mast Stores. Since its beginnings in 1932, Manual Woodworkers has proven its ability to identify trends in the gift and decorative accessories industry and has been ranked #1 in Home Decor by Gift Beat Magazine. Three generations of this family-owned company operate with a commitment to providing quality, American-made products.

Spooner Creek is the artwork of Michael Macone expressed in clay. He has been making pottery for over 30 years, and his work is featured in collections around the world. Michael’s mother was an artist and encouraged his gift at an early age. She taught him to oil paint in 4th grade. He always kept busy with art and sold his first paintings to neighbors and family friends.

Cloud Star’s story is a simple one; They started out in a home kitchen more than 15 years ago with a single goal: To make a tasty treat that Samantha, a sweet shepherd mix with a picky palate and some pesky food allergies, could eat and enjoy.

In 1978, the same year that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream was founded in Vermont, two entrepreneurs in New Hampshire started a small poster company that evolved into White Mountain Puzzles.

If you had a chance to go back in time and listen to your grandma spin an amusing yarn about some local character while she snapped beans as she rocked on the front porch, you'd do it, right? With a Troutman Slat Rocker, you'll be well on the way to making your own treasured stories come alive again. These traditionally-crafted chairs are designed to be heirlooms, so your family folklore can be passed on from generation to generation.

The original Rosebud Salve is still prepared the same way as when it hit the shelves in 1892. Like Cloverine Salve, this old-time ointment was sold door to door - the typical distribution method for remedies at the turn of the 20th century.

Born and bred in South Alabama, Coastal Cotton is dedicated to providing premium quality products inspired by a classic uninhibited style. After college, Adam Pickron went to work with his parents as a textile engineer in their clothing factory, making everything from premium jeans to military uniforms. “It was there that I learned the trade of manufacturing clothing from raw fabric to finished goods,” says Adam.

Fiesta was introduced by The Homer Laughlin China Company with great fanfare at the Pittsburgh China & Glass Show in 1936. It was an immediate hit with the public and, by its second year of production, more than one million pieces were produced.

Green Toys, made in California since 2007, offers an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally-friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet. How cool is that?