We’ll be the first to admit it – we haven’t been perfect over the years. Since getting started in 2017, we’ve tried many different ways to get you the most comprehensive research and advice on made in the USA companies. Some of which…didn’t work out. A few folks didn’t love the way we previously displayed our research, so we needed to switch it up as we’ve grown. And we’re sure there will be many future iterations so we can continue to provide the best possible resource for y’all. This page is meant to keep us accountable and give y’all a sneak peek at exciting additions to our roadmap and the reasons why we’ve made certain decisions.
Our Content
More Inclusive Research
Last updated: May 1, 2023
Current status: Follow up rounds completed, but always in progress 🙂
The what and why: When we started this website, we focused a lot of our Product Category Research on highlighting just the best-of-the-best brands that are made in the USA. As a result, some of our lists started to feel incomplete. We also realized that this isn’t fair to the small up-and-coming American made brands that are trying really hard to make a name for themselves. We want to help them and everyone else grow, so we dramatically changed our Made in the USA Lists to be much more comprehensive and cover every brand made in the USA in every category.
Regulatory Analysis
Last updated: December 6, 2023
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: We want to push the issue with our government and regulatory institutions to improve Made in the USA labeling requirements and enforcement, and create incentives and infrastructure to revitalize American manufacturing. Analyzing laws and regulations is one way we can improve our community voice and help educate folks on how effective these regulations actually are. In December 2023, we published our second original data study on the state of the footwear manufacturing industry. More to come!
News
Last updated: September 21, 2023
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: We are now covering breaking news and developing stories on all things made in the USA claims, American manufacturing, and other topics that push consumer advocacy forward and shine a light on important issues that don’t always make the front page news. We are also focusing on regional news now.
Sources
Last updated: November 14, 2023
Current status: Completed! And always adding 🙂
The what and why: There’s a lot of misinformation out there about manufacturing trends, and we want to give you confidence that we are doing our due diligence and using trusted sources. We recently launched a data sources page to give you transparency on what we use when looking at data like global production of steel or US employment trends by industry.
Site Experience
More Accessible Directories
Last updated: October 8, 2022
Current status: Completed! And always adding to them 🙂
The what and why: One of the consistent pieces of feedback we’ve gotten over the years is a lack of a central directory of made in the USA brands. Readers, viewers, and community members – we hear you! We are absolutely thrilled to have these company directories as part of our new site structure to make American made shopping more accessible.
Easier Navigation
Last updated: October 8, 2022
Current status: Completed!
The what and why: As we’ve added hundreds of new articles and brands researched to our website, we definitely outgrew our britches. We rethought our entire website navigation and made it easier for readers to access the type of content they want and find brands much quicker.
Filtering
Last updated: March 27, 2024
Current status: Completed!
The what and why: One of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve consistently received about our main made in the USA directories is the lack of search and filtering options. So, we launched our directory v2, which includes a search bar and filters for product categories and manufacturing states. We’re continually working on the design, but overall, this is a much easier navigation to find made in the USA brands you want to support. We’re excited to continue to improve on it!
Community
YouTube Channel
Last updated: March 21, 2024
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: We love interacting with the Made in the USA community and telling the stories of amazing American made companies. One of the best ways to do both of those things is through video! We launched our YouTube channel in October 2020 and haven’t looked back since. As of early 2023, the video studio has been upgraded with new acoustic panels and a fresh coat of paint to improve video quality. We also recently launched our All American Home video series, going through every room in Mike’s house and showing y’all how to make it 100% American made. We have so much more to come, too, that we’re excited to share with y’all.
Email Newsletter
Last updated: March 1, 2023
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: Email is a great channel for us to deliver exclusive content for loyal readers and community members. So, we launched our email newsletter in 2020 and have slowly added themes and editions since then. The newsletter is still in its infancy, and we have a lot more planned that incorporates breaking news, exclusive deals, and a lot more, so stay tuned. In November 2022, we switch email platforms to enable us to start offering more tailored emails like news and deals, apart from our main newsletter. In February 2023, we launched those newsletter variations for breaking news and made in the USA deals. Make sure to subscribe!
Last updated: February 15, 2024
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: Another consistent comment we got from readers and viewers – why aren’t you on Instagram?! Well, we are now! We are regularly posting on Instagram, remix our YouTube videos to Instagram Reels, and have more exclusive content on the way. Make sure to drop us a follow to see what’s to come.
Tours and Interviews
Last updated: January 10, 2024
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: We absolutely love highlighting the people behind the movements and the amazing stories about companies that are made in the USA. Our Spotlight section was launched back in 2017 and has slowly grown over the years, up to the point where Mike is now flying across the country for factory tours! Our consistency hasn’t been great here, though, so expect a lot more features from us soon. Mike is also traveling to regional manufacturing meetups like Carolina Textile District to connect with more American manufacturers.
Certification Program
Last updated: May 5, 2023
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: Finding brands that are 100% made in the USA is incredibly tough, especially when you’re shopping online. So, we launched our Made in the USA Certification Program! We independently verify every step of the manufacturing process from sourcing to final assembly for companies that are 100% made in the USA. Brands that pass our verification can display our certification badge and must re-verify every year to remain eligible for the program.
Facebook Group
Last updated: April 4, 2024
Current status: Launched and ongoing
The what and why: We launched our Made in the USA Community Facebook Group to give our readers, viewers, and followers a common space for productive discussion. You can ask questions, show off recent made in the USA finds, and discuss important topics to drive American manufacturing forward. We hope to see you there!
More Opportunities for Connection
Last updated: January 10, 2024
Current status: Attending regional events, planning our own events
The what and why: We are now attending a lot more regional events with local manufacturers and other made in the USA advocates. We don’t want to reveal too much yet, but we also have a lot of new initiatives planned to give the Made in the USA community more opportunities for online and in-person connection. Stay tuned!
