The Reason for the Season: Supporting American Makers

By Matthew McMullan
Dec 01 2014 |
Leather embossing at Shinola in Detroit. | Shinola

Makers Monday is the perfect excuse to “Gift American” over the holidays.

First comes Thanksgiving.

Not even before the holiday ends, the frenzy of bargain hunting that is Black Friday begins.

Then comes Small Business Saturday, which is an improvement.

Then comes Sunday, and everyone just chills for a second. Just chill!

And then it's Monday. Makers Monday. Have you pledged to Buy American yet?

Because that’s what Makers Monday is all about. This online effort – launched in 2013 by Shinola, which was joined this year by New Balance and the publication Cool Hunting – has a pretty straightforward mission: To underscore the important role that manufacturing plays not only in our economy, but in America’s culture and national identity. And there's no better time to do that than the holiday shopping season. From the Makers website:

It got dark before the dawn, but our nation is finally coming to the realization that it's worth preserving our ability to make things, and to make them well.

We believe decades from now, people will look back and say a new renaissance in American manufacturing started here. And we want to help do our part.

We are all about this sentiment. In fact, we’ve even got our own guide up for American-made holiday shopping. But Makers Monday is not yet done; there’s plenty of daylight left to get out there and pump some money into America’s manufacturing economy. So check out Makers Monday’s list of businesses, and consider what pledging even a small portion of your holiday spending to the purchase of American-made goods will do for your friends and neighbors who make things for a living.