Let's just say someone decides to throw a "Buy Local" party, and the party host issues a self-challenge to purchase all the supplies for the soiree only from companies that make their products right here in Detroit factories.
Are there enough goods made locally to throw such a fete? You bet!
Stick with us. We realize such a party may sound like a snoozer, if not implausible. But it's a device to take you on a tour through metro Detroit companies that make just about everything we need to get through a day - and then some. Besides, just think of all built-in conversation starters at this fictitious Buy Local party:
"Are these candles and chip bowls really made locally?" Yep,
Coventry Creations in Ferndale and
Plum Tree Pottery in Farmington Hills.
"The cocktails and beer is from here too?"
Valentine Vodka, also in Ferndale, along with several breweries from Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Macomb counties turn out beer and ales aplenty.
"Surely the illuminated seating area and dancing water fountain and Internet radio box were imported?" Wrong, get your mood lights and fountain at
Illuminating Concepts out of Farmington Hills - that is if you have the budget for it as the company works on rather large projects such as the homerun fountains at Comerica Park, lighting at Wembley Stadium District in London, and dozens of large and small venues locally and internationally. The Internet radio box for playing commercial free music of your choosing comes from
Livio in Ferndale.
"It's kind of cool when you go through and see how much you can buy right here, locally," says Maureen Krauss, the director of economic development and community affairs for Oakland County. "Those are the types of businesses that don't get a lot of attention because they're not huge, but many jobs are created by these businesses."
Food, glorious foodFood businesses, small and large, is one area where Michigan thrives when it comes to local production.
At partytime,
Better Made chips from Detroit,
Kar's Nuts from Madison Heights, and
Pic a Nut snacks from Warren (since 1928!) can be tossed into bowls made by artists such as John Glick at Plum Tree Pottery. Put the munchies alongside any number of locally made dips and salsas, including
Garden Fresh, a Ferndale company that's blown up in recent years, going from garage operation to multi-million-dollar acquisition. There's no shortage of bakeries and candy makers, some strictly local, some with out-of-state followings, to fill the sweets table at this shindig.
Wash it down with
Faygo,
Vernors (since 1866!), and more adult beverages from
Dragonmead or
Kuhnhenn microbreweries in Warren or
Baraboo Brewing Co. in Clinton and Sherwood Brewing Co. in Shelby Township. Wine is made by the
Filipo Marc Winery in Clinton Township, among others.
Serve it from a vintage-style bar made by
Custom Bars by Mick in Fraser or the
Zuckero & Sons in Clinton Township. Don't forget custom awnings made by
Belle Isle Awning in Roseville to keep guests dry should the sky open up.
Fruits, veggies, cheeses, and even meats are almost a no-brainer for the locavore party-thrower. Metro Detroit offers a cornucopia of farmers, artisans, and food manufacturers, such as
Kowalski Sausage in Hamtramck, Warren, and Macomb, where carnivores can be sated on hundreds of meat products.
Farm markets and small local food markets are plentiful, and even biggies like Hillers, Plum Market, and Meijer have joined the Buy Local/Made in Michigan movement.
Oh, and if a guest unexpectedly bring kiddies, you can let 'em go to town on tike-sized kitchens and workbenches or tear up your driveway on plastic Turbo Bikes and Trail Runners from Walled Lake's
American Plastic Toys, one of the few plastic toy manufacturers left in the U.S..
Cleanliness is next to...When it's time to make the house presentable for guests, look to several local companies that make home cleaners and home cleaning products - some of them organic.
The
EcoSTORE USA in Auburn Hills recently partnered with
Greenblendz to expand their menu of chemical-free cleaners.
You might also pick up a cleaning product manufactured under various brands at the
Korex Corp. facility in Wixom. The company calls itself the largest contract manufacturer of powdered automatic dishwasher detergent in North America.
Doozy in Farmington Hills makes a line of furniture cleaners. Use sponges from
Armaly, a 102-year-old company in Walled Lake, to wipe everything down.
All the cleaning products can be stored in cabinets made by
Lafata Cabinets in Shelby or
Greenfield Cabinets in Warren, before guests arrive.
If the host wants the ride in the driveway to shine, chances are it'll be cleaned with products made by the
Stone Soap Co. in Sylvan Lake, which has supplied suds to self-service car washes since 1962.
Once the chores are done, the food and drinks are taken care of, it's time to get the host ready.
Prettying UpSoap, beauty, and grooming products are made by the
Moon River Soap Co. in New Baltimore and Nature's Bounties next door in Chesterfield Township. There are custom shoe and clothes makers in metro Detroit, though planning would be in order. Consider buying t-shirts made by local artists and available at any number of area boutiques. Strap on a pair of
Bandals, sporty sandals with interchangeable bands. Yeah, it's a bit of a cheat since they are now made in China, but the company started and is headquartered in Commerce Township.
The party host might update the decor with pieces from
Brown Dog Welding in Mt. Clemens, which sells metal artwork or River of Glass, also in the Clem and maker of handblown glass objects. Guests might lounge in an outdoor swing from
Moon Valley Rustic Furniture in Clarkston.
Many companies that Krauss comes into contact with began exploring entrepreneurship when their bosses no longer needed them. She and her colleagues help small businesses get going.
"I think we're seeing more of this now because when you have a higher unemployment rate people find something to do with themselves...In many cases we are supporting a business that might start in a garage or a living room. If you start supporting these businesses when they're small, they'll stick with you" instead of leaving town, she says.
On the other side are companies thriving for years now.
"We call them serial entrepreneurs. They've succeeded and they'll succeed in another area," she says. "They always say it takes a couple of failures until you succeed. They might not succeed the first time, but they have that passion. It might be technical, it might be they love to bake or make a really good salsa, they might make a special product that no one else has thought of. We have a lot of that here."
Some of those passionate entrepreneurs are making furniture and home decorations There are small businesses keeping sailors satisfied with their canvas products, jewelers making sure we get our bling, sports apparel providers outfitting athletes and making custom swimwear, motorcycle parts makers tricking out bikes and teachers getting the teaching gear they need. All of them are businesses that don't provide goods meeting our party host's needs but that contribute to metro Detroit's vibrant entrepreneurial mix.
And while the list goes on, the party doesn't. When it's over, the host might consider Mack's earplugs from
McKeon Products in Warren for getting a good night's sleep.
If that isn't achieved, you can always run to the store the next day for some
Five Hour Energy, made by Farmington Hills-based Living Essentials.
Kim North Shine is a Detroit-area freelance writer who's always on the lookout for stuff made, grown, or created in Michigan. Her previous story for Metromode was The Main Event
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