May 11, 2008

The Way It Was: Charles E. Drew

One of the great names of medicine is that of Dr. Charles E. Drew, a black American physician born in Washington, D.C., in 1904. He overcame walls of racial prejudice to become a doctor, and while studying at Columbia University became involved with prominent researchers working on the problem of blood storage.

Up until then, the challenge was to keep blood refrigerated until it was needed. He focused his efforts on separating and storing blood components, particularly blood plasma, in order to extend its shelf life.

During the Battle of Britain, Dr. Drew created protocols and procedures for the collection, testing and shipping of blood to England where it was desperately needed. Almost 15,000 people donated more than 5,600 gallons of blood. This experience saved countless thousands of lives during World War II.

The U.S. military went to great pains to segregate the blood of whites from blacks in those days, for no sane reason. And though Dr. Drew was the driving force behind the plasma project, he was denied the leadership role in it because of his race.

Dr. Drew was tragically killed in an auto accident in North Carolina in 1950. There were rumors he was denied medical treatment because of his race, but another black doctor traveling with him reported they received the best care available.
I’m glad he did. The reality of discrimination against that great man is embarrassing enough.

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May 10, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Quality Custom Cabinetry

This week in "Cool Stuff Being Made," we head to Quality Custom Cabinetry in New Holland, Pa., for a tour of the company's 126,000 square feet facility. Dale Leaman, director of customer service, walks us through the 16 departments, starting with an explanation of importance of just-in-time manufacturing. And, as always, attention to quality is key to success.

Many good things happening at Quality Custom Cabinetry:

2006 Quality Custom Cabinetry, Inc. launched a new line of cabinetry named Saxton Cabinetry, a European frameless construction. Saxton Cabinetry went through a rigorous pilot program by several dealers. Due to the new product line, the corporate identity and overall organization was renamed to "QCCI." (Quality Custom Cabinetry, Inc).

2007 QCCI added 57,000 square feet for manufacturing and distribution to facilitate both products, Quality Custom Cabinetry and Saxton. QCCI introduced a new product collection under the Quality Custom Cabinetry brand, called Steeplechase. Steeplechase features 1 inch thick face frame construction with sophisticated styling detailing surrounding inset doors and drawers, a hallmark of Quality Custom Cabinetry.

Thanks, as per usual and with sincerity, to PCN-TV for providing the base video. Cabinetry and other woodworking is a Pennsylvania tradition, so there's history afoot.

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April 28, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: KME Fire Apparatus

UPDATE (8:40 a.m): Bumping this to the top of the page because we garbled the company's name in the original post. Apologies to KME.

John Kovatch III, now president and CEO of KME Fire Apparatus -- part of of the Kovatch group of companies -- shows us the ins and outs of manufacturing custom firetrucks and other fire-fighting apparatus in this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, a video from 2005. The company is another family business starting small, growing and expanding. As this feature story at Bystronic explains:

Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, builds custom-designed fire trucks, rescue trucks, industrial foam vehicles and aircraft refuelers....[Spirited] visionary, John "Sonny" Kovatch began his business as a modest two-car repair shop in 1946. Since then, with eleven manufacturing plants at this facility, annual production reaching 300-325 units and orders flowing in from around the world, this family owned and operated company stands as the largest privately held manufacturer of customized specialty vehicles in the United States.

Computer design, metal fabricating, custom painting, plumbing, etc. -- there's a lot that goes into building firefighting apparatus, including one we see in the video, a 2,000-gallons-a-minute pumping unit. And at KME, customers come to the facility to inspect their purchases.

And if you're in the Harrisburg area in the middle of May, drop by the Fire Expo 2008. KME and many other great companies will be well represented.

Thanks again to PCN for supplying the NAM with a consistent flow of consistently interesting videos on manufacturing in Pennsylvania.

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April 12, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Asher's Chocolate

In this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" we travel to Souderton, Penn, to visit Asher's Chocolate to answer the question: One coat of chocolate or two? The answer: Yes!

Our tour is conducted by Jeff Asher, a fourth-generation candy manufacturer who is in charge of sales and marketing for the company. The company was founded in 1892, making it the oldest continuously family owned and operated candy making company in the United States, but the Souderton facility we visit is of the modern sort: The 125,000 square feet factory houses 15 enrobers, a large kitchen and a modern shell moulding plant.

What's an enrober? Watch Cool Stuff Being Made and find out!

Thanks this week again go to the good people at PCN, the Pennsylvania Cable Network, who provided the video tour and who do a great job of documenting the Keystone State's history.

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March 29, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery

We have a slightly disrupted supply chain of Cool Stuff Being Made videos this week, soon to be rectified. But in the meantime, we return to last week's video -- one that received an especially large number of hits.

Besides, Instapundit is knife-blogging today, with all sorts of links to interesting commentary and coverage, so the subject is timely.

So again this week, we take a gander at U.S. manufacturing in all its hand-crafted skill and beauty, as W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery brings us a video showing how fine knives are made.

Case’s commitment to quality is evident in the 125 pairs of hands it takes to create one knife. Artisans shape handles from rare Brazilian cattle bone and Buffalo horn to more delicate substances like rosewood, mother-of-pearl, and stag. Metals like brass, nickel, and silver highlight each form, bringing together a knife that’s not only beautiful, but one that will stand the tests of time and use.

And there's lots of tradition, American tradition.

The company’s rich history began in 1889 when William Russell (“W.R.”), Jean, John, and Andrew Case began fashioning their knives and selling them along a wagon trail in upstate New York. A unique tang stamp dating system used since the very early days of its history has cemented the Case brand as one of the most recognized and valuable collectibles in the industry. Today the Case Company is owned by Zippo Manufacturing, another family-owned business based in Bradford.

That's Bradford, Pa., home as well to the Zippo/Case Visitors Center.

Thank you to the good people at Case who sent us the video. We're pleased to feature it at Cool Stuff Being Made and encourage other manufacturers to share their stories.

Posted by Carter Wood at 8:08 AM | 1 comment; click here to read it or submit your own! | Send to a Friend

March 22, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: We Need Your Footage!

We're running low on factory tours, mini-documentaries, and other video looks at manufacturing the United States. However much we love old industrial films like the RCA corporate history of pre-1956 developments in television depicted here (and available here), we'd much rather profile modern manufacturing.

So if you have a produced DVD of manufacturing processes or a facility tour, please send them our way. Contact:

James Skelly
National Association of Manufacturers
Director, Broadcast & Multimedia Strategies
M: 202-281-6754
W: 202-637-3092

And credit for today's RCA industrial film goes to the Prelinger Archives, reached via Archive.org. Archive.org is a great site. Where else can you watch the 1964 movie adaptation of "I Am Legend," this one entitled, "The Last Man on Earth," starring Vincent Price.

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March 15, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Violin Makers Limited

A lovely sounding Cool Stuff Being Made this week, as Quince Eddens and Ronald Sachs of Violin Makers Limited show us how to craft a violin.

From their shop at Camp Hill, Pennsyvlania, we learn about the proper wood -- European maple for the back, Italian spruce for the top -- glue and proper varnishes, as the two put together a violin modeled after a Guarneri del Gesu.

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March 8, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Laran Bronze

Finally, a video about manufacturing that features the pouring of molten metal! Sometimes, you just want to see a foundry at work.

And this week's Cool Stuff Being Made brings us the Pennsylvania foundry -- and much more -- at the Chester, Penn., operations of Laran Bronze. The company's website does a great job of telling its story:

Laran Bronze is a fine art foundry established in 1984, owned and operated by Larry Welker, his wife Diane Welker and brother Randy Welker. The company is located in Chester, Pennsylvania, in a large complex that was once a part of the shipbuilding industry. Over the years, Laran Bronze have perfected the art of bronze casting, from miniature to monumental....

Laran Bronze has been selected for several high profile projects like the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. “The War Memorial commission is the most important of my career,” stated Ray Kaskey, sculptor for the Memorial, “I wouldn't want to entrust the casting to anyone I didn’t have the utmost confidence in.”

As a fine art casting foundry, we combine age-old skills with the latest materials and technology, including resin bonded sand casting, and digital 3D scanning and enlarging. Our large facilities allow for work at practically any scale.

Diane Welker does the honors this week, taking us through the facility and the process of molding and casting sculptures. And yes, lots of high-tech manufacturing processes and materials at work.

Thank you, Pennsylvania Cable Network from sharing the video with "Cool Stuff Being Made."

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March 1, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Musselman's Apple Sauce

First, blend the apples -- Golden Delicious, Yorks and Romes -- and start cleaning, peeling, chopping and processing. This week's Cool Stuff Being Made brings you that American staple, applesauce, courtesy of Knouse Foods and its Ortanna, Penn., processing plant. Robert Binkley, vice president of technical services for Knouse, walks the line with us, finishing with a nice cup of cinnamon-flavored applesauce.

All that steam and sterilization...You know, this is a pretty energy-intensive process, making applesauce.

Thanks to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for bringing us another look at the manufacturing of the Keystone State.

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February 23, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Conestoga Log Cabins

The iconic American frontier home -- a log cabin -- takes on modern attributes at Conestoga Log Cabins, the Lebanon, Penn., manufacturer of log house kits.

From Conestoga's "About Us" site:

The idea for Conestoga Log Cabins and Homes was developed over twenty years ago. In 1983, after over ten years of various designs and several generations of machinery, Conestoga produced its first cabin for the campground industry under the name Conestoga Log Cabins. The initial concepts and processes from those early years have evolved into a streamlined 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

And in this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, Bill Keller Jr., a company vice president and co-owner, walks us through that facility to show us how it's done. Laminated logs? You bet.

Thanks to the good people at Pennsylvania Cable Network for pointing us to Conestoga's direction.

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February 16, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Send Us Your Videos!

Specifically, we're looking for a narrated, educational videotape, one that represents the U.S. manufacturing economy. We'll edit as necessary and give your company or process a widely watched promotional and educational boost.

Please contact Greg Snapper at (202) 637-3085 or mail videos to:

Greg Snapper
National Association of Manufacturers
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

And to view previous weeks' editions, please click here. Or visit our YouTube page, www.YouTube.com/namvideo

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:59 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

February 2, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Community Loudspeakers

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video profiles the Community Loudspeakers company in Chester, Pa., which manufactures commercial loudspeakers for arena events, concerts and any venue that requires high-quality audio.

Bruce Howze, president and chief engineer, gives us a good feeling for the nuts and bolts and electronics and attention to detail that goes into manufacturing these high-quality loudspeakers, used at churches, concerts (all the way to South Africa) and sporting events -- the Olympics! Sounding good...

We send applause to the good folks at Pennsylvania Cable Network for pumping up the volume...and supplying this week's video view of manufacturing.

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January 26, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Baker Ballistics

Threats to law enforcement come in many forms, and the Baker Batshield® stands in their way, especially in dangerous situations involving ammunition and explosives.

In this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made," Rick Armellino, director and CEO, shows us the manufacturing process behind the shield, walking us through the highlights of Baker Ballistics' Lancaster, PA, plant.

The Baker ballistics shield works like a collapsable tent -- unfurl the flexible armor from its packed state and boom - protection from ammunitions fire and explosions. The product was born out of the 30 year evolution of tactical “Bunker” shields, first introduced to American law enforcement in the early 1980’s.

Watch how it's made and don't miss the product demo!

To the good people at Pennsylvania Cable Network, we extend cordial regards for sending this latest manufacturing documentary our way.

And speaking of video...Baker Ballistics has an entire webpage devoted to video of its products in action. Active Shooter Response...High Risk Vehicle Stop...Hand/Long Gun Deployment...

Did we mention it's Cool Stuff?

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January 19, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Superior Tool Co.

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video profiles one of the building blocks of American manufacturing, only in this case, the blocks are tubes -- high-quality, precision metal tubes. John Reinhart, director of development with Superior Tube Company in Collegeville, Pa., shares his company’s “tubeology” and what it takes to manufacture small-diameter metal tubing for the mega-industries of automotives, aerospace and medicine.

The local paper, The Mercury, did a nice company profile of Superior Tube in last year's Progress edition, "Superior Product: The sky's the limit for longtime area producer of high-end tubing." The family-owned company got its start in 1934 making nickel tubing; today the aeronautics industry is a prime customer. To see Superior Tube at work, click the embedded video or go to the NAM's video homepage at www.YouTube.com/namvideo, and click here.

Original footage is courtesy the Pennsylvania Cable Network, good friends of manufacturing, education and, of course, Pennsylvania.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:54 AM | 1 comment; click here to read it or submit your own! | Send to a Friend

January 12, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Bluecoat American Gin

Break out the tonic and lime and enjoy the taste of Bluecoat Gin in this week's episode of "Cool Stuff Being Made."

After an introduction from the company president, Andrew Auwerda, Master Distiller Robert Cassell guides our tour through the company's Philadelphia distillery. Bluecoat a leader in the growing business of boutique, or small-batch, liquor -- the spirited version of microbrews. Think the distinctive flavor of gin is the product of juniper berries alone? We learn from Cassell that other ingredients give Bluecoat its unique profile -- coriander, angelica root and sweet orange peel.

The name Bluecoat also builds on Philadelphia's rich history. As Auwerda once told the Courier Post of south Jersey: "We like that juxtaposition of an American gin as opposed to a 'red-coat' gin. People think of Philadelphia for its historical significance. We thought that the historical story fit our idea of independence and uniqueness. We wanted to say 'Don't drink your dad's gin; drink this new gin specifically designed for the American palate.'"

Bluecoat's attention to detail in the batch style distallation process has brought it many kudos, including recognition in Philadelphia Magazine's Best of 2007 edition.

Our thanks to Pennsylvania Cable Network for enlightening us once again by sharing another of its factory tour documentaries. Cheers!

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January 5, 2008

Cool Stuff Being Made: Industrial Scientific Corp.

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video visits Industrial Scientific Corp. of Oakdale, Penn., a company devoted to employee health and safety -- not just for its own workers but for the industrial customers it serves. As the company's website -- www.indsci.com -- explains,

Industrial Scientific Corporation is a global leader in designing, manufacturing, selling and servicing gas monitoring instruments, systems and related products. With continuous improvements in engineering and R&D, lean manufacturing operations and expanded service capabilities, Industrial Scientific is widely known for providing rugged, dependable products that excel in monitoring hazardous gases in the most demanding work environments in the world. Employing over 700 people, Industrial Scientific has manufacturing operations based in Pittsburgh (USA), Arras (France), Dortmund (Germany) and Shanghai (China), provides technical services to customers from local service centers around the world, and has additional subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Dubai, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

In this week's video, the company's chairman and CEO, Justin McElhattan, walks us through the operations, explaining how fixed-point (stationary) and handheld detection devices are used to ensure workplace safety by identifying the presence of one or more hazardous gases (e.g., combustible gases, such as methane, propane and pentane). High-tech doesn't begin to describe it.

BTW, Mr. McElhattan was recently elected to the National Safety Council’s Board of Directors.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made mini-documentary -- thanks to our friends at Pennsylvania Cable Network for the original film -- please click on the embedded video or head over to the NAM's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/namvideo and click here.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:49 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

December 15, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: How Crude Oil is Refined

With energy policy being a hot topic on Capitol Hill, we move from the word of theory into the one of practice, visiting the American Refining Group and its Bradford, Penn., refinery.

President and COO Harvey Golubock walks us through the facility, the oldest continuously operating refinery in the United States. We learn about fractionation, distillates and wastewater treatment at the plant, which refines only Pennsylvania crude.

Pennsylvania is, of course, the birthplace of the American oil industry. Good to see it still making a productive contribution to the state's economy. Many thanks to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for making the video available for wider distribution as a Cool Stuff Being Made presentation.

And did you read about this week's groundbreaking in Port Arthur, Tex., for the largest oil refinery in the United States?

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:49 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

December 8, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Meadowbrooke Gourds

Those gourds used to decorate homes and centerpieces, associated especially with the fall? They're not just harvested and shipped directly to the stores to sell to you. Extensive processing and artistic work are involved...crafting, carving, glueing, painting and packaging.

At least that's the way things work at Meadowbrooke Gourds in Carlisle, Penn., a place full d'esprit de gourd.

"The story of Meadowbrooke Gourds began in 1994. It was a rare combination of circumstances that involved one curious farmer, a few dried gourds and a whole lot of ingenuity. The in-between of then and now has been filled with Wows, Ya-Hoos, Round-n-Abouts, Giddyups, Oh Noooos, the frequent and delightful ooooos, aaaahhhss, tempered with the occasional screams of agony. These sentiments and exclamations are echoed among these twenty or so souls who now make up the family of Meadowbrooke. The initial moment of inspiration belonging to Ben Bear has now spread to those who work and play together as they hand craft each gourd we make and it is now ours alone."

In this video, the sales manager, Darren Hartstock, gives a tour of the processing facilities -- it's a full-scale manufacturing operations, albeit with a lot of personal touches.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made video, just click on the embedded video, or for a larger view, click here. You may notice that the video looks a little bit different than previous episodes.

Right you are. We've added an NAM identification and edited the videos down to a sub-10-minute presentation. The original video still comes from the good folks at Pennsylvania Cable Network, who are working with us to make the videos accessible via YouTube. Of course, you can still buy the full videos at PCN. If you're looking for more info about gourds, for example.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:06 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

December 1, 2007

Send Us Cool Stuff Being Made Videos, Please!

(Brought to the top of the page.)

Our warehouse of manufacturing videos is running low, and so we need to restock the supply of "Cool Stuff Being Made." That's our weekly feature of videos of manufacturing operations, most often but not limited to plant tours. We've covered the powerful -- GE Locomotive Engines -- and the sweet, Wolfgang Candies.

And if you've got a company video with only parts about manufacturing, we can work with it, coming up with a nice version edited for the production side of things.

We'll happily take videotapes and DVDs. For more details, please contact:

Greg Snapper
National Association of Manufacturers
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20004

(202) 637-3085

Or e-mail Greg.

Please. Unless we get more videos, we'll have to show Industry on Parade, over and over again. One word: plastics. (Actually, the '50s-era film is entertaining and historically interesting, but not really representative of U.S. manufacturing today.)

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November 24, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Locus Pharmaceuticals

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video takes us to the frontier of prescription drugs development, the work being done by Locus Pharmaceuticals of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

As President and CEO Joseph Reiser, Ph.D. relates in his intoductory comments, Locus operates in the unique world of computational technology, researching and developing new therapeutic drugs via computer design, combining biology, chemistry, math and even physics. From the company's website:

Our proprietary computational technology rapidly and accurately identifies the biologically relevant active binding site(s) of a protein and simultaneously designs de novo novel, small molecule antagonist or agonists of the protein’s activity utilizing our proprietary fragment data set. Unlike traditional high throughput screening technologies, the Locus process is a de novo fragment-based approach that enables the identification of novel small molecule drug candidates faster and on a larger scale than has previously been possible. Since the Locus technology generates novel molecules, an equally important outcome is the realization of valuable intellectual property.

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry leads the world in developing and manufacturing pharmaceuticals, thanks -- among reasons -- to its protection of intellectual property rights as well as the ability to price to the market. (Reiser notes the government's support for Locus' efforts, as well.) Very valuable to take this 25-minute tour to see all these factors come into play.

And the people, of course. The scientists and their colleagues.

The computer power deployed? Just 2.3 teraflops, produced by 2,000 parallel processors. "We generate the amount of data that Google, for example, handles in one year," Reiser says in explaining the calculating capacity.

Thanks to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for this fascinating look at cutting-edge medicine.

To watch this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video, please click here.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:28 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

November 17, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Spancrete

Direct from Waukesha, Wisconsin comes a view of structural and architectural precast concrete in action, courtesy Spancrete.

We've selected the highlights -- a broad variety of construction, engineering and explanations -- from a Spancrete company video, showing precast concrete at use in a variety of projects. It's another family-business grown great. From a company history:

Mr. Henry Nagy founded the company as West Allis Concrete Products in 1946—a major supplier of concrete block for the post-war era construction boom. Then, in 1953 Mr. Nagy purchased a unique precast concrete manufacturing machine from a German inventor and brought it to the United States.

Over the years, Henry’s son, Robert developed and perfected the Spancrete® process, and built Spancrete into a worldwide leader that’s highly respected in the precast concrete and construction industries.

Today, the third generation of the Nagy family is building for the future. In a world that demands fast, affordable, and quality, Spancrete is the one building material that promises all three. Nothing is stronger, more durable, or more versatile than Spancrete. And Spancrete, with its quick erection times, costs the same or less than other building materials.

To view this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, click on the embedded video or click here for the larger-display video.

Posted by Carter Wood at 12:13 AM | 1 comment; click here to read it or submit your own! | Send to a Friend

November 10, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: GE Locomotives

Cool Stuff Being Made travels the rails this week, or at least aspires to, as we head to Erie, Pennsylvania, and GE Transportation's locomotive manufacturing plant. As GE's website explains,

Right now, around the world, locomotives designed and built by GE are on the move, transporting products and people. At any one time, thousands of our locomotives are operating in more than 60 countries, from Australia to Zaire.

We built our first diesel-electric locomotives more than 80 years ago, In the years since, our locomotives have grown steadily in power and performance. We build new, remanufacture and modernize locomotives for purchase and lease, introducing unprecedented levels of customer productivity in both mainline and shortline service.

The Erie facility moves three locomotives through a day.

For all the central, historic role locomotives have played in American culture, it's odd that their manufacturing and assembly are not more widely depicted. It's heavy work, as we see in this 50-minute tour of the plant. And important to our entire economy. You have to think Thomas Edison would be proud.

Thanks, as always, to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for letting us spread manufacturing's story.

To view this week's Cool Stuff Being Made video .

Posted by Carter Wood at 8:04 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

November 3, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Excel Modular Homes

This week we look at homes, the modular kind, constructed and sold by Excel Modular Homes of Liverpool, Pennsylvania. Ed Langley, the company's president and CEO, gives us a tour of the operations starting with sales and moving through design and construction.

Langley stresses the high quality that accompanies home construction made in a controlled environment, including modifications that reflect the customer's requirements and floor plans. Many options! Indeed, the company's website does a good job of highlighting each step of the construction process.

Lots of construction techniques and philosophies that were new to us. And, it really is a good website with very detailed information -- videos of a modular home being "set," i.e., put in place, here, for example. The home goes up in hours!

The company employs about 315 people and ships homes to buyers from Georgia to Maine.

We thank the fine documentarians at Pennsylvania Cable Network for spreading the word about manufacturing -- and making the video available to Cool Stuff Being Made. Thanks!

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:35 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

October 27, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Keener Kitchen Mfg.

It's a 35th anniversary celebration at Cool Stuff Being Made this week, highlighting the years of high-quality custom cabinetry by Keener Kitchen Manufacturing Company of Red Lion, Pa. According to a company news release this week,

Started by Everett and Arlene Keener in 1973 in an historic cigar factory in Red Lion, PA, the firm now employs over 70 designers, craftsmen and professional installers. In addition to award-winning kitchens, baths and other special rooms for the home, Keener also manufactures commercial casework for schools, offices, medical and financial institutions, and other applications.

In this hour-long documentary, company President Stephen T. Keener starts us out with a showroom discussion of the kinds of cabinetry, different styles and appearances. He then walks us through the factory, from the mill room, to the building room, to the area where finishing is done. Lots of specialty colors, stains and finishing, and the most popular woods are birch, oak and cherry. Human labor has a role all the way through the manfacturing process, keeping an eye on detail and quality.

Keener also gives us a tour of the sister operation, Keener Architectural Casework, which produces commercial cabinets and interiors.

A thorough presentation. So all you people thinking about redoing your kitchen -- or more -- enjoy!

Thanks to our pals at PNC for the video.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, Keener Kitchen edition, please .

P.S. Yes, the operation is housed in an historic cigar factory. There's quite a history of tobacco growing and cigar-making in the York, Penn., area. Even gave birth to a busline, the Red Lion Bus Co.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:37 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

October 13, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Solomon Steelpans

Now this is cool stuff being made in the sense of, well, cool: Steelpans, or metal drums, hammered into tuned instruments. You'll recognize them as producing the sound of the Caribbean, but much more, as well.

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video takes us to the Pittsburgh site of Solomon Steelpan. The company's website reports the facts:

Solomon Steelpan is the leading supplier of quality steelpans and accessories. For over twenty years exciting breakthroughs in steelpan making such as The GroovelessTM Method and The synchronized Note Placement design has made it possible for us to produce steelpans with precision, attentions to detail and a purity of sound unheard of until now.

Janera Solomon, listed as consultant but a fine musician in her own right, serves as tour guide through the factory, showing out a 55-gallon barrel can be transformed into a sophisticated percussion instrument. A lead steelpan has 32 notes, pounded out precisely into the metal, but there are many different scales and tones in the steel drum family.

Ms. Solomon notes that the drums are favored for classical music and jazz, as well as calypso. We even see a performance. Our thanks again to the Pennsylvania Cable Network for this nice combination of manufacturing and culture.

(And did you know one of the country's leading steel drum bands is at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota?)

To watch the Cool Stuff Being Made video, please click here.

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October 6, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Task Force Tips

October is Fire Prevention Month, so it's a great time to tell the story of an American manufacturer that produces high-quality, life-saving fire-fighting equipment. The company is Task Force Tips of Valparaiso, Indiana.

Task Force Tips was founded by Clyde McMillan, a firefighter at Standard Oil who was seriously burned in a naptha fire in 1955.

One of the causes was a nozzle that failed to deliver enough water when the time came.

McMillan later sketched out -- on a napkin! -- a plan for a more sophisticated, adjustable nozzle, creating a family-owned company in 1970 that has expanded and prospered since. (See this company history.) Stewart G. McMillan, once a firefighter himself, today is company president and a member of the NAM Board of Directors.

To watch the 8-minute company profile, please click on the embedded video or go to our NAM YouTube video here.

And stay safe!

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:39 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

September 29, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: American Holtzkraft

Did you know the same wood used to make baseball bats is also a staple in the manufacture of high-quality outdoor furniture, like umbrellas? The wood is Northern ash, and we learn that fact from Phil Apple, president of American Holtzkraft Inc. of Mt. Pleasantville, Penn., where we see this week's Cool Stuff Being Made.

Lots of sawing, lathing, laminating and other treatment of wood -- teak is also used -- and the high-quality clothe for the creation of a furniture-grade finished product that can take years of outdoor wear. Phil takes us through the full production process; the umbrellas even tell a theme, for example the beach and ocean, for resort use.

Phil and Barbara Apple founded the company in 1985. As a business history relates, "Phillip C. Apple hails from a third generation apple farm of which he and his father the late Herbert Apple ran 1000 acres until the summer of 2002. In addition to the orchards Phil and his dad created H.V.Farms, Troyers Mill and Keystone Wood, Inc." Holtzkraft, by the way, means woodcraft in German.

We bring this video to your attention courtesy the Pennsylvania Cable Network. As always, thanks.

To view this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please

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September 22, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Bachman Snack Foods

Most folks probably associate Bachman snacks with pretzels, produced at the company's Reading, Penn., plant -- "Pretzelvania®" in Bachman lingo. But in this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" we head to Bachman's Elphrata factory in Lancaster County to see the making of corn chips.

Les Frey, plant manager, walks us through the process, from the cooking of the Illinois-grown corn (yellow and white), conversion into massa dough, cooked and shaped into chips, packaged and shipped. Quality control all the way along; the proper oil content is key.

But let's not ignore the pretzels, either. The company history reports that J.S. Bachman -- of German heritage, of course -- started the company in 1884, hand-making and packing pretzels, working with one small oven and a horse-drawn delivery cart. (One of the first commercial pretzel makers in the country, apparently.) Bachman's rise to a major snackfood company -- with some bumps along the way -- is a good, representative case of success in the food industry.

Also, the pretzel saved Christmas.

And to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network who supplied the video, we say, Danki!

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made:

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September 15, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: McCarthy Tire Service

We're going to be a bit expansive in our definition of Cool Stuff Being Made for this week's episode, including McCarthy Tire Service in the manufacturing world because 1. Retreading truck tires IS manufacturing (the company also reconditions and services rims); and 2. Not a lot of manufactured goods make it to market without traveling on truck tires somewhere along the line.

After a nice introduction from company vice president, Neil Horn, we get a plant tour from Roland Chabot, Eastern technical trainer, for the company. Founded in 1926, McCarthy Tire -- now a third-generation firm based in Wilkes-Barre -- is one of the top 10 commercial tire service companies in the country. Roland is darn enthusiastic about the magic of bonding, and in reality, it IS a very interesting process. (With many assurances as to quality.)

Interesting, too, is the conservation side of the process. Retreading totals $2 billion annually in savings for trucking companies (tires follow fuel and labor as the biggest costs of truck fleets), and the world's 16 million retreads save the equivalent of 280 million gallons of fuel. Rubber dust, too, is a byproduct AND a resource (including a good fuel source).

Thanks to the good folks at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for their continued support (and supply) of Cool Stuff Being Made videos. And to watch this week's episode of McCarthy Tire Service please .

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September 8, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Sensenich Propeller

Sensenich Propeller Manufacturing Company has a cool history and is making cool products today, fixed-pitch metal (aluminum) propellers, widely used in civil aviation.

The company began -- as so many American manufacturing companies have -- in a farm's workshop, when two brothers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, put a WWI aircraft engine with wooden propellers on the back of a wooden snow-sled to tool around the farmstead, perhaps the first such contraption in the world. Photos and the company's history are here, and below right is a photo of the contraption.

Today, the Lititz, Penn., company manufactures and repairs fixed-pitch metal propellers. In our hour-long Cool Stuff Being Made tour, General Manager Ed Zercher takes through the entire casting and production process, with its intense attention to product strength, balance and precision -- after all, the propellers take people into the skies, all across the globe. (Forty percent of the company's products are shipped overseas.) Lots of discussion of CNC, or computer numerical control, fabrication of metal parts by the removing metal.

Because the reliability of the propellers is a literal matter of life and death, Ed also talks about the packing and shipping of the parts, making sure they arrive to the customer undamaged. He also mentions Sensenich's sister company in Florida, which manufacturers wood propellers for air boats.

As always, we express our gratitude to the good folks at the Pennsylvania Cable Network, who bring this documentary to us. Check out their offerings.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please

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September 1, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Lagos Jewelry

We talk a walk on the luxury side this week with "Cool Stuff Being Made," a visit to the 45,000-square foot production facility of Lagos Jewellery, the Philadelphia-based and world-renowned manufacturer of fine jewelry, appreciated especially for its signature Caviar Collection.

Ann Lagos is director of visual planning for Lagos, whose husband Steve founded the company in 1977. She guides us on this week's tour, a step-by-step presentation of the making of a sterling silver, Mobe pearl bangle bracelet, from design to final packaging.

Every step, of course, is dedicated to detail.

A revealing, 36-minute long documentary about the science, tradition and craft of jewelry-making, again thanks to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network. To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please click

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August 18, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Tobyhanna Military Depot

For this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" we depart from the private sector to visit the world of the U.S. military, specifically, the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense. But there's much more than maintenance that goes at the depot in northeastern Pennsylvania; Tobyhanna is a full-fledged manufacturing facility, as well. As Tobyhanna's fact page explains:

The depot’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems. They include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare, and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles. Tobyhanna is DoD’s recognized leader in the areas of automated test equipment, systems integration and downsizing of electronics systems. The Army has designated Tobyhanna as its Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for communications- electronics, radar, and missile guidance and control. The Air Force has designated Tobyhanna as its Technical Source of Repair for command, control, communications and intelligence systems.

Thanks to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network, we have an hour-long tour of the depot guided by Frank Zardecki, Deputy Commander. Amazing technology on display -- avionics for the Black Hawks, tracking for convoys, APN-209 radar altimeter -- as the deputy commander explains the usage in Iraq. On any given day, some 200 employees are on temporary duty around the world, supporting those deployed in the field. Our men and women serving overseas are in good hands.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please click here.

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August 11, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: BWP Bats

A recurring theme in the "Cool Stuff Being Made" videos we bring every week is quality, the manufacturer's attention toward quality control through all phases of production.

The latest example comes from Michael Gregory, vice president of BWP Bats, who explains to viewers of this week's documentary, "There are two ways to make a bat. You can make a bat, or you can make a bat right."

For this Brookville, Pennsylvania, manufacturer of baseball bats used at all levels of the sport, the process starts with the selection of the wood -- maple (not ash) -- all the way through two sawmills, several dry kilns, and complete finishing lines. Wood that doesn't meet standards for bats but is still of high quality winds up in furniture and hard-wood flooring.

Gregory also spends time explaining how the bats are personalized for players, in appearance, weight, etc., for Little Leaguers all the way to MLB players. Did you know that Elijah Dukes of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays likes to have a cross engraved on his bats? Johnny Damon is another happy customer.

An excellent, interesting look at bat manufacturing, even for the non-baseball fan. Thanks to the good folks at PCN for sending the video our way.

Click here to see the Cool Stuff Being Made video.

And, batter up!

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August 4, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Penn State Creamery

When we say "Cool Stuff Being Made," this week we mean COOL -- ice cream and dairy products, that is. Tom Palchak, manager of the Penn State Creamery -- now known as the Berkey Creamery -- walks us through the creamery, which really impresses as a high-tech manufacturing facility.

They use a nuclear magnetic resonance device to analyze the fat content of the milk! And as Palchak notes, "Food safety is the overriding concern that all milk processors have."

The creamery's website has a nice summary of the facility and its connection to the university:

Most visitors to the Creamery at Penn State know only of its famous ice cream, sherbet, and cheeses sold at the store or over the Internet, but what they don't know is that it is the largest university creamery in the nation. Each year approximately 4.5 million pounds of milk pass through the Creamery's stainless steel holding tanks. About half comes from a 225-cow herd at the University's Dairy Production Research Center, and the rest is purchased from an independent milk producer.

The creamery sells 225,000 gallons of ice cream a year (product list here), and Palchak makes sure to stress the educational component of the creamery, all part of an academic, teaching and research unit to support the food science program.

As for the recent naming of the facility as the Berkey Creamery, the honor was well earned by the support from Jeanne and Earl Berkey.

All in all, a tasty presentation. For this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video, please click here.

And thanks, as always, to our friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for their documentary work and willingness to share.

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July 28, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Hamilton Watches, 1947

Last week in "Cool Stuff Being Made" we visited RGM Watch Company in Mount Joy, PA, a manufacturer of high-end, precision hand-crafted watches. Company founder Roland G. Murphy started his career in product development for Hamilton (then part of the SMH, now part of the Swatch Group).

Which got us thinking about the history of watchmaking, and its endless attention to detail, which led us a bit far afield for this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" -- this 1947 industrial film, "What Makes a Fine Watch Fine?"

Produced by the ubiquitous maker of training films, the Jam Handy Organization, this 20-minute documentary begins with vignettes of celebratory watch presentations (high school graduation, birthday, retirement) and then takes one through a tour of the Hamilton Watch Co. factory in Lancaster, PA. Still fresh in the company's list of achievements was its mass production of the Hamilton marine chronometer, used widely in WWII, but the film goes deep into watch production at all levels, especially the critical importance of accuracy and detail. Really an excellent industrial film of the era, one that doesn't lend itself to being poked fun at from a distance of 60 years later.

The film comes courtesy of the Prelinger Archives, one of many entertaining and useful resources at www.archive.org.

To watch this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made," please go to this page, "What Makes a Fine Watch Fine?" And for photos from the film, please go to this page.

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July 21, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: RGM Watch Company

Roland G. Murphy sure has a sense of history...and quality...attributes that fit well his founding of the RGM Watch Company in Mount Joy, PA. The company specializes in "boutique," high-end mechanical watches and antique watch restoration.

From Murphy's introduction of the company's base in an old bank building -- complete with antique bank vault -- to his step-by-step tour through the watch construction, restoration and repair stages, you sense a deep appreciation of classic watchmaking, including the Swiss tradition. The attention to quality has created a worldwide reputation, and brought John Ratzenberger's "Made in America" Travel Channel show to RGM Watches for a company profile.

It's American craftmanship as a global standard of quality. As the company proclaims, "RGM is not a conventional luxury watch brand. Some of our watches feature exceptional complicated movement such as a Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar, a Tourbillon, an Automatic Chronograph with Moonphase and a rose gold Skeleton Chronograph - just a few of RGM's highlights. RGM's reputation rests on its technical prowess and aesthetic beauty rather than a famous name. "

Our thanks to the manufacturing fans at PCN, Pennsylvania Cable Network, for providing the 56 minute documentary, one of their many, many tours made throughout the Keystone State.

To watch this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, please click here.

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July 14, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Everlast Roofing

New technology, a dedication to quality, and a willingness to experiment leads many manufacturers to new heights of productivity, and it may just be that those heights will be covered by products made by Everlast Roofing, Inc.

The Lebanon, Penn., manufacturer of high-quality metal building components produced its first products on Valentine's Day, 1997, and in its decade of operations has grown from just a handful of workers to 80 employees, from $2 million to $40 million in sales.

The company takes special pride in developing its Evercure process: "This process encompasses our G100® Heat Formed™ panel, with our Cut Edge Corrosion Inhibitor (CECI®) enhancement. We have mastered the process of Heat Forming™ by heating the metal coil prior to forming the panel profile."

Even if that exceeds the usual amount of information you get about your roofing, you can't argue with results. Evercure works in "preventing microscopic cracking and peeling of paint, and reducing the risk of surface and edge corrosion."

In this hourlong documentary, Craig Covell, the company's co-founder and president, walks us through the machinery and processes that produce the many products used in all kinds of buildings.

Once again, we appreciate Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) for supplying the video and keeping us up to date on the state's manufacturing heroes. To watch this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video, please click here.

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July 7, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Corvette America

The epitome of American cool could well be the Corvette, Chevrolet's great sports/muscle/racing car, such an icon that there's even a National Corvette Museum in Kentucky.

But with decades of history and cars being passed from one owner to another, there's bound to be a high demand for replacement parts and add-ons for the beloved vehicles, and that's where this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" company comes in.

Our video documentary features Corvette America, a manufacturer and distributor of after-market parts for Corvettes. As the company's website explains:

Our 55,000 square foot facility in Milroy, Pennsylvania allows us to produce more reproduction Corvette interior components than all other sources combined! Just think about how that benefits you... a complete selection of components designed and built to match each other and your original interior - and the savings associated with professional-scale production! It's just a better way of achieving perfect results.

After a quick introduction by the company president, David Hall, we get an hourlong tour of the factory and more from John Weaver, vice president.

As always, thanks to our pals at the Pennsylvania Cable Network for providing the documentary. Always lots going on in the world of PA MFG.

To see this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made," please click here.

UPDATE (4:50 p.m.): We've bumped this to the top of the day's postings because it's a positive reflection of a productive America.

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July 4, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Diamond Sparkler

A special Independence Day edition of Cool Stuff Being Made, a video tribute to Diamond Sparkler Manufacturing Co., Inc, "the sole remaining operating sparkler manufacturing facility in the United States. During its peak manufacturing season, Diamond's production capabilities reach approximately 800,000 sparklers per day."

That's a lot of sparkles.

As the video explains, the Youngstown, Ohio manufacturer -- part of Phantom Fireworks -- fought off unfair Chinese competition and produces better, non-toxic sparklers -- they're heavily tested for safety -- that meet the customer's needs. And they're fun.

So have a great Fourth of July. And to watch this Wednesday's "Cool Stuff Being Made," please click here.

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June 30, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Zambelli Fireworks

Getting ready for Independence Day and the patriotic displays of the bombs bursting in air? Well then here's a feature to whet your pyrotechnic palate, a video from Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, one of America's largest and most renowned manufacturers of fireworks, and a family-run operation to boot.

Fireworker Antonio Zambelli ventured from Italy in 1893 to establish the Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing Company in New Castle, Pennsylvania, which was to become a center for America's fireworks industry. Building on the grand tradition Antonio began, subsequent generations of Zambellis are now known worldwide for setting the industry standard in design and technology -- then exceeding it.

And we're glad to see this news from the patriarch, George Zambelli, who reports that patriotic themes in large-scale fireworks displays are up 50 percent.

This week's video combines some cool stuff being made, along with marketing and company profile materials. A piece of history, if you will, so to view this week's Cool Stuff Being Made, click here. And cover your ears!

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June 16, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Packaging Corp. of America

Without corrugated packaging, well, the world would be in a lot more bits and pieces. So credit for protecting products as they make their way around the globe goes to manufacturers like the Packaging Corp. of America , subject of this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made Video."

General Manager Bruce Elsberry of PCA's plant in Trexlertown, Pa., guides viewers through the corrugated-box manufacturing process.

As always, our thanks to Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) for supplying the video and keeping us abreast of all the great manufacturing going on in the Keystone State. To watch this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video, please click here.

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June 9, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Send Your Factory Videos!

Want to profile your business to tens of thousands of interested viewers and fans of manufacturing? Then send us your factory tour video for our weekly Internet feature, “Cool Stuff Being Made.”

Running every Friday on the NAM’s popular blog, www.shopfloor.org, “Cool Stuff Being Made” videos show products being made, company employees at work, manufacturing in all its nuts and bolts and high-tech processes.

Since the feature began appearing in July 2005, more than 380,000 people have watched the videos – a total of more than 1,000,000 viewing minutes!

All you have to do is send us a DVD video – already produced or make one yourself (the more professional, the better) – and we’ll let the whole world see your “Cool Stuff Being Made.”

Send to Greg Snapper
National Association of Manufacturers
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20004

(202) 637-3085

Or email Greg.

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June 2, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Woolrich, Inc.

Our "Cool Stuff Being Made" video this week brings us to Woolrich, PA, home of -- not hard to guess -- the great American mill and clothing manufacturer, Woolrich Clothing. Woolrich has been making sports and outdoor wear since 1830 in the United States (you can see a nice history here).

Today, the company crafts more than 300 products, using several hundred fabrics. You'll definitely recognize the Woolrich "red and black" plaid. This week's tour takes you throughout the Woolrich operations, and you'll see a winter parka head out the door at the end of the day. Welcome summer!

As always, our thanks to Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) for supplying the video and keeping us abreast of all the great manufacturing going on in the Keystone State. To watch this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video, please click here.

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May 26, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Fleetwood RV

Memorial Day marks the traditional start of the vacation season, so this weekend let us sing the praises of the folding camper trailer, a summertime staple.

This week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" video takes us to the Fleetwood Camping Trailers, operation of Somersett, Penn., a division of Fleetwood RV. Our tour guide is Joe Pacifico, production manager, who takes obvious delight in walking us through the manufacturing process -- from metal forming to wood shaping, the soft goods -- curtains, mattresses, etc. -- to the finishing and stacking onto trailers for delivery to Fleetwood's more than 300 dealers.

As always, thanks go to our friends at PCN, the Pennsylvania Cable Network, for providing the video. To see this week's "Cool Stuff Being Made" please click here.

P.S. Speaking of Fleetwoods, here's a fine song from 48 years ago.

Posted by Carter Wood at 7:22 AM | Click here to comment | Send to a Friend

May 19, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: New Holland Concrete

From our friends at PCN Tours comes this week's video of Cool Stuff Being Made, featuring New Holland Concrete and their making of concrete blocks.

As you may know, these blocks are made with three key ingredients: aggregate (sand and stone), cement and water. They go through the mold and eventually out the door to buildings where you live, work and play. You'll see in this video not only the manufacturing process but a bit about how they keep track of the massive inventory and how they're able to track the movement of every concrete block that they make. Once again, throughout the manufacturing process and beyond, you'll see the high degree of technology involved -- even in a seemingly low-tech product like concrete blocks.

So click here to view the video tour conducted by Joe Schmadel of New Holland concrete and feel the manufacturing vibe.

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May 12, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: All-Clad Metalcrafters Cookware

This weekend we celebrate two very special events. The first, of course is Mother's Day on Sunday, the day when we honor mothers everywhere. Also this weekend will be the official celebration of Jamestown's 400th anniversary -- and the arrival of manufacturing in America.

In honor of these twin celebrations, we have a great video form our friends at PCN Tours of All-Clad -- specifically of the 12" frying pan being made. As it turns out, we are big fans of All-Clad, big end-users of the product here at bloghouse, Skunk Holler. You'll see through this process and their meticulous attention to detail nd quality why All-Clad is synonymous with first-class manufacturing.

So fry up some chicken this weekend for Mom -- or maybe some bacon for breakfast in bed for her. Or celebrate Jamestown's 400th by frying yourself a meal like the first settlers may have done 400 years ago over an open flame. Thought it all, remember that manufacturing is the mother of innovation -- and prosperity.

Click here to see this week's video and feel the manufacturing vibe.

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May 5, 2007

Cool Stuff Being Made: Kopp Glass

We've spent a fair amount of space on this site marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown because the settlement also marks the beginning of factory manufacturing in what would become the United States. Abundant access to the raw materials -- wood for charcoal and sand -- made the loca