For Flags of Valor — a veteran-owned and operated business that has shipped more than 96,000 flags to doorsteps nationwide — the phrase “made in America” lies at the foundation of everything it stands for.”For over 10 years, we’ve been saying the same thing — we build American products, on American wood, with American tools, made by American hands,” Flags of Valor founder and military veteran Brian Steorts told FOX Business. “And we do it while giving back to the causes that matter — supporting veterans, educating youth, and honoring service and sacrifice at every step.”VETERANS SHARE PATRIOTISM, PRIDE AND PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ALSO PROMOTING ‘MILITARY WORK ETHIC’Founded in Virginia in 2015, Flags of Valor is known for its handcrafted, wooden U.S. flags, as well as military and first responder flags. The business currently has 10 employees, the majority of whom are veterans and military spouses.Each material used by the Flags of Valor team — from the woodworking tools to the tape for the shipping boxes — is sourced from American companies, according to Steorts.FROM BOMB SQUAD TO BAKER AND COFFEE MAKER: FORMER DEPUTY CRUSHES A NEW BUSINESS”We believe that’s the only way it should be done,” Steorts said.Steorts, a combat
Tag Archive for fox-business/small-business/made-in-america
Hot Business News Today
Father-daughter duo sells American-grown coffee using 'innovative' technique
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
When 6-year-old Charli Johnson suggested starting a coffee business to her dad, T. Shane Johnson, he thought it would be a valuable teaching opportunity and a “great way” for them to spend time together.”It was just one of those kind of ‘aha moments’ as a dad,” T. Shane Johnson, a Marine Corps veteran, told FOX Business. “A lot of kids come up to you and say, ‘I want to do dance or football or baseball.’ We jumped right into it together.”The father-daughter duo launched Big Guns Coffee in 2021, which today sells 38 coffee blends, as well as soaps and candles, both online and at a brick-and-mortar store in Tryon, North Carolina. Its products are available in stores across the country, according to T. Shane Johnson.”At the same time, we are franchising our farms to Montana, Kentucky, California and other different places,” Charli Johnson added.SMALL FAMILY FARMS MAKE AMERICAN-GROWN ROASTED COFFEE THE WORLD’S BEST BREWBig Guns Coffee’s most popular products are its Charli’s Blend, a bold dark roast, and The Motivator, a medium roast.BOY SWEETLY PRETENDS TO SERVE COFFEE TO HIS OLDER SISTERSAmerican-grown coffee is not common in areas outside California, Hawaii, Florida and Puerto Rico, according to T. Shane Johnson.
Hot Business News Today
Fruit tree gifting company has humble roots: 'Grit of the American Dream'
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
Prior to launching PlantOGram – an American-made fruit tree gifting company – nearly two decades ago, gardening was solely a backyard hobby for husband-and-wife duo Mickey and Vicky Popat.The newlyweds at the time had purchased their first home, and developed a passion for growing fruit trees in their garden, according to Mickey Popat.”Being able to walk into your own yard and pick something and say, ‘I grew this, and I ate it’ – I think that’s amazing,” Vicky Popat told FOX Business.AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS YOU CAN SHOP FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON FOR LOVED ONESThe Popats, upon sharing their harvest with friends and family, realized fruit tree gifting could be a successful business model. They quit their jobs in finance and education to pursue their passion full-time.In 2007, the couple used their savings to launch PlantOGram. They purchased a used, $1,500 work van and began selling fruit trees door-to-door across the Sunshine State.SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHOWCASE AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS”I want to say the entire state of Florida has probably seen us [door-knocking],” Vicky Popat said. “I feel that is the grit of the American dream… When we first started, we actually budgeted a $5 bill for lunch because we were so lean.”Based out
Hot Business News Today
Business owner facing steep tariffs tests whether people will pay for 'Made in USA'
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
An entrepreneur facing skyrocketing costs due to tariffs conducted an experiment to see whether customers would voluntarily pay more for a product made in America.”The result was, unfortunately, disappointing,” Ramon van Meer told Fox News Digital. “We sold zero ‘Made in the USA’ shower heads.”Van Meer, a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” is the founder of Afina, which sells a shower head that filters chemicals and heavy metals out of tap water. The shower head, manufactured in China and Vietnam, currently sells for $129.But van Meer said as the cost of tariffs jumped to 170%, he wanted to test whether the company could successfully reshore manufacturing to the U.S.US ECONOMY SLOWS SHARPLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER AS TRUMP’S TARIFFS WEIGH HEAVILYHe found a U.S.-based company that could produce the shower heads — but at nearly triple the cost. To maintain Afina’s current profit margins, he listed the U.S. version side-by-side with the original with a brief explanation of the price difference, and gave customers the choice.”I wanted to really test what [customers will] do if it comes down to it. How would they vote with their wallets?” he said, adding that he anticipated customers would gravitate toward the cheaper option, but not
Hot Business News Today
Walmart supports small businesses, American-made products through new 'Grow With US' initiative
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
Walmart is showing increased support for American-made products through its “Grow With US” initiative, a new program aimed at providing U.S. small business owners with the training, mentorship and resources they need to succeed.”Walmart is making it easier for U.S.-based entrepreneurs to navigate the complexities of retail and bring their products to a national stage,” the world’s largest retailer said in an announcement.WALMART LEANING INTO TARIFF UNCERTAINTY: ‘POSITIONED TO PLAY OFFENSE’Grow With US consists of a four-step program that offers American small business owners access to financial assistance, e-learning modules with several different learning paths, opportunities to showcase their products and the ability to connect with an experienced mentor. The initiative is part of the company’s “expanding commitment to small business development,” according to the announcement.Grow With Us aligns with similar Walmart programs around the world, including Vriddhi in India and Crece con Walmart in Mexico.WALMART, TARGET CEOS DISCUSS ‘PATH FORWARD’ WITH TRUMP AS TARIFF CONCERNS WEIGH ON CONSUMERSIn fiscal year 2024, more than two-thirds of Walmart’s total product spend was on items grown, made or assembled in America. Small businesses, which account for more than 60% of Walmart’s U.S. suppliers, play a “powerful role in bringing unique products to
Hot Business News Today
1-800-Flowers to deliver millions of roses, tulips and more for Mother's Day: 'Highly complex' process
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
Mother’s Day is one of the busiest holidays of the year for 1-800-Flowers.com. The company, headquartered in New York, expects to deliver 17.8 million stems for the occasion, including 6.9 million roses and 2.8 million tulips.”Delivering so many flowers in such a tight timeframe, as with the Mother’s Day holiday, is a highly complex operational process,” Jim McCann, the founder of 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., told FOX Business. “But we have conducted nearly 50 Mother’s Day campaigns, and we know this holiday very well.”THE BEST ONLINE FLOWER DELIVERY SERVICESPlanning for Mother’s Day, which this year falls on May 11, begins a year in advance for the retailer. To ensure deliveries go smoothly, 1-800-Flowers.com has been analyzing and reviewing every aspect of the business – from the product design to the supply chain, according to McCann.The business has 125 retail locations in 23 states around the country. It also works with around 5,000 local florists across the U.S., giving shoppers the opportunity to buy locally from a “trusted florist,” McCann said. “A consumer can trust that we have vetted and found the best florist in their communities,” McCann said.After a customer places an order on the 1-800-Flowers.com website, the business sources to one of the
Hot Business News Today
Patriotic clothing line honors the American flag: 'Grounded in gratitude'
by Successful IBO • • 0 Comments
RiserUnited, a newly founded online clothing company based out of Dallas, gives shoppers the opportunity to “wear their values” by selling patriotic apparel that honors the American flag.”We believe that when you rise for the flag, and you understand what the flag represents, it gives you a sense of gratitude,” Alina Rubinshteyn, vice president of sales and brand engagement at RiserUnited, told FOX Business. “It’ll help unite us.”AMERICAN GIANT CELEBRATES CLOTHING MADE IN THE USAThe online retail business – which launched on Flag Day in June 2024 and has eight employees – sells a range of men’s and women’s clothing, including shirts, hoodies and fleeces. It also sells household items like blankets and mugs that embody the company’s “spirit of liberty and freedom,” according to the RiserUnited website.RiserUnited’s logo, featured on many of its clothing items, resembles both a flag and the hand-over-the-heart gesture used during the Pledge of Allegiance. However, many of the company’s products are “quietly patriotic,” Rubinshteyn said.AMERICAN-MADE, VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS BUILT ON ‘PATRIOTISM’”We don’t scream with large images of eagles and flags,” she said. “We want it to be a [clothing] line that people can dress up, dress down … yet be grounded in gratitude when they