QotD: Think Global, Buy Local

Do you buy products made locally?  Is there anything made in your area that you love?

Immediately, when I saw this qotd, I thought of food.  There's a few manufacturers here that are alright, but we've all got those right?  There are a few companies here worth mentioning..

Instead, here's a local furniture manufacturer who's brand is known worldwide and mentioned very often on Antique Roadshow: Stickley Furniture.  There was also a company here that was famous for it's wares, Syracuse China, which was bought out by Libbey. There's also the Muench-Kreuzer Candle Company, which doesn't seem to have a link I can easily find. 

A long time ago, my mom got a job at that candle company as an assistant to one of it's owners.  She was really good at math and I think she wanted to get into accounting.  Just like any other company at the time, instead of seeing a woman capable of doing important tasks, they stuck her with the more boring and tedious work.  One day, The boss approached her and said "since you're done here, why don't you go down to the mail room and lick some envelopes.  Instead of going along with her boss, my mom, barely out of her teens said "What? Lick envelopes?  I don't think so, you can lick my ass!" and quit. It's one of my favorite Mom quotes.