Homegrown Talent
Manufacturing is alive and well in our backyard. These local producers not only power the area’s economic engine and stoke civic pride, but also make really cool stuff.
Here’s an experiment: Go to your closet and fetch a piece of clothing, or head into the living room and retrieve a houseware. Read the tag closely enough and you will likely find the phrase “Made in China.” Or, if not China, then Bangladesh or India or Mexico or Taiwan or Vietnam—somewhere other than the United States.
In other words, in the seemingly bottomless sea of items found on store shelves, it’s becoming increasingly rare to find U.S.-made goods. Despite multiple administrations’ attempts to kickstart the country’s manufacturing economy, progress has been slow at best. Overall employment in manufacturing is projected to show little change between now and 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, though about half of all detailed manufacturing industries are expected to experience job growth.
Yet manufacturing is alive and well at home, right in the Philadelphia area. We’re happy to shine a light on five local makers—from small-batch craftspeople to industry titans who do business on the national stage and beyond—who not only give a shot in the arm to the area’s economy but also make some really cool stuff.
Arden + James
Industrial designer Bri Brant creates luxury handbags using natural and locally sourced materials for a product designed to “last forever,” as Brant says. The Arden + James founder has a studio in Greenville, Delaware, just north of Wilmington, and a shop inside Philter Coffee in Kennett Square. Brant offers custom options, so clients can take part in creating a bag they can truly call their own; contact her through her website for specifics. ardenandjames.com
Brandywine Soap Co.
Based in West Chester, Brandywine Soap Co. makes small-batch, all-natural soaps with local plant-based ingredients, such as lavender harvested by regional growers. Besides selling its wares to individual customers, Brandywine Soap Co. has a wholesale division for stores, museums, hotels, special events, and corporations. Founder Leah Troiano wanted her company to give back more than it takes, which is why she devotes at least 1 percent of the company’s time, product, profit, or resources to social good. brandywinesoap.com
Crazy Aaron’s
Anyone with children (or youthful sensibilities) has likely seen Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty and other out-of-this-world creations in local toy stores and specialty shops. Aaron Muderick, Crazy Aaron’s visionary founder, chose to headquarter his company in Norristown, where it manufactures its array of imagination-stoking playthings. Want to get a sneak peek at what’s new and check out some nifty interactive experiences? Pay a visit to The Shop @ Crazy Aaron’s on the bottom floor of a big brick building on Norristown’s Main Street. crazyaarons.com
Dionis Goat Milk Skincare
You can find Dionis’s goat-milk-based body lotions, hand creams, lip balms, and other bath-and-body products in thousands of stores across the country, including Target and Cracker Barrel. Its sprawling footprint aside, the woman-owned company has deep local roots; headquartered in Newtown, Dionis manufactures about 90 percent of its products at a factory in Warrington. dionisgmskincare.com
Malmark Bells Inc.
Since its founding in 1973, Malmark has become a global leader in the manufacture of artisanal English handbells and other specialty musical instruments. Originally based in Doylestown and since rooted in Plumsteadville, Malmark is considered the world’s largest handbell producer, as well as a chief innovator. Because its handbells are ideal for teaching and performing music, they are incredibly popular in schools, churches, and retirement communities. malmark.com
Photo courtesy of Crazy Aaron’s
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, October 2026
