As we celebrate the 4th of July holiday (and Made in the USA Day, just two days before on July 2nd), we take the time to celebrate the American spirit and acknowledge American businesses and entrepreneurs. Although many businesses are started in the U.S. every day, few companies retain their dedication to their community, including utilizing American resources and workers.
In this article, you’ll find out how four such businesses have worked to fill a need in communities while remaining committed to both the nation and their local societies.
A business created to increase children’s safety
Robert Lupton’s business idea came from a national need for pool safety.
Troubled by the reported number of child drownings and the lack of pool fences, Robert set out to make pools safer. He founded Life Saver Pool Fence in 1987, a Florida-based company that has since become the number one pool fence company in the country.
With multiple dealers across the nation, they provide thousands of jobs to local communities, and Life Saver Pool Fence is the only pool fence company recognized by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safety Campaign as a safety leader. In addition to this extremely high honor, Life Saver is also a partner of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
Dedicated to keeping families safe and using only the strongest and most durable materials, all of the company’s fences are made in the U.S. Life Saver Pool Fence is now run by Robert’s son Eric, and continues to strive to do even more for the nation, including donating a fence for a family of a drowning or near-drowning victim every time another fence is bought. Eric also owns and manages the largest Facebook page dedicated to child drowning prevention, Pool Safety for Children, which has over 15,000 active followers.
A business created to fill a personal need
Another American entrepreneur, Rebecca Michaels was searching for a functional yet fun headband, but couldn’t find one to suit her needs. She decided to design her own and founded her company Violet Love Headbands to create unique and useful headbands for kids, teens, and adults. Each headband is absorbent, washable, and made with a unique “No Headache-No Slip” feature, making them great for work, play, travel, and everything in between.
Rebecca combined her passions for both fashion design and the environment (she has a degree in environmental engineering from Penn State University) to create a fashionable product and a company dedicated to eco-friendly practices. From their energy-efficient printing process, to the environmentally-friendly materials and inks, and the recycling of materials, Violet Love has a commitment to doing their part to protect the environment. Plus, all of the headbands are made locally in Los Angeles.
A business created to eliminate a daily annoyance
Jacqui Rosshandler is a fresh breath expert, proved by her innovative invention of Eatwhatever, a duel mint and gel cap breath freshener. But Jacqui found it wasn’t just humans who sometimes need a fresh breath boost; after being kissed by a lovable but stinky-breathed pooch, she realized dogs often had cases of bad breath as well. Using her original gel cap formula, she created a breath capsule for dogs called Woofmints.
All-natural, the unique gel capsules are filled with parsley, peppermint oils, and other gluten-free and vegan ingredients. Because just cleaning teeth isn’t enough, the revolutionary capsules dissolve inside dogs’ stomachs, providing long-term fresh breath from within.
The capsules are proudly made in the U.S., and are easy to feed to dogs in their food or in a treat. Jacqui’s company is dedicated to improving the sociability of humans and pets through healthy, natural, and effective products.
A business created to solve a family problem
Bryan Nooner was concerned about his family’s outdoor outlets and plugs. Apprehensive about the outdoor light cords getting wet, Bryan tried to find a cover for them, but couldn’t find anything that could sustain rough weather.
He tried making a makeshift cover, which eventually led to his idea of the Twist and Seal. Available in a variety of sizes, the durable and patented design provides protection from the elements, including rain and snow. The Twist and Seal Mini can even be used indoors for Christmas lights, keeping the plugs safe and preventing electrical shock. His functional idea has swept the nation, and now Twist and Seal is available at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and other hardware stores nationwide.
Because Bryan feels it is important to keep the manufacturing, as well as the employees, within the U.S., all the Twist and Seal products are made entirely within the nation. While he notes that many people have recommended he move production overseas to save on costs, he feels a sense of “pride in the fact that we can be a small part of providing some of those opportunities for the American worker.” He enjoys being able to walk the production line in Michigan to personally shake the hands of the employees and thank them.
These four American entrepreneurs have created companies dedicated to filling needs in the community, while also looking within to fill their own employee and manufacturing needs.
Their dedication to the nation is admirable, and something to acknowledge on this American holiday.
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