EvolvedThreads has been attending the American Field Pop Up Fair since its first major expo in Brooklyn in 2014. Originally limited to Boston and New York, it has grown to now include six separate fairs all over the country. The New York event is situated in the heart of Brooklyn in a big, open convention style space. Each brand has the creative freedom to showcase and sell their products at small individual booths. It’s fun to see what people do with the space, some clearly more polished than others.
American Field Location in Greenpoint Brooklyn
The fair brings American and local manufacturers together, making what is traditionally a boutique market discoverable and accessible in a very tangible way. Many of the companies are people we’ve seen year after year and it’s as much fun to catch up about their holiday plans as it is to see them update their products.
The American Field showroom has always been conducive to conversations, with small tabletop displays and an open floor plan. It lends itself to touch and smell, something that is becoming rarer every day. With all of the great things about the digital revolution, one of the lost arts is the freestanding display; the chance to “try things on”. I suspect that when the online market truly matures, there will still be a place for storefronts for exactly that reason.
One of our first experiences at American Field this year was a chat with Babe of Brooklyn’s owner Will Allen. He’s a blue collar worker for the city of New York who started making men’s grooming supplies as a side venture. Experimenting with scents in his own home, he created a line of fully organic, handmade, and all natural pomades for his beard and skin. Made out of some incredible smelling ingredients, they are designed to nurture, nourish, and rejuvenate your face and beard, and beyond that, they just feel nice.
Much of his traditional business is conducted online. Like most of the dealers we talk to, he uses a website as the main direct sales channel and has his products placed selectively in different local boutiques around New York City. And while the experience of shopping on a website for face creams and beard oil might be efficient, it’s the feel and the smell of his balms, soaps, and even t-shirts that are make them most memorable.
Which brings up an interesting question in and of itself. How do these small businesses justify the costs of these mini showrooms? Because despite the fact that I left remembering the experience, Will Allen has no idea if or when I will ever buy his products. There is a hidden value to those face to face moments that is almost impossible to measure directly. At the same time they remain critically important to these brands and their future. American Field not only gives brands a forum to sell their goods, it lets consumers discover things they never knew existed. The avenues to discovery for American Made goods and services remain few and far between. Most of these businesses are smaller artisan manufacturers who have limited resources for marketing and are somewhat confined to their local markets.
And while there is a tangible value to getting one’s name out, for brands with limited resources, it is all predicated on selling their products. But direct sales at these pop-up fairs can be tough.
Walking around American Field is full of unexpected discoveries. You start to see things you never really knew existed. Which is both eye opening and also lends itself almost exclusively to consideration. Because even with all of the cool products, the nature of a pop up is inherently impulsive.
The trouble is that American made products still command a price premium and in many cases the price points make things more than just a simple grab. Even with discounted prices, it’s tough to move people from “wanting” to “needing” as they shop for a new pair of jeans. The value is there, the products are fantastic, the companies are passionate and engaged, and the atmosphere is energetic, but it still feels difficult to make snap decisions.
Belmont Blanket Display Booth at American Field
American Field, for all that it is, is not a sample sale. While the products and brands remain inspiring, the prices are moderate bargains. Which is totally understandable as you talk to booth owners who, like Belmont Blanket’s Kerry Cotter have traveled 2800 miles with their inventory in hand. The costs associated with getting there, let alone producing make it difficult for owners to weigh the benefits of making deep cuts to their margins.
One of the biggest challenges for American made manufacturers has always been cost. Primarily the cost of goods sold. Everything about producing domestically is a hurdle, from finding the right factories to the right materials to the right prices, but, the ability to overcome many of these obstacles is exactly what makes these companies great. They accept lower margins every day in order to keep their business domestic, often out of a moral imperative to do right by their communities.
We had a great conversation with Treason Toting Company’s Jason Bass about the challenges of running a business centered on U.S. manufacturing. The company was founded in 2013 in Baltimore, making bags that are timeless and durable and designed to be used. We talked through everything from design to production. He and his partner, Aaron Jones, have already taken the first steps toward getting their business from startup to established enterprise, but they struggle with the
logistics of producing here in the United States. There are a number of challenges they face, from cost, to production facilities, to employee satisfaction. But they hold fast to the dream that there is a way to make it work. Which is one of the most endearing things about these small business owners: their neverending determination and grit.
The American manufacturing industry has been on the decline for the last 35 years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry peaked in 1979 and is down 28% in the period from 2001 to 2015. Much of this is due to rising labor and production costs which make it nearly impossible to compete with places like China.
Large companies have been formally “outsourcing” since 1989 to continue to scale efficiently. And while capitalism is an incredible mechanism for economic growth, it is, at its core, also about survival of the fittest. The result of healthy competition has been a race to the bottom with regard to pricing.
Tight production margins affect all companies regardless of size, but for small businesses, the effects are the most significant, because they are the least able to take advantage of economies of scale. Sometimes, and maybe all too often, that race to the bottom goes from determination to cutting corners to keep up with demand at scale. Yet one of the positive by-products of the massive outsource of goods and services has also been an undercurrent of successful artisan workers.
Walking through American Field tells a story of revival but also of survival. There is a healthy mix of medium to large companies alongside mom and pops that have found a way to make things work in this tough environment. This year’s show seemed a bit smaller than years past; it was, in many ways, a bit of a reset after a change of venues in 2016 moved the fair from downtown Brooklyn, up to Greenpoint. And although it may have slowed slightly year over year, American Field remains a promising event. One that we’ll be excited to be a part of again next year as we continue to explore these incredible brands and their stories and work to promote the hard work and determination that continues to inspire us on the quest for responsibly produced goods and services.
Visit the American Field Official Site
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