Are These Top Brands Still Made in the USA?

Founded: 1903 
Manufactured in: Wisconsin

Harley-Davison is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world, and its brand has a super-loyal following in part because it manufactures in America. It also has its own string of museum and owner clubs across the country. Harley has its own unique customization style, which caused the boom in popularity of the chopper motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson © BrianPIrwin / Shutterstock.com

The trademark heavyweight bike style of Harley has been around for 116 years. Though made in America, the company also does international business in Brazil and Thailand. Revenues are around $5.65 billion, with approximately 241,498 units sold each year and 5,800 employees.

While the brand itself might remain quintessentially American, the business had to expand into other territories to remain afloat. When it comes to adventure, Harley-Davidson isn’t afraid to take to the open road to see where it will end up – as long as there are increased profits waiting for it on the other side.

Founded: 1963 
Manufactured in: Indiana

Based in Winamac, Indiana, the Braun Corporation (or BraunAbility) is owned by capital group Investor AB. The Braun Corporation was founded in 1963 by a man named Ralph Braun, who, at the time, had spinal atrophy. He designed his own wheelchair and lift system.

Braun Razor @douira100 / Twitter.com

Braun’s early prototype had steering controls, and he was able to drive a Dodge van. He converted vans for wheelchair use and began selling those vans to others. He used proceeds from these sales to acquire the Independent Mobility Systems Company. Currently, sales for Braun are at $200 million per year. So, is Braun still American, or not?

While the roots of the company are firmly lodged in Uncle Sam’s soil, Investor AB is a Swedish company. The enterprise acquired BraunAbility back in 2015 for around $415 million, much to the surprise of long-term fans. Luckily for consumers, not much has changed since then.

Founded: 1903
Manufactured in: United States, Canada, Mexico

It doesn’t get more American than the classic and iconic, Ford. The brand was founded by Henry Ford in 1903, who was dedicated to improving the production process and as a result, revolutionized the American industry. We can thank him for the moving assembly line which significantly cut down costs and production time. 

Ford @Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock

Today, Ford cars are built in many plants around the world. The company is very transparent about which car models are built and where. So, if you have a preference for a vehicle produced in a certain location, you can do a quick check on Ford’s website. 

The expansion of Ford’s manufacturing locations was a natural one as it was required in order to keep up with increasing demand. There’s no doubt that the company is American through and through, even if the cars aren’t always made in the great U.S. of A.

Founded: 1912 
Manufactured in: Maine

Founded in Maine in 1921 by Leon Leonwood Bean, L.L. Bean specializes in outdoor clothing and recreation equipment. It has its main campus in Freeport to this day. It has fifty-five stores across the country, and it also maintains a sizable e-commerce business with revenues of around $1.6 billion.

©Dima Anikin/stock.adobe.com

There are 5,100 employees, and the 107-year-old company’s first boot sold were Maine Hunting Shoes. These duck boots were manufactured in Leon Bean’s brother’s basement until sales expanded enough that he could afford a small factory. The boot became known as the Bean Boot, though it’s still called the Maine Hunting Shoe occasionally.

Unlike some other fashion retailers that started out in America only to move operations overseas, L.L.Bean prides itself on being made at home. In 2018 alone the two manufacturing locations in Brunswick and Lewiston produced over 600,000 pairs of boots.

Founded: 1906 
Manufactured in: Massachusetts

New Balance Athletics is a privately-held company that specializes in arch support footwear. It was founded in 1906, and it still has its business in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the official parent company of Warrior Sports and PF Flyers. New Balance has a revenue of $4.5 billion per year, and it has nearly 5,500 employees across the world.

New Balance Shoes © Mikkel H. Petersen / Shutterstock.com

New Balance, in addition to making its famously-supportive shoes, also manufactures apparel. Its original name was New Balance Arch Support Company. In addition to its American-made business, it has factories in the UK for the European market. In the UK, the 990 is its most popular model. 

So, while the company has indeed expanded into other territories, New Balance has never forsaken its American roots and tries to keep business at home as much as possible. The products are sold in numerous different stores as well as online at retailers like Amazon.

Founded: 1996
Manufactured in: China, Jordan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and more

Under Armour is a giant in the sports apparel and equipment industry. Compared to the other companies on this list, however, it is a relatively new brand. It was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1996. Perhaps the reason they have been able to scale so quickly is due to almost all of their products being made by third-party manufacturers. 

Under Armour @August_0802 / Shutterstock

90% of Under Armour’s business is accounted for by outside suppliers in countries such as China, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and many more. They have received backlash multiple times from the public, slamming them for presenting themselves as an all-American company whilst manufacturing exclusively overseas. 

That being said, some consumers chose not to shop with the brand at all, instead looking for other genuine American brands. Overall, the revelation didn’t impact Under Armour’s sales as much as you might think, considering it’s still a very lucrative business with a net income of $92.14 million in 2019.

Founded: 1945 
Manufactured in: California

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps has one of the more interesting origin stories on this list. Created by Emanuel Heilbronner after he escaped from a mental institution in the 1940s, the soaps are organic and created using only sustainable methods and fair trade policies from Eastern Asia and Africa.

Dr. Bronner’s Soap @ DrBronner / Facebook.com

The company also operates as a philanthropic and activist organization, supporting changes in drug policy, environmental activism, and more. The company’s CEO is David Bronner (son of the original Dr. Bronner), who famously petitions for cannabis reform. 

Despite the age of the company, Dr. Bronner has managed to keep things on American soil over the years. It remains a family business that has proved legacy is very important when it comes to branding. In 2006, an entire documentary on the roots of the business was released, titled Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox.

Founded: 1891 
Manufactured in: Texas

The John B. Stetson Company manufactures the famous Stetson cowboy hats. The Stetson Co. was incorporated back in 1891, and it made hats for men and women. It now has more than 200 employees and made more hats during the 1900s than any other company during that time.

Stetson Hats @DavidArchie / Twitter.com

The Stetson hats, not surprisingly, are made in Texas by Hatco, who has a contract with the company. Hatco is also the maker of Charlie 1 Horse and Resistol hats. The Stetson Company is known for its depiction of cowboy culture and the wild, wild west. Its parent company is Hat Brands.

The Stetson hat is about as American as it gets. Not only do the hats sell well to locals, but tourists often shell out a few bucks on buying one as Stetson is so deeply associated with Uncle Sam. This company has managed to corner both ends of the market!

Founded: 1913 
Manufactured in: Ohio

NFL Game Day wouldn’t be the same without the classic Wilson football, which is manufactured in Ohio by the Wilson Sporting Goods Company. Wilson also allows factory tours of its Ohio plant daily for those interested to see where the NFL footballs come from.

Wilson NFL Football © dean bertoncelj / Shutterstock.com

In addition to football-making, Wilson also makes equipment for other sports, including baseball, soccer, golf, volleyball, basketball, and more. It owns the Louisville Slugger Co. It also owns DeMarini, Atec, EvoShield, and Luxilon, all of which also provide protective gear and sports equipment for athletes. Revenues stand for Wilson at about $930 million per year.

Despite Wilson’s impressive history on American soil, the company itself actually stopped being American-owned back in 1989 when it became a subsidiary of Finish company, Amer Sports. The quality of the products hasn’t changed though, and neither has Wilson’s reputation.

Founded: 1853
Manufactured in: China, Japan, Vietnam, Italy, Haiti, and others

Levi Strauss & Co, more commonly known as Levi’s, is seen as one of the most stereotypically American brands. As much as we would like to believe that this seemingly all-American brand makes its products right in our backyard, this is not the case. The iconic blue jeans are actually made in various Asian countries, Latin America, Haiti, and Italy. 

Levi's @NP27 / Shutterstock

The brand was founded in 1853 by a German immigrant by the name of Levi Strauss who moved to San Francisco from Bavaria. Today, the company is still headquartered in San Francisco, though the jeans are not manufactured there. There is, however, one style of jeans that Levi produces in Texas, can you guess which one? 

It might be upsetting for some unsuspecting fans to know that their favorite denim isn’t actually made in America, but that’s the reality of the fashion industry. Many brands outsource the manufacturing of their products overseas in a bid to cut costs.

Founded: 1855 
Manufactured in: Kentucky

Speaking of Louisville Sluggers, the Louisville Slugger Company is actually owned by Hillerich & Bradsby, which is in turn owned by Louisville Slugger. The company is located in Kentucky, and there is also a museum attached to the baseball bat makers. The company has been around since 1855.

Louisville Sluggers @ louisvilleslugger / Facebook.com

The company sold to Wilson in 2015. It also has a history of making military supplies. It provided the wooden stock for rifles for soldiers during WWII. They also made billy clubs for the army. Louisville purchased the lumber company Larimer & Norton in Pennsylvania so that it could make sure it had the proper supplies. 

As we’ve already touched upon, Wilson itself is a subsidiary of Finland’s Amer Sports, which makes Louisville Sluggers no longer American-owned. However, the production of the bats is still firmly located in Kentucky, so not make has changed apart from the legalities.

Founded: 1919
Manufactured in: Ohio, South Carolina, China, and more

Kitchen Aid was founded in 1919 (though Hobart Manufacturing Company originally founded it before it was sold to Whirlpool). Its first products included stand mixers, called the H5 Model. The company had to fight hard to stay afloat as there was a lot of competition at the time.

KitchenAid Professional @ KitchenAid / Facebook.com

It introduced its trademark K Silhouette in the 1930s, which was designed by Egmont Arens. The company outlasted its competition and it then introduced dishwashers into the product line. The first dishwasher was designed by a female designer, Josephine Cochran, who introduced her design at the Chicago Fair in 1893.

These days, the Whirlpool Corporation appliance is a staple in kitchens across America, but is it still made there? The company does have multiple factories across the country, including spots in Ohio, Iowa, and Arkansas. It also has some production outlets further afield in Canada and China, too.

Founded: 1959
Manufactured in: China, Indonesia, and Malaysia

Barbie has been one of the most popular children’s toys in America since it was founded in 1959. The classic doll has never been produced in the United States though, as the first doll was manufactured in Japan during post-World War II struggles. Since then, production has been moved around from various factories throughout East Asia as the labor is cheap. 

Barbie @DinosArt / Shutterstock

It isn’t the only brand of Mattel that is produced overseas as virtually all of their products are made internationally. It seems like this method of production has been quite successful for Mattel, as the brand has sold an estimated 1 billion Barbie dolls since 1959. 

Barbie may look like an all-American girl, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. However, this isn’t really something that Mattel has tried to hide over the years as it’s always been the case. Barbie’s production location has yet to hinder her popularity!

Founded: 1977
Manufactured in: Kentucky

As with all great inventions, the Post-it was invented by accident by a scientist, Dr. Spencer Silver. Silver created a low-tack, reusable adhesive that was a solution without a problem. No one wanted the unusual substance, so he decided to find a use for it by anchoring his bookmark to his hymn book.

Post-it Sticky Notes @Postit / Twitter.com

The adhesive worked, and Silver combined paper and his adhesive to make the post-it note. It was first issued as free samples until demand proved that the company making post-it notes, 3M, could make a profit. There are currently 27 official colors of Post-it notes.

Production of American Post-it notes has taken place at the same factory in Cynthiana, Kentucky since 1985. Interestingly, Scotch tape is also made at the same location, just in case you ever wondered just how far these two products had to come.