For parents who want to find toys made in the United States, the search can be challenging, believes Patrick Magnusson, co-founder of a new online retail venture,
HomeGrown Kid.
"We have a young daughter, and we became aware of how difficult it could be to find toys and other products made here," he says. "Many were made in countries where the safety standards aren't as rigorous as those of the United States, and that was a concern for us."
He started the venture with his wife, Nousha, and her brother, with the trio bringing on family friend Bobbi Bohnsack to handle marketing. In addition to offering American-made goods, many of the products on the website are eco-friendly as well. For example, a dump truck from
Green Toys, a manufacturer in California, is made from recycled plastic milk containers and is BPA-free. Even the packaging for shipping is constructed of recycled materials.
Beyond safety issues, Magnusson and his co-founders have a larger goal of increasing access to American-made products. He says, "We feel that consumers can positively influence the economy by buying products made here. It moves us toward a better future."
The site launched in June, and is finding initial traction through word of mouth, he notes. They plan to do a larger marketing push soon, and by next year, hope to have a steady base of sales and predictable growth. Magnusson says that the step after that will be to expand into other areas, like product development.
"At the end of the day, we're seeing that the 'Made in the USA' options aren't that numerous, but that's one of the main reasons we started this, to begin the process of doing something about that," he notes.