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Chamber Unveils First Group of Products to be Certified “Brooklyn Made”
August 19, 2014
41 Brooklyn Made Products Awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze Certifications
Applications for 2nd Annual Brooklyn Made Awards Honoring Top Manufacturers Now Available Online
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce today announced the first wave of products that are made in Brooklyn that will carry the “Brooklyn Made” logo. In all, 47 businesses submitted applications for Brooklyn Made certification in the opening weeks of the program. An independent advisory panel reviewed the applications and determine final certification levels. The Chamber also announced that applications are now online for the 2nd Annual ‘Brooklyn Made’ award presentation which will honor the top manufacturers in food and beverage, design, technology and innovation, and MWBE-owned businesses, at its annual meeting. The announcement was made in Carroll Gardens at By Brooklyn, the only store that exclusively sells products made in Brooklyn. Chamber President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura was joined by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Councilman Brad Lander, and EDC Director of Industrial Policy Miquela Craytor for the event.
The Chamber has developed a points-based scale system for certification of specific product lines. The Brooklyn Made certification will result in different levels of “Brooklyn-ness,” from bronze certification, to silver or gold level depending on the level of operations taking place in the borough.
“Brooklyn has become the hot word all across the world: China, Amsterdam, Italy, New Jersey, Queens. You name it everyone is interested in Brooklyn and using the name,” said Chamber President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura. “The Brooklyn Made Certification is meant to celebrate the companies that are actually in Brooklyn, building, manufacturing, creating jobs and paying taxes. These are the companies that are really “Brooklyn,” and we want to tell the whole world about it.”
“The Brooklyn Made program recognizes the responsibility we have to protect our businesses from imposters trying to capitalize on the honest efforts of those who have contributed to Brooklyn’s culture and economy,” said Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Denise Arbesu. “It’s wonderful that Brooklyn has been recognized as such a leader in innovation and creativity. The Brooklyn Made label is a great way for our consumers to identify products that are made here and for all of Brooklyn to be proud of what we are producing.”
“When consumers buy Brooklyn, they know they’re getting more than high-quality goods and services; the appeal of the Brooklyn brand is a value-added bonus, recognizable to savvy shoppers from Manhattan to Malaysia,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “The Made in Brooklyn certification program is a smart way to celebrate this elite status, for businesses to capitalize further on their Brooklyn bona fides and for our borough to generate further economic development. I applaud the vision of Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and its President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura in launching this effort.”
“The extraordinary momentum of the borough’s economy is built on the success of small businesses that produce goods that are deeply rooted in their local communities—companies that exemplify the creativity, hard work and pride that Brooklyn is known for across the world,” said Kyle Kimball, President, NYCEDC “We congratulate the dozens of small businesses who have earned their Brooklyn Made certification and look forward to working with the BCC to ensure Brooklyn companies continue to launch, grow and thrive in the greatest City in the world to do business.”
Of the 47 applications, 25 products were awarded Gold Certification. They are:
American Architectural Windows, Inc.
301 Stagg Street
Product: Aluminum child safety window guards
Boundless Brooklyn
20 Jay Street
Product: Model Kits of Brooklyn Monuments
Bread Love
376 MacDonough Street
Product: Baked Goods
Brooklyn Soda Works
630 Flushing Avenue
Product: Sodas and sparkling juices
Cecil and Merl
150 St. Marks Avenue
Product: Cheesecake
Cool Tech Mechanical Corp
630 Flushing Ave
Product: Food processing equipment
CounterEvolution
43 Hall Street
Product: Furniture from Reclaimed Bowling Lanes
Cracked Candy
110 Livingston Street
Product: All Natural Candy
DerDau Custom Made
1885 McDonald Ave
Product: Shoe Manufacturer
EIR NYC
270 Clinton Ave
Product: Natural, handmade skincare
Femenella Custom
350 President Street
Product: Custom Guitars
Product: French Horn Bellrest
Granola Lab
185 33rd Street
Product: Granola
Hussar Metals
995 Commercial Street
Product: Knives
Jomart Chocolates
2917 Avenue R
Product: Chocolates
Liddabit Sweets
220 36th Street
Product: Candy
Michael’s of Brooklyn
2929 Avenue R
Product: Pasta Sauces
Paper Portrayals
20 Terrace Place
Product: Handmade Paper Flowers and Decorations
People’s Pops
630 Flushing Avenue
Product: Fruit Pops
Raaka Chocolates
62-64 Seabring Street
Product: Vegan Chocolate
Reclaimed Home
945-947 Carroll Street
Product: Furniture from Reclaimed Wood
Sahadi Fine Foods Inc
4215 1st Ave
Product: Packaged Nuts
Product: Seeds Snacks
Spoonable LLC
345 Clinton Ave
Product: Spoonable Confectionary Sauces
Tumbador Chocolates
34 34th Street
Product: Chocolate
15 products were awarded Silver certifications. They are:
Alexandra Ferguson
34 35th Street
Product: Pillows and Travel Accessories
Christophe Pourny Studio
67 34th Street
Product: Organic Furniture Polish and Wax
FortuneKeeper, LLC
442 78th Street
Product: Lucite and Magnet Fashion Accessories
Gauge, Inc.
68 34th Street
Product: Metal home goods
Gillies Coffee Company
150 19th Street
Product: Coffee and Tea
IceStone, LLC
63 Flushing Avenue
Product: Surface Manufacturer
Loren Manufacturing
80 Nassau Avenue
Product: Denim Manufacturer
MakerBot Industries
1 Metrotech
Product: Industrial and Personal 3D Printers
Morris Kitchen
174 Bogart Street
Product: Syrup
Perch Canteen
201 Richards St.
Product: Candles and Soaps
Perch Design, Inc.
201 Richards
Product: Ceramics and Giftware
Salt of the Earth Bakery
630 Flushing Ave
Product: Baked Goods
Style Living Corp dba Celltei
128 Waterbury Street
Product: Pet Travel Products
Urban Green Furniture
140 58th Street
Product: Eco-friendly wood furniture
Wax Rax
48 Prospect Park SW
Product: Aluminium and Steel Vinyl Storage Furniture
One product was awarded Bronze certification. It is:
Sohha Savory Yogurt
128 West 112th Street
Product: Yogurt
The Brooklyn Made program was made possible in large part to a team of NYU Wagner students as part of their capstone program. Their full report is available on the Chamber’s website at www.ibrooklyn.com.
As baseline criteria, only legal businesses headquartered in Brooklyn making one or more physical products will be considered. From there, the points-based system evaluates a range of manufacturing activities, taking into account criteria such as share of total employees located in Brooklyn, location of product assembly, where design and development takes place, and other important factors.
Interested businesses can apply by completing an online application, which can be found online at www.ibrooklyn.com/brooklynmade. An independent advisory board, consisting of Brooklyn-based manufacturing stakeholders, reviews applications on a quarterly basis. There is a $50 one-time fee for non-members, and $25 fee for member businesses.
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce also announced that it will honor manufacturers who make products in the borough in the field of food and beverage, design and technology at its Annual Meeting and Trade Show. Applications are available on our website, www.ibrookly.com. The deadline for submissions is September 15 at 4 p.m.
The “Brooklyn Made” awards will allow us to highlight and celebrate the best of what Brooklyn has to offer,” said Scissura. “Our industrial and manufacturing sectors are booming, reversing decades of declines to create good jobs and drive our economy. The Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting is the perfect opportunity to honor the top makers who are transforming Brooklyn into a modern global city.”
The Chamber plans to honor makers from three sectors: food and beverage, design and technology and innovation. A fourth category is set aside for a maker in one of the three aforementioned categories that is a MWBE-owned business.
An independent jury will decide the winners of each category. Businesses can nominate themselves for awards.
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