tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77692574554829169742024-03-05T11:19:14.174-08:00CelebriDucks - Hatched In The U.S.A.A chronicle of a company's journey to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-37440178254148426982013-04-01T10:12:00.000-07:002013-04-01T10:12:09.644-07:00MADE IN AMERICA PORK CHOPPER ARRIVES!!Our new 100% Made in America Pork Chopper has generated so much excitement
here. People love this little guy. We’re really pround of how amazing he
turned out. He has a great name, a great logo, a fabulous look, and makes just
the coolest gift you could imagine. You can now buy him in the Duck store in
the Made in America section. I hope you enjoy the video below starring our
little friend, and remember…live free, float free!<br />
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<a href="http://www.celebriducks.com/index.php/made-in-america/pork-chopper-video/">http://www.celebriducks.com/index.php/made-in-america/pork-chopper-video/</a>
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Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-40940318531709528292013-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:002013-03-07T12:33:29.490-08:00MADE IN USA CATCHING ON!!Hey, check out this great story below about our friends at Green Toys who are just down the road from us. We're trying to find a way to work together....great people!<br />
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A curious thing is happening among American shoppers. More are checking labels and asking, "Is it 'Made in the USA?' "<br />
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Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, earlier this year announced it will boost sourcing of U.S. products by $50 billion during the next 10 years. General Electric is investing $1 billion through 2014 to revitalize its U.S. appliances business and create more than 1,500 U.S. jobs.<br />
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Mom-and-pops are also engineering entire business strategies devoted to locally-made goods — everything from toys to housewares. It's not simply patriotism and desire for perceived safer products that are altering shopping habits.<br />
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The recession, and still-flat recovery for many Americans, have created a painful realization. All those cheap goods made in China and elsewhere come at a price — lost U.S. manufacturing jobs. A growing pocket of consumers, in fact, are connecting the economic dots between their shopping carts — brimming with foreign-made stuff — and America's future.<br />
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They're calculating the trade-offs of paying more for locally-made goods. "The Great Recession certainly brought that home, and highlighted the fact that so many jobs have been lost," said James Cerruti, senior partner for strategy and research at consulting firm Brandlogic. "People have become aware of that."<br />
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"'Made in the USA' is known for one thing, quality," said Robert von Goeben, co-founder of California-based Green Toys. All of their products from teething toys to blocks are made domestically and shipped to 75 countries.<br />
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"We are reaching a tipping point, where Americans are relearning its competitive advantage," von Goeben said. "It's not about the cheapest product, but the best quality product."<br />
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From offshore production to insourcing<br />
<br />For many consumers, affordability has driven the bulk of purchasing decisions. Businesses in turn have ventured abroad for cheap labor and specific manufacturing skills to keep prices down.<br />
So what's driving big and small businesses to increase sourcing of U.S. products — beyond the obvious good PR?<br />
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In short, a shift in global manufacturing that's in the early stages. A combination of factors including rising labor costs are eroding China's cost advantage as an export platform for North America.<br />
Mexico, meanwhile, is rebounding as a manufacturing base, and wages there will be significantly lower than in China, according to a Boston Consulting Group report. By 2015, BCG forecasts that for many goods destined for North American consumers — manufacturing in some parts of the U.S. will be just as economical as manufacturing in China.<br />
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For years, the main attraction of China outsourcing has been access to low-cost labor. But pile on related business costs such as transportation of goods, duties and industrial real-estate expenses, and the global manufacturing landscape is no longer China-dependent.<br />
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Domestic manufacturing, meanwhile, is on the mend. The pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector picked up to its fastest rate in more than a year and a half in February, as new orders continued to accelerate.<br />
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And imported goods — at least in footwear and apparel — are retreating slightly. While more than 97 percent of apparel and 98 percent of shoes sold in the U.S. are made overseas, U.S. imports in those two categories in 2011 declined for the first time ever since such data has been tracked by the American Apparel & Footwear Association.<br />
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"The cost competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing is on the rise," said Cerruti of Brandlogic.<br />
Of course, plenty of goods are still made abroad. And many Americans are broke, jobless or underemployed four years after the 2008 economic crisis. An unemployment measure that factors in those who have quit looking for jobs, as well as those working part-time for economic reasons, is at 14.4 percent. For many, buying "Made in the USA" is a luxury they can't afford.<br />
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USA love list<br />
<br />Despite many shoppers' thin wallets, there's a growing appetite for domestically-made goods.<br />
Blogger Sarah Wagner has turned her passion for "Made in USA" products into a successful website, USA Love List, devoted to sourcing and showcasing where to buy domestically-made goods. USA Love List is devoted to sourcing and showcasing where to buy domestically-made items, ranging from lip gloss to pet food. She regularly scans the aisles of big retailers such as Costco and Target for American-made goods.<br />
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Site traffic has mushroomed since USA Love List launched in November 2011. "There's clearly a hunger for this sort of information," said Wagner, based in Philadelphia. "Companies have no idea how much Americans want to support American companies. They want to get behind their neighbors and communities to make sure those jobs stay there. It's struck a nerve with a lot of people," she said.<br />
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American-made green products<br />
<br />Among the growing piles of American-made goods, many are made with recycled materials. Turns out it's easier to manufacture green products domestically because sourcing of recycled materials including recycled plastic is particularly plentiful and transparent in the U.S., said Jenna Sellers Miller, president of Architec Housewares, a nine-employee housewares business, based in Delray Beach, Fla.<br />
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Some of Architec's EcoSmart line of products are sourced domestically. The products are available at Target, Macy's and Bed Bath & Beyond. "We're getting appointments with retailers who just want to see our 'Made in the USA' products," Miller said.<br />
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Domestically-sourced recycled materials and a broader commitment to the environment shape Green Toys business strategy as well. With their factory and warehouse 10 miles apart in northern California, they also cut transportation costs and related emissions.<br />
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The 12-employee company also creates a ripple effect of jobs including supporting local drivers, shipping and packaging companies and testing labs. "We could not have started this company anywhere else," von Goeben said. "This is a uniquely American company."<br />
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Later this year, Green Toys will ship its first batch of toys from northern California to China. Said von Goeben, "It's the irony of all ironies."<br />
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Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-3244227489400579912013-02-24T11:01:00.001-08:002013-02-24T11:03:49.133-08:00AND MORE ABOUT THOSE ROBOTS AND JOBS!<div class="aboveUnitContent">
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I just read this article below....personally, I would rather see more humans have jobs....especially in America where people really need them! That's our goal and that's what we're doing here!<br />
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Robots Don't Commit Suicide (and Other Robot Advantages)<br />
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Robots don't eat, drink, demand coffee breaks<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">, or protest working conditions. And they certainly don't commit suicide. <br /> <br /> Following a wave of suicides in China, one at Foxconn where a worker twice attempted to kill himself and succeeded the second time, Foxconn suspended hiring, deciding to use more robots.<br /> <br /> In fact, the recruitment freezes among Foxconn this time is due to its long pronounced plans to install a million robots to replace human workers. In June 2011, Gou announced the company would deploy one million robots across factory assembly lines within three years.<br /> <br /> The move will improve production efficiency and combat rising labor costs, and is also believed to be in response to a spate of suicides and criticism over working conditions at the company.<br /> <br /> Get rid of a million workers, replace them with a million robots, and you get rid of a million complaints about working conditions, as well as unwanted, high-profile, work-related suicides.</span></div>
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Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-59514257112752828882013-01-24T15:54:00.001-08:002013-03-23T09:56:23.513-07:00ROBOTS & OUTSOURCING, OH MY!Ok, so you thought losing jobs to overseas workers was a problem. Apparently that is just the tip of the iceberg! Check out this 60 minute report. Apparently in time we'll loose more US jobs to robots than outsourcing. So the economy will expand and companies will make more money. But don't people need jobs to buy the products!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50138922n">http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50138922n</a>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-91629217589786518592013-01-06T15:01:00.001-08:002013-01-06T17:41:40.914-08:00AMERICAN BUSINESSPERSON RADIO INTERVIEW<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">
Oh man, this is the month we should finish all our Harley-Davidson duckies for the museum and hopefully all the Loons for the State University of New York. Finally production seems to be moving along. Might even move our whole fulfillment operation to New York from Kentucky....we shall see. Anywhoooo.....here's a fun interview I did with Rich Killian on his American Businessperson Show....I don't know why it doesn't seem to open sometimes on my computer here, but if you put it in the search engine via cut and paste it should open up fine....hope you enjoy it!</span><br />
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<a href="mhtml:{6E791228-B127-43E9-8FCB-905502122A46}mid://00011866/!x-usc:http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/66341/denise-linn-author-of-18-best-selling-books-and-craig-wolfe-bringing-jobs-back-to-america">http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/66341/denise-linn-author-of-18-best-selling-books-and-craig-wolfe-bringing-jobs-back-to-america</a></div>
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Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-61548722373008466422012-12-07T12:19:00.002-08:002012-12-07T12:19:31.883-08:00HOPE THE PRESIDENT WILL COME VISIT US!<span class="userContent"><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_50c23371276044666427677">
Ok, I read this today and thought I would repost it...now just have to get the President to New York to our factory!!<br /> <br /> President Obama and White House Staff converged at The Rodon Group’s facility last Friday to show support for American ma<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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nufacturing companies, the jobs they create, and the working middle class. The President’s backdrop was filled with K’nex building toys, including an American flag made of 49,000 K’nex pieces.<br /> <br /> “I want to reward manufacturers like this one and small businesses that create jobs here in the United States, not overseas,” said President Obama. “And, by the way, this is a company—one of the few companies in the toy industry—that have aggressively moved jobs back here. That’s a great story to tell because we’ve got the best workers in the world and the most productive workers in the world, so we need champions for American industry creating jobs here in the United States.”<br /> The Rodon Group/K’nex Brands was chosen to host this event. “We’re incredibly proud,” said company CEO Michael Araten. “I think it means the President and his team recognize that manufacturing in the United States is important. That focusing on manufacturing and keeping confidence high, which is what the fiscal cliff is all about, is important. If you can do it with toys, you can do it with anything.”</div>
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</span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-15501738772809728912012-11-09T13:31:00.001-08:002012-11-09T13:31:20.512-08:00AMERICAN MANUFACTURING - NOT WHAT YOU THINK!<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is an interesting MSNBC video. What they are not mentioning of course is that manufacturing for small products
that require intricate molds and painting have left the USA. Small toys, dolls,
all rubber ducks, etc. are totally gone. Hey, even radio flyer is now making
this classic in China. So it's only certain industries that can still survive,
while others like ours have been decimated. And now, being the only rubber duck
company in America, I can tell you no-one else will be doing them here, but
us....too expensive plus no labor skills left to make these kinds of products.
But I am glad to see the big stuff made here is doing well. </span><br />
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Made in USA: American manufacturers say business is booming</div>
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Video on msnbc.com: American manufacturers say that the idea that American manufacturing is dead is a myth. In fact, U.S. manufacturers </div>
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</span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-61255957870890703622012-11-06T14:29:00.000-08:002012-11-06T14:33:12.548-08:00FFA LEADS CHARGE BACK TO AMERICAN DUCKS!!<div class="userContentWrapper aboveUnitContent">
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<span class="userContent">When we returned the rubber duck industry to the US where it began, our first ducks were for the FFA. Check out this video on Fox in New York. Great press and a great story about it all. I so appreciated their support. What a wonderful organization!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/FFA-selling-American-Made-Rubber-Ducks-177187841.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/FFA-selling-American-Made-Rubber-Ducks-177187841.html</a></span></div>
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Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-29890331523780361022012-10-31T11:43:00.002-07:002012-10-31T11:43:55.635-07:00HALLOWEEN WAS TRULY SCARY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having our factories right in the heart of New York was very scary, but fortunately they are all OK which was great news to hear!! It's clearly a different kind of Halloween for a good chunk of the USA. So it was nice to get this picture from a good friend and customer who decided to come to work dressed as the Buddha Duck today! A little levity was much appreciated. The storms have set us back a bit in terms of getting all the SAM, Harley-Davidson, Loons, and the rest of the FFA duckies out, but by next week we should be just fine. My prayers go out to everyone back East, especially Jersey, where I am from. Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-12803193713292861532012-10-19T15:57:00.001-07:002012-10-19T15:57:28.847-07:00HELP IS ON THE WAY FOR BIG BIRD!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="userContent">After Mitt Romney's comments on Big Bird, I wrote President Obama to inform him that our new factory used to make the original Sesame Street Ernie duckies until production was moved to another country where quality control issues killed the product. But I know the President would love that we are protecting the previous home of the Sesame Street duckies by making rubber ducks back in the USA once again! Big Bird will live on!!!</span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-13043300004881247212012-09-28T15:13:00.001-07:002012-09-28T15:13:34.479-07:00ALWAYS A DUCK ON MY HEAD!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglslYDzS4Bs_5tBPzXVp2NSJXagBcvs8jIdpDzviCuVCTxxVjKSRyQSjhk2goUkXOC9G0h4weVqsKa9QB_3P0jHsRJzq7eoLfmZ9xdXnX6NcBPqleZywX_ZwlwUO0wtc7jbheyBSLr_Z8/s1600/dog+and+duck+in+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglslYDzS4Bs_5tBPzXVp2NSJXagBcvs8jIdpDzviCuVCTxxVjKSRyQSjhk2goUkXOC9G0h4weVqsKa9QB_3P0jHsRJzq7eoLfmZ9xdXnX6NcBPqleZywX_ZwlwUO0wtc7jbheyBSLr_Z8/s320/dog+and+duck+in+picture.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">So we sent off all our little gift boxes from Ohio to New York. We found that we had to fix literally every one to make it easier for assemblers to pack the ducks. What a project! Always something, eh?...like a duck sitting on my head all the time! There are so many details in what we are doing that it's mind boggling. I go to bed and wake up with ducks on the brain. We are inching our way toward full production. As they say in Buddhist Dharma..."drip by drip, the cup gets filled."</span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-31685670224502936052012-09-14T15:25:00.001-07:002012-09-14T15:25:55.725-07:00MOVE OVER ERNIE - NY HERE WE COME!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, the big news! We moved everything to our new factory. This will surprise folks as now we are doing our final production in New York!! Who knew! It's the same factory that used to produce Ernie's rubber duck. We still do all our pre-production in Ohio and then final production in the Bronx with final pad printing at our other facility in Brooklyn. They say everything comes full circle. Well, being from Jersey, I guess this is pretty close! Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-15611476738220259692012-09-04T15:55:00.002-07:002012-09-04T15:55:56.123-07:00INVITATION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA TO VISIT OUR USA FACTORY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="userContent">Well, since Governor Romney appreciated our Hatched in the USA SAM duck we gave him, I thought it only appropriate to make a video to invite President Obama to visit our factory in the USA. I hope he enjoys it! Youtube link below: <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTKA1HZqyo&feature=em-share_video_user" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTKA1HZqyo&feature=em-share_video_user</a></span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-88616449645800473302012-08-21T18:40:00.001-07:002012-08-21T18:40:25.668-07:00MITT ROMNEY GETS HATCHED IN USA DUCKIE!Last week we were finally able to present our Hatched in the USA CelebriDuck to Mitt Romney which was pretty cool. He very much appreciated that it was Made in America. Now we just have to get one to President Obama! He is in our line after all. Also, this really cool website contacted us last week. They are all about promoting things Made in America. Check them out. We're now listed on there too! <a href="http://www.americanmadeeverything.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">www.americanmadeeverything.com</a>. <br />
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So really hoping this week to find out if we can move forward with our new factory on the East Coast. And while we're working on that, we're in the midst of coming up with new packaging solutions to hold our USA duckies in the box since the glue dots and glue tape did not work and the shrink wrap failed it's first tests...now on to....yes high tech....pipe cleaners!!! Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-29268159263588191172012-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:002012-08-02T17:37:00.100-07:00The National Mail Order Association is having a contest for the best products made in America and we are in there! If you want to vote for us, please visit their website and register to vote for # 201208010141. They are at <a href="http://www.hotproductcontest.com/">www.hotproductcontest.com</a>. More news on our new factory coming soon!!!!Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-44645893339434248752012-07-26T14:31:00.000-07:002012-07-26T14:31:27.860-07:00Harley-Davidson Rubber Duck 100% Made in USA!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRhfqgZqI3Nd6YYgFwYHCnpo7PtAZao1y5iWt5Pmi2ZFMgYVFNE-QWjDw-KqVnQdjJaNzpoBCg42oOtzXYhWXfeQbFAP8Po_e7BIImsIliyq1RQ82VnfSS1jpqi5ui4KBrQr5KMomN3Q/s1600/harley+duck+in+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRhfqgZqI3Nd6YYgFwYHCnpo7PtAZao1y5iWt5Pmi2ZFMgYVFNE-QWjDw-KqVnQdjJaNzpoBCg42oOtzXYhWXfeQbFAP8Po_e7BIImsIliyq1RQ82VnfSS1jpqi5ui4KBrQr5KMomN3Q/s320/harley+duck+in+box.JPG" width="252" /></a></div>
I've been wanting to let people know about this for a long time! One of the most iconic brands in America asked us to create a Harley-Davidson
rubber duck. He comes in a gorgeous gift box showcasing their graphics and the
tag line, “Float to Live, Live to Float!” They also wanted to know if we could
make it 100% in the USA which we did!!! Thanks to Harley’s tremendous patience
and support, we created this awesome collectible for The Harley-Davidson
Museum. You can actually buy one by calling the museum directly at 414-287-2770
or writing to them at: <a href="mailto:theshop@hd-museum.com">theshop@hd-museum.com</a>. Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-91625448779804093552012-07-18T15:06:00.000-07:002012-07-21T09:30:55.747-07:00Hey, I know it has been a while since I wrote. The drama just keeps hitting new levels that continues to amaze me! I so need to get those loons finished and out to SUNY and the rest of the ducks to the FFA. But over the past few weeks, we realized that our current painters and factory had to be changed and now we are moving forward with new folks, but honestly it's still an unknown quantity with them.....so more training! But hey, we did just send off our first box of 12 duckies to our big Fortune 500 Company soon to be named. They look awesome!!!! Ok, it's only 12 out of 2016, but at least we now have a system to keep funneling ducks to them each week. <br />
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Oh and check out pics of our new Devo Duck we are doing for that classic band. Trying to get this little guy done for the Fall tour in Australia. The gift box will also look amazing. I think we quacked that duck good!Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-16970848920339099782012-06-25T20:38:00.003-07:002012-06-25T20:38:54.708-07:00Any Painters Out There??<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hey, everyone, we are very much needing more painters for our Hatched in the USA duckies! One of the hardest things about bringing the industry back to America was finding painters who can do them cost effectively. If you know of any painting outfits who might be interested, please send them my way. Contact info on the <a href="http://www.celebriducks.com/">CelebriDucks</a> website. Any help in sharing this message via Facebook, Twitter, etc. to get the word out would be greatly appreciated!!!</span></div>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-73616970558273933482012-06-03T16:42:00.003-07:002012-06-03T16:58:08.838-07:00First American Made Rubber Duck Race - Success!<div style="color: #454545; font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Well, it was about as stressful as almost anything I have ever dealt with in my life, but the first rubber duck race with ducks made in the USA was a great success!! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am so happy we made that deadline. That loon was not an easy bird to paint! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We'll have some loons for sale on our website, but just a limited number. Of course no time to rest as now is the looming (or looning) deadline for our special project with a major Fortune 500 Company which we will announce very shortly. I know we have so many back orders for SAM, our Hatched in the USA duckie. Please know I am hoping to have them all shipped this June! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-46006955725797772692012-05-17T16:01:00.002-07:002012-05-17T21:39:54.996-07:00Duck Insomnia<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So sorry, I have not written in a while. I actually don't think I have ever been in a more stressful situation in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I lie awake at night in a cold sweat and then drift in and out of sleep. I never in a million years anticipated the production issues we would have here. We are working them out, but having to innovate a whole new way of creating painting spray masks to make it cost effective on the fly. </span>We have gone through over a dozen sets, each time revising them. </div>
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The thing is, next weekend is the first ever duck race in America with ducks actually made in the USA!! Well, they're actually Loons we did for the State University of New York, but you get the idea! Turns out it is one of the most complicated painted birds we have ever done, and our painters have not had a spray mask that works for them. So, today they actually packed up 500 of them and shipped them off to my artist who designs our ducks to work through the weekend painting them!!!! </div>
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You believe this. </div>
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Talk about pressure! </div>
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Plus, we still have to revise all the SAM spray masks as there was a minor issue with them fitting right. Oh, and did I mention that with the deadline coming up for one of our upcoming events with a Fortune 500 Company, the Post Office lost our Express Mail package of our sculpts and now we are having to redo them with their deadline approaching!! </div>
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Well, hopefully sleep is overrated!</div>
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...and so it goes....</div>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-39128390693367277582012-04-25T18:31:00.002-07:002012-04-25T18:31:50.772-07:00First USA Ducks Shipped!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ok....history is being made!! The first USA rubber duckies are leaving today!! The very first ones we did are for The Future Farmers of America as they have a major duck race this weekend in upstate New York. These first ducks will be sold there. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You know, I haven't posted for a week or so as it's been almost traumatic with the production issues we have been dealing with....waking up a night in a cold sweat. I never imagined it could be so difficult. But everyone is working overtime to get these first ducks out the door and to our first clients. We have had to redo all the molds, the spray masks, innovate new ways of producing them in the US that even goes beyond what is being done overseas....so stressful...so expensive....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">....and I keep moving on.....so hopeful people can appreciate what it is taking to bring an industry back home....I really trust people will!!....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-21844544822098865602012-04-13T17:49:00.002-07:002012-04-14T16:58:51.866-07:00Home Stretch!!<div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ok, we are on the home stretch!!! We are in production making the duck bodies at our one factory and at the other facility our painters are getting ready to begin final production. I thought that I would share a few sections from Jill, our Painting Supervisor's, letter to give folks a feel for what she and her crew are doing:</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i></i></span></div><h3><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Craig,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></i></h3><h3><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I emailed Bryan this afternoon with our address, and to let him know that the product can be delivered to our facility at any time. We have ample warehouse space set aside for the product. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I did receive the three extra spray mask sets today for Sam and FFA – thank you Chris! This gives us a total of 4 spray mask sets, and that should be a good start. I hope to receive the loon masks as soon as possible. I understand that you need a few of these painted right away, and we will do that as soon as possible.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I understand that the gift boxes will be here on Monday. Do you know when Mr. Box is planning on delivering the corrugated? Again, we will keep all boxes and corrugated in a separate section set aside solely for Celebriducks. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We have not actually begun painting as of yet. When we do, I will send photos and samples. Right now, we are still getting everything together with our machinery and air compressors. This is a very complex process, to ensure that we have the correct fittings, filters, regulators, etc. I have all of the paint here, and the necessary equipment. We are anticipating that everything will be completed by the end of the week, so that we can actually begin painting at that time. We are doing everything possible to get the necessary parts and equipment up and running as quickly as possible. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In summary, we are </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">very</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> close to the actual painting phase of the project. Once that begins, I will send photos and samples for your approval. I am hoping to have something for you by Friday or Monday, at the latest. I also need to consider the transit time involved, to ensure that we meet our 4/27 deadline. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></i></h3><h3><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thank You!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></i></h3><h3><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; letter-spacing: 0px;">Jill</span></span></i></h3><i> </i>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-4566333998198288532012-04-03T19:06:00.000-07:002012-04-03T19:06:31.495-07:00Production Has Begun!!<div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ok, so we are actually in production! Can you believe it?? </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Well, at least with the ducky bodies. Our mold revisions are still a work in progress, but at least we have one mold of SAM and one mold of Loon working till we can fix the rack of fives. </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So slowly we crank them out each day, but hey, they are at least coming out of those molds and we even started sending some to the painters!! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now the next biggest test. The painters have our spray masks that Chris created and we are all so hoping that there will be no production issues with them and that we will actually have painted SAM duckies momentarily. </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Chris had to do some major revisions on the masks as they are quite complicated, but as I always say....getting there! </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> It's a big week for us!!</span></div>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-49300257110088107912012-04-02T17:55:00.000-07:002012-04-02T17:55:28.833-07:00Hi everyone,<br />
<br />
A week or two ago, blogtalkradio and I had a little phone conversation about being in the duck business! It was a lot of fun and I thought you might want to take a listen!<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/loveyourpath/2012/03/29/mindful-business-one-duck-at-a-time">Mindful Business: One Duck At A Time</a>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7769257455482916974.post-75473224200000716792012-03-21T16:52:00.000-07:002012-03-21T16:52:49.397-07:00The Duckie Badger Doesn't Give A Damn!<div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, that being said, we are definitely getting a lot stronger!! As I believe I mentioned, all of our initial molds did not work so can you believe we have to redo them with these deadlines looming for these first <b>Hatched in the USA </b>events!! </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Time and money....man, I see why other companies are so reluctant to endure this transfer from overseas manufacturing to USA manufacturing. Too much R&D, too much time, too much money</span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>....but the duckie badger doesn't give a damn...</i></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">we are going to make this work!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hats off to American ingenuity though, as our factories, artisans, and mold makers have figured out a way to make a better mold...even better than what they use overseas! Not only that, Chris, our art director, came up with a way of designing and creating spray masks by hand that work as well or better than what is traditionally made overseas. </span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 13.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Who says we have lost our power to innovate in this country. We are still so great at what we do!!!</span></div>Craig Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728444503652268430noreply@blogger.com0