It is the legions of artisans and craftspeople and entrepreneurs and doers who are re-inventing and reshaping artisanal manufacturing one hand-made product at a time. It is the people who are starting businesses, developing products, honing their skills and offering support and sharing tools and knowledge with each other. The Maker Movement is gaining momentum across the globe, and everyone is looking to Portland to uncover the who, what, why and how of this critical resurgence of artisanal manufacturing. Through the creation of beautiful and thoughtfully produced goods - from food and fashion to housewares and craft brewing - Portland is showcasing the city’s deeply embedded values and playing a lead role in shaping the fast-growing manufacturing renaissance.
As the founder and owner of ADX, I have had the good fortune to be at the helm of an extraordinary experiment in urban life. Portland is at the forefront of a New American Manufacturing Revolution, and ADX has been an important catalyst in shaping the handcrafted goods movement. I am constantly asked-by Portlanders, non-Portlanders, politicians, non-profits, other creatives who want to start similar movements in their own cities - what this creative renaissance looks like. This book is the answer.
*Cartopia: Portland’s Food Cart Revolution documents – through stories and photography – how the perfect storm of Portland’s independent culture, artisan economy, and “foodie” scene created the food cart revolution.
If you are a bookstore interested in stocking Portland Made, or wish to pay with an alternative form of payment, please contact support@crowdsupply.com.
During the campaign we’ll be periodically offering special pledge levels with some of our favorite makers’ creations - so keep checking back! We’ll be announcing them as they are available over email, so please sign up for notifications using the "Remind Me" box under the video on this page.
These offers are exclusive and will only have one pledge available!!
Photo by Aaron Lee Portland Razor Co. Razor + Book + PMC Stickers + Cartopia ($275 - Only one available) This beautifully-Portland-made straight razor will come with a custom laser engraving on the handle (a name or short phrase of your choosing) done at the makerspace, ADX. The razor will feature a unique blue acrylic handle. Of course, you also get a copy of both Portland Made and Cartopia. Delivery in November 2015. Free shipping in the US.
"Scott Miyako and Alex Pletcher moved to Portland from Los Angeles in 2014 after hearing about and visiting ADX. They were looking for an opportunity to start a new company based on their passion for straight razors. After taking a leap of faith and making the move, Portland Razor Company was born, and there has been no looking back…Portland Razor Company has experienced such rapid growth that they moved out of ADX and into their own space just down the street. They are hiring more blade smiths and exploring other complimentary product lines as they continue to grow, and are receiving accolades from straight razor enthusiasts all over the world."
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Makers of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
Walnut Cutting Board + Book + PMC Stickers ($165 - Only one available) A "Part & Parcel" cutting board with a modern shape and a smooth non-toxic, food-safe mineral oil finish. This pledge will also include custom laser engraving (a name or phrase of your choice) done on an ADX laser. The board is 13" tall x 11.5" wide, and 0.75" deep. You’ll also receive a copy of Portland Made. Delivery in November 2015. Free shipping in the US.
"A huge fan of mid-century American design, Caravan Pacific owner Shannon Guirl launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2011 in order to start a lamp business. Her lamp designs have a slightly modernized twist of color that complimented the classic proportions of the original style. As her business grew, she was determined to maintain her original made-by-hand aesthetic—even though some are constructed with as many as twenty five individual pieces. She now has two part time assistants to help meet the challenge of going from making one lamp at a time to as many as two hundred in a single month."
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Makers of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
5 Pack of Salt & Straw Ice Cream + Book + PMC Stickers ($155 - Only one available!) Experience a taste of Portland’s Maker culture - literally. Receive 5 pints of delicious Salt & Straw ice cream hand-crafted fresh in Portland by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek. You’ll also receive a copy of Portland Made. Delivery in November 2015. Shipping available only within the US.
"What they soon discovered was that lots of people were enthusiastic about their dream and willing to put their time, energy, and expertise into helping them make it a reality. The strong collaborative energy in Portland gave them an idea for developing unique flavors of ice cream: “There are so many special, unique things being produced [in Portland] that to marry that with ice cream is bound to equal interesting flavors,” says Malek. So when Tyler wanted to try to re-create a sundae of sticky rice, fresh fruit, and ice cream that he had tasted while traveling in Asia, they contacted Andy Ricker, chef and owner at Pok Pok (one of Portland’s most famous Thai restaurants), and asked if they could buy sticky rice from him. Instead, Andy invited Tyler over to the Pok Pok kitchen so Andy could teach him how to make sticky rice. Malek says, “Andy had just won a James Beard Award, and here he was, willing to teach Tyler how to make sticky rice for our ice cream.” From there they sought out others to collaborate with, “using ice cream as a canvas for telling local stories.”
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Makers of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
Tanner Goods Utility Bifold Wallet + Book + PMC Stickers ($185 - Only one available!)
This week’s Featured Maker Pledge Level is a beautifully crafted Hickory Utility Bifold Wallet from Tanner Goods. This hand-crafted wallet blends traditional style with efficient design, and features four card-slot pockets, two hidden pockets and one lengthwise pocket for bills. This one-time offer also includes a custom engraving done by ADX laser services.
"Both Huff and Lautz grew up in the small town of Sisters, Oregon, a vibrant community of craftspeople with an abundance and pride in quality handmade items. The two grew up steeped in the appreciation of everyday objects that carried both aesthetic and workmanship quality. Huff feels that what they do at Tanner Goods is “a way to get back to our roots.”
Lautz’s background was in sales, Huff’s in product design. It was an ideal combination of skills and talents. In 2006, they started producing natural leather belts and bifold wallets in the bedroom space behind their first retail location in NW Portland.
Timing, as they say, is everything. In the mid 2000s there arose a trend toward “heritage leather goods,” driven in part by an influx of money being spent on apparel and accessories by men. Lautz and Huff were able to successfully leverage their products into this movement. Their mission of high quality, locally designed and manufactured leather goods hit just the right note, and their business took off. "
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Makers of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
MadeHere PDX Gift Box + Book + PMC Stickers ($105 - Only one available!)
This week’s Featured Maker Pledge Level includes a whole gift box of Portland treasures. MadeHere PDX is a retail space in downtown Portland that provides local businesses a place to sell and celebrate their crafts. The MadeHere PDX Gift Box includes the following items:
"A true celebration of Portland’s maker scene, MadeHere PDX is dedicated to showcasing excellent craftsmanship and a commitment to quality. Interestingly, sales are about split between locals and out-of-town visitors looking to take a piece of Portland back to their communities.
The vendors MadeHere chooses feature items that are “more than the sum of their parts,” says co-owner John Connor. The vendors are generally not in the early stages of their business but are instead producing in a volume that can consistently supply a consignment retail space. When MadeHere PDX first opened, it had approximately forty vendors. By spring of 2015 that number had doubled, and it doesn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon. Connor stresses that MadeHere PDX “wants to be a retail partner” with their makers to help them succeed. For some makers, this is their first foray into being in a retail location; Connor sees this as akin to a beta-testing experience—MadeHere is able to give makers specific feedback on their products based on what they hear directly and indirectly from customers. This can be extremely valuable to makers who have not had access to this kind of marketing and sales feedback before. MadeHere PDX also operates an online shop, www.madeherepdx.com, which has proven to be a successful pairing, especially for follow-up purchases for travelers who can’t easily return to the shop."
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Maker’s of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
Group Tasting at Stone Barn Brandyworks + Book + PMC Stickers ($95 - Only one available!)
This week’s featured maker pledge level includes a gift certificate for a tasting and tour at Stone Barn Brandyworks for up to 6 people. Guests will each receive a tasting flight of 5 and a craft cocktail.
Stone Barn Brandyworks is one of the 8 distilleries that make up southeast Portland’s impressive Distillery Row. Owners Sebastian and Erika Degens and their team craft a selection of seasonal and year-round spirits from fruit brandies and whiskeys, to ouzo and grappa.
"Their first product was a plum brandy, chosen because they suddenly had access to a large quantity of Italian prune plums. However, the fruit was frozen, and the thawing process—making the mash warm enough to feed the yeast—proved to be a challenge. The end results were mixed, but it was a crucial first step. Although Degens describes the episode as “a steep learning curve,” they were on their way.
Soon they got into the rhythm of following the fruit harvest; and it became clear that their brandy offerings were going to follow the seasons. In order to develop a consistent, year-round presence, they added whiskey to their offerings, which they made with flour from local Bob’s Red Mill. And because elements of whiskey and brandy also go into making fruit liqueurs, they added those into the mix. This proved to be a good move for two reasons: One, it takes about twenty pounds of fruit to make 375 ml. of brandy, versus only three pounds of grain to make twice that volume of whiskey, which made their entire operation more cost-effective. Two, the public wasn’t yet that familiar with their European style of brandy, so offering more familiar products of exceptional quality would draw customers who could then be introduced to the brandy. They’ve been successful at getting the word out—and getting people to try their brandies—through their tasting room near the Brooklyn rail yard, their booth at several area farmers markets, and Distillery Row’s Passport Program."
-Excerpt from Portland Made: The Makers of Portland’s Manufacturing Renaissance
KELLEY ROY is the Founder and Owner of ADX and Portland Made, and has been working for the past 5 years to grow Portland’s Maker Movement. She consults with people from around the world to create Makerspaces, like ADX, in their communities. Kelley has become a globally recognized leader in the Maker Movement and is helping to put Portland Makers on the international map. She co-authored Cartopia: Portland’s Food Cart Revolution in 2010, has a graduate degree in Urban Planning and an undergraduate degree in Geological Sciences. Kelley’s passion is helping creatives hone their skills, start their own businesses, and make a living doing what they love.
"Roy reignites my love for this city. There’s this saying, ‘Portland is where young people go to retire.’ Roy attests to the resiliency of creativity. Makers don’t play by the rules; they work their asses off to construct a vibrant community that thrives on form, function and art. Every stitch sewn, every joint welded, every pass of the sander challenges societal norms, and cities across the world are taking note. Each new maker business is a calloused, dirt- and sawdust-covered middle finger to the nine to five.”
—Lee DiSanti, Freelance Journalist and Travel Writer 1859 Magazine
"Portland’s Kelley Roy has been spreading the gospel of the maker revolution— the growth of small “artisanal manufacturing."
"By nurturing a diverse ecosystem of small-to-medium-sized companies engaged in producing high-quality goods, Roy suggests, cities (and even nations) could revive their middle classes and provide a new path to prosperity."
"the definitive book about Portland’s maker movement that details the fashion, food, beverage, and consumer goods made in Portland explosion."
Produced by Portland Made in Portland, OR.
Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.
Portland Made and an ADX sticker.
Get a copy of Portland Made, plus a Portland Press to brew the coffee you’ll be sipping while reading.
Score a copy of Portland Made and the Portland food-cart favorite: Cartopia.
Portland Made is a digital storytelling platform and advocacy center for Portland’s Maker Movement.
