Yes, there is a demand for Handmade in the USA!

Home of Ribbit Ribbit – A Small Local Business in Garland, Texas – 972-836-7422

I recently visited a small business tucked away on 420 Gautney Street here in Garland Texas.  Ribbit Ribbit creates handmade and uniquely crafted frames for their customers’ very special photos.  Most of the photo frames made in this shop are sold wholesale to owners of small boutiques nationwide.  If you are a merchandiser looking for one-of-a-kind handmade in the USA products, it’s not too late to stock your store with photo frames from Ribbit Ribbit. The Garland, Texas address shown in the photo above is where these frames are built, decorated and shipped out.  It is also possible for individuals to select and order frames online at http://ribbit-ribbit.com. 

The business is owned by Bryan Roberts, a Garland resident who lives only a few miles away from his shop.  This company has been in operation for 13 years.  Considering the competition with the overseas manufacturers from places such as China and Sri Lanka,combined with the labor-intensive and artistic talent required for hand-decorating each frame, I am amazed at the ability of Ribbit Ribbit to continue to create their frames here in the USA and stay in business.  Yet, it appears this small business has carved out a niche in the specialty frames market. They even sell wholesale to international customers in exotic places such as Bahrain. 

Bryan Roberts, owner of Ribbit Ribbit, poses in the room where frames are spay-painted as the first step in the process of creating a frame.

 Like many small business owners, Bryan Roberts finds himself wearing many hats to keep his company on track and moving forward—balancing the books, managing supply inventories, creating new designs, shipping the product out the door, and even working on the production line.  But like most small business owners, he is happier being self-employed than he would be working as an employee.

A few of the more than 300 Ribbit Ribbit photo frame designs

Ribbit Ribbit currently offers over 300 different designs of frames—and even more when you consider that any one of these designs can be customized and hand tailored to meet unique specifications per customer request.

Small businesses like Ribbit Ribbit are critical to our nation’s economy as they employ 57% of the USA workforce (77 million people).  These businesses are especially critical to the health of our local economy. When you buy local, more money stays in the community. The New Economics Foundation, an independent economic think tank based in London, compared what happens when people buy produce at a supermarket vs. a local farmer's market or community supported agriculture (CSA) program and found that twice the money stayed in the community when folks bought locally.

According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance:  “In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage. Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community. “

Lucia, one of the employees in the shop demonstrates her silk screening expertise while Jill, shown in the photo below, hand-paints touches to some holiday frames.