In the News
MINNEOLA, Fl. 1/10/2015
Proudly made in the USA
Making a sale (Scott Miller assists customer Pamela Brantley at the Webster Flea Market.)
For Scott Miller of Minneola, “Made in the USA” has become a way of life.
The entrepreneur has been selling his American-made My Liberty Threads T-shirts at shows and markets for four years now.
“We’re just taking what people are saying and putting them on T-shirts,” Miller says of his politically conservative statements and designs.
Miller lists nine other people actively selling for him, not only in Florida, but in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Colorado. Shelley Ross of Osseo, Mich., could become Miller’s 10th seller.
Ross became acquainted with Miller and his shirts at the Webster Flea Market, where he regularly rents space. Ross was down visiting her daughter, who attends college in Clermont.
“I bought five of them last week,” Ross said of Miller’s shirts. Pointing to the label on one of the shirts, she said, “This is what sold me.”
The label reads “Cotton Harvested in USA. Cotton Grown in USA. Yarn Spun in USA. Knitted in USA. Fabric Dyed in USA. Sewn in USA. Made in USA.”
“That’s what our country needs,” Ross said. “From the dirt to the table, this right here was born and raised in the USA. I love my country and I think it’s great. We have to support local businesses and suppliers. I’m from Michigan. I’m thinking of selling for him up there.”
For Miller, his business started with the T-shirt statement “It’s We the People, not You the Government.”
That was his first design, and Miller describes his brand as “Never Apologize for Being an American.”
“Never Apologize” is also one of his designs, and is the one he typically wears while selling.
“I managed retail store after retail store that folded,” Miller said. “So I decided to start doing this. I started getting politically aware and involved myself, and I saw a couple of really fun lines that I thought would work on T-shirts that were specifically poignant to everything that was happening around the time we switched from Bush to Obama.”
In the beginning, he was encouraged by some to use imported T-shirts, as they would be cheaper. Miller decided to stick with American-made, however, even though he said the T-shirts blanks cost him about double what comparable imports would cost.
“They’re all American made. It’s the wave of the future,” he said. “It’s ironic, but you see a lot of patriotic shirts and they’re made somewhere else.”
Speaking of those individuals who have made the commitment to sell for him, Miller said, “When you spark that entrepreneurial spirit in an American, you have no idea what will come of it. Once you start doing this, there are so many offshoots.”
As for his friends and family, Miller said, “They’re pulling for me, they’re rooting for me. We’re putting people back to work, getting the message out.”
Linda Charlton / Special to the South Lake Press
Posted: Saturday, January 10, 2015 6:00 am
Proudly made in the USA Linda Charlton Special to The Daily Commercial dailycommercial.com | 0 comments
