Made in America: Holiday gift ideas flow in from New Hampshire to Arizona
Made in America gift ideas are pouring in from viewers around the country as "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir showcases small businesses during this holiday season.
In snowy North Conway, New Hampshire, the Christmas Loft sells handmade ornaments made by artists across the nation.
Owned by Greg Vander Veer and Stephen O'Farrell, the company employs 40 workers during the holidays.
"These are some of our most popular ornaments in the store — Heart Gifts by Teresa," Vander Veer said, showing off an array of ornaments with special handwritten messages.
The company Heart Gifts by Teresa is based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and is owned by Teresa Thibault. The team consists of eight painters working year-round to create ornaments with hundreds of unique designs. They say one artist can make as many as 175 ornaments a day.
Another Made in America gift idea comes from Plano, Texas, where the company Seasoned Straws is based. Founded by Julie Drake and Ben Rutz, the company has 10 workers and sells straws with holiday flavors like Peppermint, Pumpkin Spice, Espresso Chocolate, and Cinnamon Sugar.
"Straws don't seem to do a lot – so I thought, add a kick, add a spice, add a flavoring," Rutz said, explaining the origin of the business idea.
The ingredients used for the flavored straws come from all over the country, including New Jersey, Tennessee, and Florida.
For those who enjoy Indian food, there is a gift idea from Kumar's Garden, based in Chandler, Arizona. Owned by Mehulkumar and Dharati Chaudhari, the company specializes in curry leaf plants. The team is made up of eight workers and says it ships 20,000 plants a year.
"Everything we source, from seed to the materials for boxing and shipping, is all made in America," Mehulkumar said.
Full episodes of "World News Tonight with David Muir" are now available to stream on YouTube.
