Made in Baltimore
Economic and community development bring Baltimore entrepreneurship front and center.
“Problem
Manufacturing in Baltimore had a reputation of being a thing of the past, which created roadblocks for local entrepreneurs.
OPPORTUNITY: Create a platform for local manufacturers to connect with clients and promote their products as “Made in Baltimore”.
TEAM MEMBERS: Andy Cook, Will Holman, Sarah
Templin”
“STORE & SHOWROOM
A pop-up platform featuring 75 Baltimore manufacturers.
Regular weekly shop hours promoted purchasing, economic development and awareness among the general public.”
“PROGRAMMING
Architecture firms, interior design firms & institutional buyers were matched with manufacturers to promote large scale local purchasing.
In-store parties made the promotion fun and social while boosting both community development and sales for the featured
businesses.”
“Future
Many more pop up stores, promotions and marketing events, business development services and a local-brand certification program have been created since this first showroom.
Through the efforts of Andy Cook, the program continues it’s mission as a subsidiary of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability. ”
The Made in Baltimore pop up shop was created as an initiative of the Industrial Arts Collective to promote economic development, community development and entrepreneurship in Baltimore, a city that does not have in place a significant structural support system for design and manufacturing.
In addition to being a store, the project also acted as a showroom and programming space to introduce our 75 Baltimore design manufacturers to area architecture firms, interior design firms and institutional buyers to promote large scale local purchasing. Many vendors elected to volunteer shifts in the store or help assemble store displays, solidifying a sense of community and promoting collaborations. A Made in Baltimore logo was created for any Baltimore manufacturer’s use to help educate consumers about local manufacturing.
Over 21 days, the store netted $20,000 in vendor profits, 2,200 visitors, numerous contracted projects initiated by store visitors and approximately 110 supported jobs. Many more pop up stores, marketing events, and business development services have been created since this first showroom. Through the efforts of Andy Cook, the program continues it’s mission as a subsidiary of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability. (2015)