Meet 11 Furniture Makers Who Embody the American-Made Spirit

Despite a wave of outsourcing over the past two decades, America's furniture manufacturing industry is well and alive. While some design companies chose to pack up and head overseas to cut costs, a handful of American furniture makers have chosen to stay and weather the expense storm.

As Peggy Farabaugh -- founder at Vermont Wood Studios -- told us, artisans like herself are finally reaping the rewards for choosing for making ethically-sourced and designed American furniture. "​I think people are weary of poor quality​ and worried about the unknown origins of imported furniture," Farabaugh explained. "What kind of wood is it made of? Where is that wood from and is it harvested legally? Who makes the furniture and under what kind of working conditions?" Consumers also want to know what toxic chemicals may be used during the manufacturing process and the exposure their children will have to them.

Farabaugh also points out that, because this trend is in line with the current craft and organic movement, the new generation is advocating for it. "Decades ago people became concerned about where their food comes from and they starting buying organic," she said. "Now, people, especially millennials, are looking into the origin of other things they acquire. That's fueling the American made movement."

Jerry Cunningham, owner of The Woodland Mills, has had a similar experience. "Over the past 15 years or so, I have witnessed a lot of changes in the furniture industry specifically, and American manufacturing as a whole," he told Martha Stewart Living. "In the early 2000s, every few days I would learn of another major furniture maker who was either shuttering their plants completely, or turning them into a distribution center after selling off the equipment and outsourcing production."

Cunningham noted that in those days, the plants weren't being shut down because it was economically necessary. "A lot of the plants were profitable, but management felt they could gain a few more margin points by importing furniture," he said. "The publicly traded companies were more interested in serving their shareholders interests rather than their employees and customers."

Of course, choosing to run a domestic operation comes with its own set of challenges, Farabaugh confirmed -- namely, it's tough to compete with the prices of imported furniture. "When you think about the compensation American craftspeople need versus what workers in Vietnam or China are paid, there is no comparison," she said. "Add in the cost of adherence to American environmental, health and safety standards and the price differential gets worse."

And given that artisanal furniture-making requires all wood to be sourced legally and sustainably, local manufacturers like Vermont Woods Studios has to work hard, not only in building a high-quality product, but also in reflecting its environmental mission and commitment to Vermont's great craftspeople, the founder told us. "Despite the higher price, customers purchase furniture from us because they know that in the long run, our furniture delivers a better return on their investment than imported furniture."

In this installment of How to Buy American, we're taking a look at how the once-diminishing domestic furniture industry is flourishing thanks to these manufacturers.