With all the focus on things that are Made in America these days...it got me wondering...what items are still Made in Fort Worth?
Happily, there were too many companies and products to include in an exhaustive list. So, here is just a sampling of some of the companies that are still hard at work, making quality products right here in town. They make us all proud to be Fort Worthians!
Peters Brothers Hats
909 Houston St.
817.335.1715
Peters Brothers was started in 1911 by Jim and Tom Peters, who were Greek immigrants. As children in Greece, they both worked in a hat factory. Owner Joe Peters (who is Tom's son) says, "Adults didn't like working with all the dyes, so they hired children to stir the material around in vats of dye with big wooden sticks."
The brothers began their business shining shoes in Waco, and soon saved up enough money to set up shop in downtown Fort Worth. After Jim spent some time away, working in Philadelphia for Stetson Hat Company, he came back home and brought his hat making knowledge with him.
Most hats are machine made these days, but Peters Brothers are still making custom hats by hand. Owner Joe Peters says, "There are not a lot of us still doing it the old-fashioned way, taking measurements and creating one hat at a time." Most sales are custom orders, and internet orders from across the country and around the world. "We have 26 different colors to choose from, and offer rabbit and wild hare fur blends, beaver and rabbit fur blends, or 100% beaver fur hats - which are the best quality."
The Shady Oaks
The Shady Oaks
Amon Carter used to give Peters Brothers hats away to visiting movie stars and other famous celebrities when they visited Fort Worth - like Jimmy Stewart who was in town filming Strategic Air Command in 1955. Mr. Carter named the hat design "The Shady Oaks" after his beloved Shady Oaks ranch - which was later sold to Marvin Leonard and is where Shady Oaks Country Club and the Ridgmar Mall area are today. When Clayton Moore came to town for the premiere of the original Lone Ranger movie in the 1956, Joe Peters got to meet him backstage and present him with a Peters Brothers hat.
Driskill Guitars
2800 Shamrock Ave.
817.336.0600
After graduating from Arlington Heights in 1983, Joe Driskill made his passion for electric guitars more than just a hobby. "By the time I realized I wanted to play guitars for a living, I found out that I was already too old to do it," says Driskill.
All he wanted to do in the beginning was decorate his own Stratocaster with a dragon as a personal project So, he decided to learn how to do inlay work, by reading a book, and found out he was pretty good at it. Driskill recalls, "I took my guitar with me to Guitar Center and they told me that they thought I could sell as many of them as I wanted to." And, they were right.
Driskill Guitars was founded in 1998, when the music industry immediately took notice of his pristinely crafted instruments. After producing his first Driskill Diablo handmade guitar, he printed up some brochures and drove out to the annual NAMM music show in LA - and his guitars have been on back order ever since. He had to move out of his parents garage and into a shop of his own to begin production of all the orders he got at that first show.
Not only does Driskill make amazingly beautiful guitars featuring hand-crafted big leaf maples, with custom detailing and inlays, they are highly functional art. His guitars are known for their amazing playability, balance, and tone. The design which includes non-fading, UV stable dyes, stress relieved carbon fiber reinforced necks, and custom made stainless steel frets all adds up to a better playing and better sounding instrument.
Each one is completely handmade by Driskill himself and is one of a kind. The body shape is not only eye-catching it is intricately designed for perfect balance. Driskill says, "Sit it on your lap, take your hands off and it stays right there! Everything in a Driskill Guitar is to make it play easier, sound better, and last longer."
Hot Damn Tamales
713 W Magnolia Ave.
817.926.9909
When owner Ione Stavron's daughter was given a tamale machine by a family friend, they began experimenting with recipes. The tamales were so tasty, that friends encouraged them to begin selling their wares. Hot Damn Tamales was founded in 1997, featuring an interesting gourmet assortment. Giving a nod to the family's heritage, for instance, the Greek Tamale is filled with typical Spanakopita ingredients like feta, spinach, and kalamata olives.
About the name of the company - it was taken from a story about Elvis forgetting the words to one of his own songs while in a recording studio, and filling in the words "hot damn tamales" for the forgotten lyrics. So, Elvis' mistake became their namesake! Today they sell thousands of all varieties during the gift giving months of November and December. The rest of the year, retail and mail order sales make up the majority of their business.
Since they have opted for corn oil, and never use lard in their masa filling, the majority of their products are vegan friendly. They are also gluten free. The Beef Tenderloin and the Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese tamales are some of their biggest sellers. But, they offer unique sweets as well, like the addition of Chocolate Cherry Pecan tamales filled with quality Ghirardelli chocolate, cherries, and roasted pecans.
Stavron says, "Many of our mail order customers are displaced Texans who really miss the taste of tamales. I have had grown men call me up crying over the phone while placing their orders." In April 2012 they opened a restaurant as well. And, as of June they began serving a tapas style menu on the weekends along with live music.
Best Maid Pickles
1401 S Riverside Dr.
817.335.2133
In 1926 Mildred Dalton began supplying her husband Jessie Dalton's tiny grocery store with her homemade mayonnaise, and it quickly became a best seller. From there she moved on to crafting a sandwich spread which included pickles in the recipe. And, when their pickle supplier raised his prices - Mildred and Jessie just planted their own patch of cucumbers in the backyard - and the rest, as they say, is history.
Best Maid still produces their dressings, condiments and pickles using the same high quality ingredients and family recipes. They are the #1 brand of pickles in Texas. It is a family owned and operated business with Dalton's still at the helm.
While these days the cucumbers are grown in West Texas, the production and warehouse facilities are located in Fort Worth. Best Maid is a regional product with a loyal following. Today they produce 50 million pounds of pickles per year, all with the famous Smiley logo, who is still licking her lips after all these years.
They just recently introduced their newest line of pickles called Farm to Market. The single barrel, small batch line, features five different flavors which have no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial colors or flavors added. Isabel Lamb, Brand Manager for Best Maid says, "With the Foodie trend - gourmet foods are really in style. We may be an old company, but we want our brand to stay modern."
Mother Rucker Sweets
4817 Brentwood Stair Rd.
817.451.4100
This local success story began in 2006 as a small operation with big dreams. Karel Rucker co-founded the company with friend Greg Raynes. All of the company's recipes pay homage to Rucker's childhood and were some of her family's favorites. "I have always baked and wanted to recreate these recipes for others to enjoy," says Rucker. Of course the challenge was to convert those ideas from her home kitchen - to translate them commercially.
Mother Rucker's Cookie Brittles are, by far, their biggest seller. They are thin, crispy, and buttery cookies with decadent flavors, and have crystallized sugar still glistening on top. When you ask which flavor is the most popular, you have to qualify what part of the country that you are talking about. Rucker explains, "In the South our Lemon variety wins out, while in the East it would have to be the Almond, and in the West it is a toss-up between two different flavors - Lemon or Cinnamon."
The products are available in Central Market and Spec's locations statewide, or online. They are being shipped and distributed to outlets nationwide. They are currently on shelves in some 500 stores across the country, and all are produced at their Fort Worth plant. About 80% of sales are through distribution to grocery outlets, the rest are sold as gourmet gifts online to both individuals and corporations alike.
No product they have launched so far has failed, in fact customers and retailers are so hooked that they are begging for even more variety. "We are passionate about our products. We have always had the vision of growing the company into a larger brand, but growth doesn't drive us - quality does. We have taken a dream and turned it into a viable business. We are living the American Dream." Rucker says.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
701 Galveston Ave.
817.810.9266
Fritz and Erin Rahr founded Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. in the fall of 2004. The "& Sons" part of the name refers to their two sons, in the hopes that they will carry on the family business someday. Fritz Rahr graduated from TCU in 1993 with a Masters in hand, and after 12 years in the corporate rat race, decided to try his hand at brewing. Why not, brewing beer is in his DNA?
The Rahr family actually has 166 years of brewing tradition under their belt. The family biz originally began in 1847 in Wisconsin as The William Rahr Sons Company. They later moved to Minnesota where the Rahr Malting Company still exists today. That explains what is unique about the Rahr line of beers - all begin with the malt produced by the family at the Rahr Malting Company.
They have won thirty awards so far, including a Bronze Medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup for Bucking Bock, and 2009 National Grand Champion from the United States Beer Tasting Championships for Iron Thistle. Iron Thistle just took Silver at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival as well.
With Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. about to celebrate a decade - the brewery has more than doubled its brewing capacity. They will soon have the capacity to produce 850 kegs a week. With 23 employees and 16 distributors, Rahr beers are available state-wide in every major grocery chain, and at a bar or pub near you.
Renfro Foods
815 Stella St.
817.336.3849
On the heels of the Great Depression George Renfro became an unlikely entrepreneur. In 1940 he quit his job selling restaurant supplies and condiments. George and his wife, Arthurine had the feeling that they could produce salsas, sauces and relishes of superior quality. Together the couple co-founded George Renfro Food Company out of their garage in north Fort Worth.
The company has come a long way in the past 70 years and the Renfro name now graces more than 30 products. They are available at supermarkets, gourmet and gift shops, and fruit and vegetable stands in all 50 states, Canada, and the Caribbean. After years of effort, they recently began distribution in the UK, Spain and Germany as well, and Shanghai, China is now on the radar.
Doug Renfro serves as President, and is the grandson of founders George and Arthurine. Renfro says, "You learn by making mistakes and experimenting. Of the 100's of failed attempts at a new product, only about 1% actually work. That is the nature of R & D." While he was a student at UNT, Doug learned the business while working in the spice room where the proprietary blend of spices are prepared each day for every product. "I had the most interesting smelling Subaru on campus," he says.
The plant currently churns out 130 bottles per minute and about 50,000 per day on one production shift. Only one half of the products bear the Renfro name though, the other half are produced for other brands - utilizing their manufacturing facility. For instance, on the shelves at Central Market you will find at least 8 other outside brands that were also produced in the Renfro plant.
M. L. Leddy's
2455 N Main St.
888.565.2668
After leaving the cotton business for greener pastures, M. L. Leddy began his career by repairing boots and saddles. His craftsmanship soon made a name for itself, and before long he was producing his legendary lines of boots and saddles beginning in 1922. He moved the business to San Angelo in 1936, and as it continued to grow, Leddy's became a fixture in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in 1941.
Today, all of Leddy's boots are manufactured in San Angelo. But, their saddles and breast collars are still produced right here in Fort Worth. The attention to detail and intricate skill are known world-wide. While President George W. Bush was in office, Leddy's was commissioned by The State Department to design 5 special saddles which were presented to foreign dignitaries. Prince Charles was one of those recipients, his saddle had both the Union Jack and American Flags fashioned into the design.
These saddles are the preference of many local cattle ropers and cutting horse competitors. Leddy's saddles are popular among notable celebrity cutting horse riders too. Terry Bradshaw, George Strait, and Joe Montana all ride a Leddy's saddle. They carry stock saddles in the showroom and take on intricate custom orders as well. Leddy's is the Official Saddle Maker for The National Cutting Horse Association, also headquartered in town.
Firestone and Robertson Distillery
901 West Vickery Blvd.
817.348.8369
Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson co-founded the Distillery in 2012. When their premium TX Blended Whiskey first hit the market, they got a crash course in supply and demand. You couldn't get your hands on a bottle for a while there. Local liquor stores had wait-listed customers standing in line to take their first sip. That's a good problem to have.
Production has ramped up to meet the demand of a very thirsty public. The brand is even making its way South, to quench the thirst of Austin and Houston residents as well. And, the next phase of the operation is aging quietly in oak barrels as we speak. The highly anticipated Firestone and Robertson Straight Bourbon Whiskey, is produced from locally grown corn and wheat. What makes it unique? F & R have developed a proprietary yeast strain isolated from a North Texas pecan nut. How's that for home-grown flavor?
Most distilleries today use factory produced yeast to make their products, but for an artisanal bourbon, only a strain of yeast propagated right on the premises will do. The company makes everything by hand. It is not an automated factory. Everything is produced with craftsmanship and attention to detail. They only use classic all copper pot stills in the process, and the hand stamped bottle caps give each bottle its own unique character.
Alueur Candles
3905 W. Vickery Blvd
817.715.1924
A scent can spark a memory. For owner Rani Grandstaff, the scents of each candle in her impressive line, remind her of her grandmother Irene. For years she and her grandmother experimented with scents and formulations for the luxury line of candles in her garage.
The passion for producing superior candles, made from quality ingredients like premium wax blends, lead-free cotton wicks, and fine fragrances grew from the time spent creating with Irene. Every one holds a memory that Rani wants to share with others. Each candle is hand-poured, not mass produced, and the packaging, including the logo with an "R" for Rani and an "I" for her grandmother Irene, took a lot of time to perfect. "I wanted to create a beautiful box that you would not want to throw away," says Grandstaff.
Aluer Candles were featured in the Grammy's Gift Lounge, as well as being distributed in the Golden Globes swag bags at those awards last year. Each box is proudly stamped Made in Fort Worth!
Grandstaff says, "The French Market candle is, by far our #1 seller. Then, Tobacco Leaf and Reminiscence are neck in neck for second." The French Market candle has notes of roses, magnolia, gardenia, tuberose, and arris blossoms. Reminiscence fills the air with bergamot, honey, red berries, vanilla, caramel, patchouli, and dark chocolate. She is also the owner of Scentimentals Gift Boutique on Vickery. You can locate your favorite scent either in the shop, online, or at Aisle Ten in Willow Park. In June the new candle line was showcased at the Dallas Market Hall - introducing the brand to a whole new market.
