Maxwell's Made In America

Barbara Maxwell Reid, better known as B. Maxwell Reid and even better known as Max, knows what the real world is all about. Retired from the United States Air Force, she has probably seen more of the world than most people. But she still got fed up with seeing products stamped with labels that say Made in China.

As a silversmith and member of the Ocean State Artisans, she says she knows a lot of people who are very crafty, in more ways than one. With all those contacts she decided to open a store where everything is made in America.

After a lot of work, Maxwell’s Made In America opened for business last Sunday next to in the East Greenwich Marketplace at 1000 Division. It took longer than expected because this is the season when artists are displaying at shows.

Unlike some stores where works are consigned and the store operator takes a percentage, the artists rent space and keep the full amount for what they sell.  Max says Ocean State Artisans nurtured her for the last five years and she came up with her strategy after listening to the problems artists encountered.

The work on display includes everything from paintings and photographs to jewelry and hand-knitted clothing. 

Living nearby, Max goes to , shops at , and frequents and other stores in the plaza, so she was familiar with the traffic.

She did look around before choosing the site for her store, but the landlord for the only other space she thought would work wanted a three-year lease.

Her idea was just to start up a pop-up store for the month of December, but the owners of the plaza like her idea, are working with her, and have asked that she consider a more permanent store.

The first day of operation saw good sales and she expects to do well in December, but is aware that retail sales are usually slower in January following the big spending that takes place for Christmas.

Right now the heavy focus is on gift and decorative merchandise, but Maxwell thinks she can find artists and craftspeople who will create merchandise to meet specific needs, such as woodworkers who would build unique furniture to order. 

With that goal in mind, she is considering stretching out the lease for a while to see how it goes. Extending the lease would also allow her to be much more creative with merchandise display. Currently the pieces are arrayed on tables while the extensive wall space is bare.

Max has a bachelors degree in engineering and a masters in business. Originally she went to school to become a veterinarian, but decided that was not for her.  She says that being taught by her family to give back led to service in the military; four of her seven siblings have also served.

She said she is proud to live in a country where we can all do what we want to do and wants to support that effort. She doesn’t disparage foreign merchandise or discourage people from buying it, but wants to offer them local products to buy to keep jobs here. 

“I don’t know how to solve the problem”, she said, “but I do know that encouraging people to buy local and keeping jobs, income and taxes as close to home as possible will help.”