I was so delighted to see that new Homecrest catalog touts that its designer outdoor furniture is “made in Wadena, MN, USA” — a fact the company has long under-sold. Homecrest has a great story—it was founded in 1953, and made its name with the introduction/invention of its swiveling outdoor rocker, and as the first company to incorporate Sunbrella weather-resistant fabric. But by 2005, the company had gone broke, buckling under pressure from Chinese-made patio furniture imports and out-dated management. But thanks to a group of Minnesota-based private investors, Wadena’s largest employer was only closed for a few months, and has since experienced a renaissance of sorts, with fresh marketing and innovative concepts such as its Color My Sling program. Color My Sling that allows consumers to buy replaceable fabric slings for their Homecrest loungers in a huge range of outdoor fabrics. My favorite new pattern this season is “Caroline” with stripes of lime, Caribbean blue, crisp white, and jet black—pretty! Plus, the company gets bonus points for photographing its catalog in Minnesota, as evidenced by the lovely lake shot below:
