We are now four weeks into our sort-of new venture of Rubber City Clothing- Highland Square. Since April 2009, the store had been known as Made in Akron- a fine retail shop featuring an eclectic mix of local art, jewelery, clothing, food souvenirs, and just about anything and everything Akron. When we decided to change the name at the end of January, we were met with mixed emotions. On top of that, Elizabeth and Kelly- who had managed this store and kept its eclectic mix in great order- moved on to some bigger & better things in their lives- Kelly moved to the Steel City & is happily in love; and Elizabeth is busy promoting and running her new eatery, Urban Eats which just opened within Musica serving mouthwatering paninis and flatbread pizzas. Plus, we cut the winter hours down to Thursday-Saturday, 11am-7pm till Mother Nature stops beating us with snow. So many questions came pouring in: Are you closing? Are you getting rid of the art? Who will run it now? Well, the answers are No, no, and Sarah from downtown. We are here to stay in Highland Square- still promoting the hell out of Akron- just now with more clothing. We still have all of the jewelry, food, souvenirs, accessories, music, and most of the art- we’re going to take a more gallery approach and feature different artists for certain periods of time. We’ve got a great new layout that presents our favorite art, screen-printed t’s in a much better way. More sizes and colors available now too! If you haven’t been down to the revamped store on South Highland Ave, come check it out! We’re here Thur-Sat, 11am-7pm. You can always shop online- www.RubberCityClothing.com or www.MadeinAkron.com 24/7.
You are currently browsing articles tagged Made in Akron.
By Sarah G (since there are a bunch of us bullsheeters now)
As I’ve mentioned many, many times before, growing up, I HATED Akron. You might say I was quite miserable with my hometown. Once I moved out of state and was away for a few years, I oddly began to miss the Rubber City. That sense of longing grew to love, and after moving back two years ago, I am happily committed to Akron (got a pre-nup just in case). I can honestly say- and not because I work for a company based on “Akron-pride”- that I truly love this city. So I was a bit ticked off this morning when I read a little article in the Beacon about an article in Forbes Magazine ranking the “Top 20 Most Miserable Cities in America”, with Akron at #12. In fact, someone at Forbes must really hate the Buckeye State, because Cleveland was #1, Canton #9, Toledo #15, and Youngstown #18. Other cities on the list include Memphis, TN; Detroit and Flint, MI; New York City; Miami, FL; and Chicago. The ABJ front-page article on the matter featured some commentary from our own Ed Gaffney Jr & a pic of Natalie aka Chrissie B Hynde in our Downtown store.
If Akron is SOOOOOOO miserable, why is it that I can think of at least a dozen friends that moved away from Akron only to move back because they missed it? Or better yet, why is it that we have not one, but SIX companies devoted to Akron pride: Rubber City Clothing, Revivalist, Campfire, 10x Your City, RockEveryWear, and Made in Akron, and all are doing pretty well. For the last year and a half, I have lived & breathed Akron. I meet all kinds of people that live here, are from here, or are just visiting, and RARELY is it that I hear anti-Akron bashing. Sure this city isn’t perfect, but no place is. I’m really curious as to the deciding factors that the geniuses at Forbes used to compile this list. There are hundreds of other cities that probably don’t have the parks, restaurants, nightlife, local shops, industries, historic homes, and really awesome t-shirts that Akron does. Who does Forbes think they are? I can’t rely on the opinion of a company run by that goofy looking guy that tried to run for President & wasn’t funny hosting SNL.
We have much love for our fellow list-makers- especially Cleveland. Thousands of CLE Clothing Co. shirts sold over the holidays don’t lie. Let’s show Forbes how NON-MISERABLE this town is; on March 12th (funny number), Akron will be 185 years old. Let’s make that Akron day! Where Akron shirts, support local business, and make sure EVERYONE knows how much you love this city. I’m going to look into this Akron Day stuff. Anyone with tips/suggestions, please comment on how to get this thing moving!
Happy New Year Akron! As we close the best year this company has had, we look forward to an even better one the next! 2009 brought us a store that doubled in size, a new retail outlet in Highland Square, and lots of new friends & fans. We are so grateful for your continued love and support!
We have a very exciting 2010 planned for Rubber City Clothing & Made in Akron! Stay tuned for exciting announcements. Make sure you check our Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (as well as the Bullsheet) for the latest news. Have a safe & Happy New Year Akron!
Did you know that you can now shop for your favorite Akron merchandise online? Our eclectic sister-store, Made in Akron just launched their website! You can buy anything from Peanut Shoppe nuts to Goodyear Blimps to unique handmade local art to Rubber City Clothing t-shirts! Click here & shop away!
We are looking for a dynamic, energetic, and trustworthy full-time Holiday Kiosk Manager and 8 equally fun part-time sales associates to manage the Rubber City Clothing holiday kiosk at Summit Mall from December 2-28.
This soon to be famous RCC Holiday Kiosk manager and his or her staff will report directly to the owner of RCC and Made in Akron, and work with the General Managers of both companies to replenish inventory daily, and drive sales by engaging customers and keeping the RCC kiosk as attractive as the brand itself.
The RCC Holiday Kiosk Manager position requires a minimum of 5 years experience in a retail/management setting, while the part-time staff positions require 2 years of retail experience. Compensation is commensurate with experience. All candidates must have their own transportations and provide at least 2 credible references that will be contacted if asked to interview.
If you think you’d be a good fit to work with RCC next month, please send an email with RCC Kiosk Manager or RCC Kiosk Staff in the subject line, a letter explaining your interest in RCC and your current resume to jobs@rubbercityclothing.com.
Please do not call Rubber City Clothing or Made in Akron regarding these positions.
I just had the pleasure of meeting Rickshaw Willie, a man on a mission to change short-distance travel in Akron. In the past 6 months, Willie has created quite a buzz in the Rubber City with his bright yellow two-seater cab attached to a bike. Partnering up with our friend Ryan from Barley House, Willie provides rides around downtown Akron during late night. To get more info, email Willie @ Rickshawwillie@aol.com, or watch this video below. *Note, in my research I discovered that our sister store, Made in Akron, posted this video a couple of weeks ago, which I did not see. Now it’s part of our Bullsheet.*
Today millions of students across the nation will be ’schooled’ by President Obama, LeBron, & Kelly Clarkson. No, it’s not a students vs. celebrities basketball game (I’d highly question Kelly Clarkson’s skills on the court); the ’schooling’ is actually at school. Get Schooled, a special documentary about the importance of education and following your dreams to success will air in schools across the country, as well as at 8pm on Viacom networks like MTV (nice they could take time away from quality programming like The Hills or 16 and Pregnant), BET, Nickelodeon, and more. This special is a school year kick-off to encourage students to take this new year seriously and excel in their studies.
Fifty years ago, Akron students got a little ‘kick-off’ in the form of a textbook written by an APS teacher, Sara Klippert. ‘The Akron Story’ was a supplementary text book distributed to 11,000 Akron Public Schools fourth-graders. The book served as an imaginative way to tell the history of our city, and build local pride in Akron youth. Featuring illustrations and vintage photos, the Akron Story, tells the fictional tale of twins David and Diana who move to Akron after their father takes a job with a rubber factory. The twins immediately love their new city and are determined to learn all they can about it, including joining a local pride club called Norka Wonki (which is I Know Akron backwards).
This seems like a great way to instill local pride in youth. It’s been quite a while since I passed through the APS system. I recall a little Ohio History for one semester when I was in seventh grade. Honestly, before I began working with RCC, I vaguely knew the Simon Perkins story and the history of Goodyear/Tires. I had no idea about John Brown, Sojourner Truth, Akron’s rich music history, the Toy Marble Museum, and all the other things that were Made in Akron or that Akron Witnessed First. It would be money quite well spent by APS to update the Akron Story.
If anyone knows of an available copy or would like to display theirs at RCC, please call Sarah at 330.434.4722.
Some of you may have heard about a little front page article last week about our sister in Highland Square, Made in Akron. Since then it has been madness for both stores- a good madness. Special thanks goes to the Akron Beacon Journal & journalist Betty Lin-Fisher for writing such a great story about our company. The love & support we’ve gotten from the community has been amazing! Thank you & please continue to support local business & local pride!
This past Saturday was Meet the Artists day at Made in Akron in Highland Square. It was a really amazing day of really talented artists, devoted Akronites, and a lot of local pride. Over twenty artists set up booths to showcase their unique pieces and meet their fans & people interested in what they’re doing. There was a really great turn out, a few hundred people passed through the doors of the little shop on South Highland Ave. Here are some pics from the day:
Urban Kanvas Artist Jason Scala and local artist Dan Turner
10x Your City- really cool t-shirts (possibly cooler than ours)
Tags by Judy Rickenbacher
Shiny Distractions by Mina Hosfeld
Akron's favorite song-girl, Rachel Roberts gave a special performance.
Our intern, Danielle, working on one of her crochet pieces.
Draglyttes!
Roza Haidet and her fantastic mustache necklaces & other handmade jewelry.
Beautiful resin jewelry with found pieces & bugs.
Russ' Art Drawers- unique handmade panties.
Todd V discussing his paintings with some fans.
While recent years have shown that daily newspaper readership has gone down across the country, we stongly encourage you to check out today’s Akron Beacon Journal. The front page, big article is all about our sister store, Made in Akron! It’s up on www.ohio.com (if you prefer to get your news via web) as well, but here it is for your enjoyment:
If it’s a local product, it’s Made in Akron
By Betty Lin-Fisher
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:26 p.m. EDT, Aug 24, 2009
What do these things all have in common?
Marinara sauce from DeVitis Italian Market & Deli.
Russ’s Art Drawers — novelty underwear with stitched-on cutouts such as floppy discs and guitars by local artist Russ Gantzer.
An inflatable Goodyear blimp.
Salted in-shell peanuts from The Peanut Shoppe.
Plywood art with one-of-a-kind stenciled spray-paint artwork by Jason Scala.
A T-shirt that has a large state Route 8 sign on it by Rubber City Clothing.
They’re all among items featured in the Highland Square store Made in Akron, which focuses on selling food, merchandise and artwork that is either made in or designed in Akron and/or represents Akron.
The store at 16 S. Highland Ave. opened in April. The community has embraced the store’s concept, General Manager Elizabeth Tyran said.
”We’re all about promoting local art and local business in one store,” she said.
”You could say everything in here is like a finger pointing to an area of Akron.”
Made in Akron is a sister store to Rubber City Clothing at 18 N. High St. downtown. The clothing retailer also has a small area of Made in Akron items.
Both stores are owned by Ed Gaffney Jr., a Wadsworth native who spent some of his childhood in Akron, Singapore and London. Gaffney, 40, returned to Akron from New York in 2002 after the unexpected death of his father, Edward Gaffney Sr. The younger Gaffney came home to help his mother run local company Air Enterprises. The company that makes high-performance custom air-handling systems eventually went bankrupt and has since rebounded under new investors.
Gaffney decided to stay in town and bought Rubber City Clothing in 2006. He’s lived in a downtown loft for the last four years and said, ”Akron is one of these unique cities that has the attributes of a big city, but acts like a small town.”
Akron VIPs
Gaffney said he’s been able to work with Akronites like rocker Chrissie Hynde and Cavaliers star LeBron James (who has worn Rubber City T-shirts) to promote Akron.
”It takes people like me as an entrepreneur to invest their time and money and not leave the area, but buckle down and give the passion and the chutzpah to make it grow,” he said.
The store is working on a Web site to sell the merchandise and hopes to expand to Akron-themed gift baskets — such as a basket of local foods and an Akron Aeros baseball — in time for the holidays, he said.
The store is named after what started as a Rubber City Clothing onesie for babies with ”Made in Akron,” which has expanded to T-shirts, Gaffney said.
Highland Square is the perfect neighborhood for the store, with its foot traffic and uniqueness, said Gaffney and Tyran.
”I get all sorts in here, people from all different areas. They trek around and wander into the store,” said Tyran, the store’s sole employee, though she gets a lot of help from a volunteer.
Tyran said she’s adding new lines and products weekly. The store is also exploring getting additional licenses in order to sell refrigerated or frozen-food items and locally brewed beer and wine.
”We break down the barriers of competition,” said Tyran, 31, an art history graduate from the University of Akron who worked as the interim store manager of the Akron Art Museum before her next-door neighbor, Gaffney, literally knocked on her door earlier this year to ask if she’d like to help him with his new concept.
At the store, Rubber City Clothing T-shirts are sold on the same rack as other local T-shirt companies such as 10xYourCity.com, aptly named after one of the owners was stuck in traffic under the Interstate 77 and White Pond Drive bridge, which has the word ”Akron” listed 10 times.
Locally roasted Diana brand coffee from the Pearl Coffee Co. is on the shelf next to coffee from the Nervous Dog Coffee Bar.
And on the next shelf over are souvenirs from Akron mainstays such as Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the Soap Box Derby and the Akron Art Museum.
Art and jewelry
There’s also plenty of locally made jewelry and art. Some are from established artists and others are just breaking into the business.
Lauren M. Wooley, who lives in Highland Square, had just lost her job and started focusing on her mosaic artwork when she walked into the store shortly after it opened.
”It’s fantastic, especially because it’s in my community. I’m trying to establish myself as a local artist,” said Wooley, who has sold several sets of her mosaic coasters and wall mirrors.
Some of the items in the store are purchased at a wholesale rate and marked up appropriately. All artwork is sold by consignment with artists earning the same percentage. Tyran said nothing retails for more than $200 to keep items in the store affordable, though customers could always contact artists to purchase more expensive pieces (business cards abound in the store).
Scala, the plywood stencil artist, said he’s been mostly selling his artwork at his downtown Akron gallery, Urban Kanvas.
”It’s great to have a place where everybody can get together and where stuff is selling,” said Scala, 29, who has sold four to five of his plywood art pieces for $200. A file cabinet with Scala’s stenciled art is also available in the store.
John Straub, one of the owners of 10xYourCity.com, said his company wanted to build off Rubber City Clothing and the popularity of local celebrities such as rockers Hynde of the Pretenders and the Black Keys.
”We’re on the rougher side with a little more attitude to our stuff,” Straub said of the company’s T-shirts, buttons and stickers, some of which are Akron-themed and others feature pop-culture references. A new T-shirt from the company at the store is a ”Shabron” shirt, playing off Cavaliers’ players Shaquille O’Neal and James.
One artist not represented at the store is Akron artist Don Drumm of Don Drumm Studios & Gallery in downtown Akron.
But Drumm said he’s all for the store and its concept. Drumm said he tries to keep a 30-mile radius between galleries that offer his art around the country.
”God bless them, I hope they do very well,” he said.
Hynde likes idea
Hynde, who owns the VegiTerranean restaurant at the Northside Lofts and who owns a loft there, stopped by Made in Akron about three weeks ago. The store carries T-shirts for VegiTerranean and the Pretenders as well as the latest CD, belt buckles and stickers for the band.
The store is part of the drive to re-engage the city, said Hynde, who spoke by phone from a Pretenders tour stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
”I just went to a mall today and it’s just so soul-destroying to wander through a mall and listen to the Muzak,” Hynde said. ”What happened to local produce and regional concerns? This is a gathering of all of those things from pottery to spaghetti sauce. This is a really essential thing that Akron needs.”
Hynde said she hopes the store does well and can expand downtown and encourage other local businesses to open downtown.
”We’ll be able to walk from Northside Lofts to Exchange Street and get everything you need. People will be wanting to be back in Akron,” she said.
Gaffney said he’s already thinking about expanding to another location downtown.
Akron Acting Economic Development Director Adele Roth said a store that promotes Akron is great for the city.
”The fact that they think enough about Akron [and] that it’s cool to have stuff in Akron says we have cool stuff made here,” she said. ”It’s great for other businesses to have that sort of cheerleader.”
Meet the Artists
A ‘‘Meet the Artists of Made in Akron’’ event will be held Saturday outside the store at 16 S. Highland Ave., Akron.
About 20 artists will be on hand with merchandise. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In case of rain, it will be Sunday, and if it rains the whole weekend, it will be held the following Saturday.
Regular store hours are 11a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The store phone is 330-535-4774.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@ thebeaconjournal.com.