Any time I discover a website that displays the words "Proudly Made in the USA" immediately on the home page, I get the feeling that I've come to the right place. These are precisely the words you'll find if you visit the Peterboro Basket Company website at www.peterborobasket.com. Once you do, you'll see a selection of well over 100 baskets (I didn't take the time to count them all) that you can order right over the Internet or by calling them directly on their toll-free number.

All Peterboro baskets are made in Peterborough, New Hampshire where the family-owned and operated company has been making them for 153 years.

Perhaps what interested me the most about the wide variety of baskets offered for a variety of uses and occasions was that you don't necessarily have to spend extra money that you wouldn't normally already spend at www.peterborobasket.com.

For example, if you're looking for a way to organize and beautify your bathroom area, then check out the Peterboro hygiene caddy that holds two tubes of American-made toothpaste (such as Colgate or Crest) and up to four American-made toothbrushes (such as Oral-B).

Looking for a way to organize and beautify your kitchen area? Then how about a Peterboro napkin basket, countertop organizer, utensil caddy, tissue box or small fruit and vegetable basket?

Looking for a way to organize your home office or computer area? Don't go buy one of those cheap, Chinese-made plastic organizers at one of those big-box office supply stores. Check out Peterboro's file basket to store important files or papers or a home office ensemble to store your pens, pencils, business cards and American-made Scotch tape.

Are American-made Peterboro products going to cost more money than the cheap, Chinese-made stuff at your local retail outlet? Of course they are. But I'm reminded that Americans are always supportive of spending their hard-earner dollars when it's for a worthy cause even in uncertain economic times. According to the Giving USA Foundation, charitable giving in the U.S. rose by 3.9% in 2007, surpassing the $300 billion mark for the first time in history. It is no doubt a worthy cause when we spend our money in a way that helps another American keep their job, too, and this type of giving allows you to get a great American-made basket in return!

Other types of Peterboro baskets include wine baskets, waste baskets, knitting baskets, magazine baskets, laundry and storage baskets, patriotic baskets, picnic baskets, pie baskets, bicycle baskets and even pet baskets. And many baskets come with fabric liners and plastic protectors to help keep your product looking like new.

If you're ever in the New England area of the United States, you can visit the Peterboro gift shop/factory outlet. They do not give factory tours, but you can view a six-minute online video to see the basket making process.

Peterboro baskets are made from Appalachian White Ash (harvested from New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont), which is the same hardwood used to make baseball bats and axe handles. Solid brass nails are used to prevent rusting and the hardware is brass coated. Peterboro is the oldest company still making baskets in the U.S., and their baskets come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Even if you don't see baskets on your buying list anytime soon, I would encourage you to visit www.peterborobasket.com and you just might be encouraged to see an American company that's proud to be one that has made their products in the USA for such a long time.

Roger Simmermaker is the author of How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism. He also writes "Buy American Mention of the Week" articles for his website www.howtobuyamerican.com and is a member of the Machinists Union and National Writers Union. Roger has been a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, has been quoted in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and US News & World Report among many other publications, and is now a weekly contributor to WorldNetDaily.

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