Dave Schowalter, owner of Collegiate Bead Co., partnered with Terryberry in Grand Rapids to keep his beads and bracelets truly “Made in USA” and “Made in Michigan.”
A Royal Oak jewelry maker’s unwavering refusal to move production to China led him on a two-year cross-country odyssey. the journey ultimately brought him home to Michigan to form a partnership with Grand Rapids-based Terryberry that is enabling his company to keep it’s college beads, sorority bracelets and charms as truly “Made in USA” and “Made in Michigan” products.Dave Schowalter, owner of Collegiate Bead Co., knew he had a desirable product and knew that meant his company could create jobs. the son of an Alaskan gold miner, he wanted those to be American jobs, but needed a manufacturing partner who could make a large volume of the high quality beads for an affordable price within the United States. two years and thousands of miles later, Collegiate Bead is poised for rapid growth. it already has added eleven positions in the Detroit area and is eyeing as many as 50 Michigan jobs as demand continues to increase. Schowalter projects that the company could double its sales volume to a rate of 200,000 units annually in the next six months.Collegiate Bead partnered with jewelry manufacturer Terryberry, which produces the metal molds for Collegiate Bead’s sterling silver beads, charms and bracelets featuring the licensed logos of nearly 200 colleges and more than 20 sororities.“I never stopped believing I’d find a way to make high quality college jewelry affordably right here in the United States and right here in Michigan,” Schowalter said. “I could have saved a lot of time and made a lot of money by moving production to China last year. I didn’t want to sacrifice quality or allow jobs that could improve lives here in America, and especially in the Detroit area, to move overseas.”He went on a nationwide search for plastic injection companies and wound up back in Michigan utilizing Terryberry’s production capabilities. Mike Byam, managing partner of Terryberry said, “We are well positioned to assist Collegiate Bead Co. as they continue to grow.”Collegiate Bead is the only manufacturer of entirely American-made beads designed to fit the popular Pandora and Chamilia style bracelets. Schowalter developed the idea for the company while re-teaching himself to read following brain surgery. in September 2008, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. at the same time, the Michigan economy took a plunge. “I felt a little ashamed because I almost gave in to the negativity,” said Schowalter.“The Big 3 were shedding jobs, the unemployment rate was the highest in the country and property values were dropping faster than anywhere else,” he added.up late one evening determined to read emails from customers of the jewelry store his family has owned for generations (Miner’s Den in Royal Oak) Schowalter came across an inquiry about sorority beads fitting Pandora or Chamilia charm bracelets.He scoured the Internet and found no such product — a market niche that needed to be filled. from there, Collegiate Bead Co. was born. Continued…
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