In response to the recent
we wanted to highlight the characteristics that distinguish us as a local business: Eric Jacoby Design's studio is located in the 9th and 9th neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. But beyond being located in Salt Lake City, there are other factors which make us ultra-local: We have several partners within Salt Lake City who help machine or finish varying components for our products. We also purchase our major materials from local suppliers and our products are hand-built right here in Salt Lake City. This is the way we like it, and its the way we aim to keep it.
Not only are our products locally made and sourced, but our products are also locally inspired. For example: our Strata Chair, and the seats of our Tectonic Armchair were inspired by the stratified landscapes of Southern Utah. Our Tectonic Snake was inspired by snakes seen on the local hiking trails, and Tectonic Toy Insects were inspired by the fabulous insects who like to visit our workshop: local bees, grasshoppers, and dragonflies.
So,what's the big deal? Why does buying locally made products really matter? There are the sustainable considerations of reduced embodied energy, and the arguments to keep money in local economies. But, there is no doubt that overseas companies, or manufacturers can build very high quality and inexpensive products. However, when something is locally made it can offer a unique story, and sense of connectivity that can not be matched by imported products.
If you buy a locally made chair, you get to carry on the narrative and history of the chair, When your guests admire the chair, or you pass it on to your children as a heirloom, you can tell them that you made the conscious choice to invest in a product that was inspired by your local landscapes, designed by an architect who helped build your local community, and is built with materials that were purchased, handled, and finished with his hands that you shook when you met him around town.
Although the trend is for companies to outsource production to overseas factories, we at Eric Jacoby Design, think it is important that consumers can visualize where and by whom the products are built - simply to reinforce the value of investing in high-quality local products that will become heirlooms.
