Massive Massachusetts?

An article about the origins of some well known American businesses such as Converse, Samuel Adams beer and Monopoly.Massachusetts is one of the smaller American states, even though it has one of the longest names and is one of the harder names to spell. Massachusetts, and its main town of Boston has been punching above its weight in terms of innovation for years, partly due to the presence of technology education from places like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, and partly due to the entrepreneurial spirit of the local people. So what are the most famous products to come from this north-eastern corner of the USA?

Monopoly

Perhaps the world’s most famous board game, Monopoly was invented in Massachusetts by the Hasbro company, who started off life as a textile and school supplies company. Although today Hasbro is a worldwide company with factories in several countries, it still has a manufacturing presence in East Longmeadow, a small town around 50 miles to the south west of Boston. Massachusetts is proud of its association with Hasbro, and especially the game of Monopoly which is seen by many as the epitome of following the American dream.

Zildjian Cymbals

The name of Zildjian may sound foreign and exotic, but it is a household name for anyone interested in pop and rock music. Zildjian is the best known name in the world of percussion, and they are especially known for their cymbals. The company was founded in present day Turkey, and set up in the USA in the 1920s, when some of the founding family made the move across the Atlantic. The exact alloy used in the manufacture of the cymbals is a very closely guarded secret, and is known to only a few people in the immediate family.

Converse

Although it is now part of Nike, the Converse shoe company was also born in Massachusetts, in the small town of Malden. The company started off manufacturing rubber soled shoes for many different markets, and only moved into making tennis and basketball shoes in the early part of the 20th century. Their most famous “Chuck Taylor” style of shoe and boot has survived pretty much unchanged since the 1940s, and sells millions of pairs each year. The famous star logo on the Converse boots is recognizable the world over and coveted by teenagers and adults alike.

Samuel Adams

Americans love their beer as much as other nations, and one of the best names in American brewing is Samuel Adams, who are based in Boston. Samuel Adams is a newcomer to the world of beer as the company was only founded in 1984, but the company has grown rapidly into one of the largest beer makers in the whole of the country. The company has diversified from its original lager product to making a huge variety of different beers, sold in bars, restaurants and supermarkets worldwide. The quality of the beer made by the company has gained it an international following, and fuelled by the demands of ex-pat Americans living in the UK, the Samuel Adams brand of beer can now be found on British supermarket shelves too.

The Jeanstore does not only offer a wide range of jeans, but also a broad selection of casual shoes and trainers such as Converse.