5 nationally known products you probably didn’t know were made in Bennington

Featured in the April 2021 edition of New England Newspapers’ UpCountry Magazine

By Telly Halkias

Don’t try to convince Matt Harrington that Bennington no longer has what it takes to attract national and global companies.

Not only will he tell you you’re wrong, but he’ll also take it as an invitation to offer up the names of a number of companies, with national and international ties, that make their homes within the community.
As the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, Harrington spends his waking hours cheerleading the region’s economic development potential.

“Bennington has long been an innovation and entrepreneurial community,” he said during a recent interview. “Whether it’s the small Mason jar — often called a lightning jar — created by Henry Putnam or world-renowned pottery, once featured in the White House, from Bennington Potters, Bennington has often punched above its weight in famous innovation, design and production for generations.”

And that continuous diverse economic makeup has allowed Bennington to retain its appeal and reputation as a location that fosters all types of innovation, manufacturing and creativity.

“Now, with aerospace, composites, tactical gear, automotive, and other advanced manufacturing being the primary products and industries shipped from Bennington, this community of hard workers, creators and a new entrepreneurial ecosystem is still worthy of its heritage,” Harrington said.

Not only are these manufacturers the backbone of Bennington’s continued innovation, but they also are some of its best-kept secrets. Here are a few you might not know about…