Made in the USA is a claim few manufacturers can make. And even fewer can boast of products made entirely in Rhode Island.
But this is both the foundation and the philosophy for Aspects Inc. The manufacturer, best known for its signature hummingbird feeder the “HummZinger,” has been making exclusively Rhode Island lawn and garden products for 40 years.
In fact, the business may be the only lawn and garden industry manufacturer whose products are put together exclusively stateside, according to co-owner Trisha Torres.
What that means for consumers is that every hummingbird feeder, seed tube and accessory dome is assembled by hand in the company’s Warren headquarters. Products are sold through lawn and garden distributors or the retail chain Wild Birds Unlimited, which has locations in Warwick and Seekonk.
“We have hands on and eyes on every product that leaves our shop,” Torres said.
The U.S.-only business model has become increasingly attractive in recent months amid trade wars and tariffs on imported materials, according to Torres. But as demand for American-made products increases, so do the costs for supplies from vendors, who have increased raised prices in response to tariffs.
Aspect’s biggest challenge comes not from international politics, but from counterfeit sellers on Amazon.com Inc.
That’s right; Aspect’s trademark bird feeders are so well-known that third-party sellers on Amazon have begun selling counterfeit versions of the company’s products, passing them off as the real deal to unknowing buyers. The fakes not only cost Aspect in sales, but also in reputation.
“It’s the integrity of our business,” Torres said. “Folks think they’re buying a well-made product and in fact they’re getting a cheap knockoff.”
The battle with Amazon and its scam bird feeders cost Aspects more than $1 million in sales, Torres said, not to mention the money to file its existing trademarks in customs databases and the many phone calls to Amazon asking it to take down listings of counterfeit products.
Despite this, business has held steady, even in the coldest and desolate of winter months, when what Torres calls the “sympathy factor” motivates bird enthusiasts to purchase tubular feeders to sustain their flying friends. Meanwhile, warm weather brings out all manner of hummingbird watchers looking to purchase the HummZinger, a red bowl-shaped feeder. Other products, such as painted acrylic thermometers, have year-round appeal to those interested in adding flair to their gardens.
The products aren’t just for retirees and baby boomers, either. As millennials increasingly turn to home ownership rather than rentals, they are looking for quality décor to spruce up their backyards, Torres said.
For Torres, a self-described animal-welfare activist and vegetarian, she’s motived to run a business that “serves someone other than humans.” And her interest in supporting products for animals has only grown in the 25 years since she started at Aspects, working her way up from office manager to running manufacturing and sales, and now as co-owner.
OWNERS: Trisha Torres and Barry Colvin
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Bird feeder manufacturer
LOCATION: 245 Child St., Warren
EMPLOYEES: 15-20
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1979
ANNUAL SALES: WND
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
