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FARMERS & ARTISANS
Billy Reid, Inc.
Florence Alabama
William “Billy” Reid grew up Amite, Louisiana, just south of the Mississippi line, where, in his grandmother’s onetime home, his mother operated a women’s clothing boutique. The shop would later influence his interest and pursuits in design.
Reid’s first foray into the world of designer fashion came in 1998 with the launch of William Reid. The brand went on hiatus in 2001 until the Spring of 2004 when Reid re-launched under the name Billy Reid by way of a new business model: to build a designer brand around his authentic lifestyle and establish retail shops that reflect his upbringing, his personality, his aesthetic.
In Fall 2008, Billy added a capsule women’s wear collection to complement his core work in men’s clothing and accessories. The modern approach to American work wear and cultured Southern dandyism embodies the essence of the brand from season to season. Reid’s design philosophy continues to expand with like-minded collaborations, such as Stetson, which launched in Fall 2010. Spring 2011 marked the debut of Billy Reid for K.Swiss; collaboration spurred from Billy’s own twenty-five year long affection for a pair of the classic lace up tennis shoes.
Billy Reid, now fully realized as a designer men’s, women’s, and accessories collection, has roots in a specific Southern past. Reid is a son of the South, who designs his collection in Florence, Alabama and employs artisan factories in Europe and America.
GQ and the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Billy the Best New Designer in America Award in February 2010. The annual award gave Billy the opportunity to design an exclusive capsule collection with one of America’s most iconic brands, Levi’s. The collaboration, Levi’s Workwear by Billy Reid was sold exclusively at Bloomingdale’s and Billy Reid stores nationwide. In November 2010, Billy won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, becoming the first designer to win both prestigious awards in the same year. In addition to being featured in Vogue and GQ, Billy Reid has also been included in top tier publications such as Elle, Esquire, Details, Lucky, and The New York Times, among others.
Today, Billy works out of his flagship shop and studio on North Court Street in Florence, AL. The store is furnished with Reid family heirlooms, serves as a lodestar for his other boutiques, each furnished in much the same way.
Additional Billy Reid shops include locations in New York City; Nashville, TN; Charleston, SC; Dallas, TX; and Houston, TX. The collection is also available at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, Istean in Japan, and United Arrows in Japan.
www.billyreid.com
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CocoBon Chocolatier
Anderson, SC
Chocolate is our passion! CocoBon Chocolatier is an artisan manufacturer of gourmet chocolate confections operating in west Anderson County, SC. We offer fine hand-dipped chocolate confections, chocolate truffles, a line of gourmet drinking chocolate and numerous point-of-purchase items, including a popular product called CocoJava Bites™. We create chocolate sculptures for our clients and have even encased Mickey Mouse in a chocolate gift box.
Our newest innovation is a unique chocolate kit for pairing with wine. Called Coco du Vin™, we have specially selected and blended four different chocolates from around the world to perfectly pair with a wide variety of wines. To complete the offering we include an informational guide to help tasters pair our chocolates with their favorite wines to bring the most flavor out of the pairing experience.
In October 2007 we teamed with Split Creek Farm and Grade-A Goat Dairy to create and produce a goat dairy based chocolate truffle that was entered in the American Goat Dairy Association’s national cheese competition. The entry took a first place and earned a gold medal in the confection division. This is a testament to our quality, originality and the unique style of our chocolatiers.
www.cocobonchocolatier.com
Creative Wood Products
Bluffton, SC
Native to Detroit, Michigan, woodworker Jim Renauer lived in Argentina, Brazil, San Diego, San Francisco and Toledo, Ohio before moving to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. While gainfully employed, Jim’s business responsibilities took him to 32 countries in 35 years. Jim became interested in wood turning upon moving to Bluffton, SC. After people noticed what he made for his house and his grandc hildren they began asking to make items for them.
Now an exceptional wood turner, Jim has a hobby, a following and a business that brings him happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. Wooden bowls, cutting boards, both solid and multicolored wine bottle stoppers are a few of the many items crafted by Jim in his shop. However the wine bottle stopper is by far his most popular item. Each one contains from eleven to fifteen pieces of wood. To Jim there is a natural relationship between wood and wine, “Grapes are grown on woody vines and most wines are matured in wooden casks.” Anticipating what the end product will finally look like is a regular occurrence in the art of wood turning. The wood dictates what it will become and Jim says, “It is the artist’s job to bring those natural wood characteristics forward.” His primary objective is to design and sculpt wood into beautiful crafted functional art for the home. While doing this Jim is having a lot of fun and he feels blessed to have found this new life - “I no longer have blood in my veins, only sawdust.” You may find Jim and his work at local art shows, but the majority of his work can be viewed at the Pluff Mudd Gallery, on Calhoun Street in Bluffton, SC.
Earthborn Studios, Inc.
Leeds, AL
 Earthborn pottery is organic by nature and by design, giving the food professional access to custom-made products that stand out amidst the ‘round & white’ monopoly of tabletop merchandise.
All materials used in the pottery process are taken straight from the earth, rearranged, and subjected to the heat of the kilns to produce beautiful, one-of-a-kind totally functional pieces. The product has been tested for quality and safety. The clay is durable and the abrasive-resistant glazes are industrial dishwasher safe. This pottery can be used in the microwave and oven when pre-heated under hot tap water. The product is beautiful, original, and restaurant sturdy.
As in the high culinary arts, the art of clay is expressive and exacting. We follow traditions and methodologies that have been passed down for centuries. The creative processes we use require an artist’s eye, strong hands, and continual diligence. Earthborn Studios is a small band of artists who are making a dream come true by hard work, creativity, and inspiration.
Earthborn Studios, Inc. is a Certified Woman Owned Business based just outside Birmingham, in Leeds Alabama.
www.earthbornpottery.net
Fat & Juicy Bloody Mary Mix
Charleston, SC
 Fully loaded, Fat & Juicy is an extra high grade Bloody Mary mix that expertly combines the vine-ripened boldness of ‘fat and juicy’ tomatoes and a signature mix of smoky heat, roasted vegetable puree, fresh horseradish, celery and garlic for a party ready cocktail anytime anywhere. Touted by Coastal Living and Beverage Media among others, the recipe for this mix was concocted in the back of a 15-passenger van the morning after a late night gig by Charleston, SC band mates John Glenn and Joe Good…it’s clearly road tested and tailgate approved.
Whether served spirited or simply straight-up, the recipe promises to meet the expectations of even the most devoted Bloody Mary drinker. “With a name as bold as Fat & Juicy it better deliver” says Good & Glenn. “Who wants a tomato that is anything less than fat & juicy? The same goes for a Bloody Mary.”
Fat & Juicy is available in 32oz or smaller 8oz bottles (perfect for pocketing) as well as by the case.
www.fatandjuicymix.com
Four Corners Gallery
Bluffton, SC
Located in the heart of Historic Old Town Bluffton, this gallery offers a variety of art prepared by talented local and regional artists. Custom framing is also a specialty shop that draws on our history of 10 years in Bluffton.
Fumar Cigar
Phoenix, AZ
Fumar Cigars is the premier luxury cigar provider for over 300 4 & 5 star resort properties, golf clubs and private facilities in 9 states and 26 famous markets. Delivering first class service to one-of-a-kind properties, unusual and interactive cigar rolling demonstrations for corporate groups and personalized private labeled cigars and amenities for the hospitality industry is our specialty.
Fumar is a complete provider with the “extra’s” a resort or preferred property expects. Our events department will interact and engage with your destination management, event management, catering, banquets, retail, golf group sales and all of the potential revenue streams with exciting new shows available for your business traveler.
www.fumarcigarusa.com
Great Food Co-op
Lobeco, SC
Our store is in the heart of the beautiful South Carolina Lowcountry and we specialize in the foods of this region. We are located just outside of historic Beaufort, South Carolina - halfway between Charleston and Savannah. Our family has been making all-natural ciders for four generations, giving us plenty of time to perfect the flavors and gain a nationwide following. The ciders are all-natural and we never add any sugar or preservatives; just plenty of fresh fruit flavor. We’re the original and the best! Walking into our store is like walking into your grandmother’s pantry; shelves of hand-made jams and preserves, pickles and relishes. We also carry a tasty selection of stone ground grits, Carolina rice and baking mixes. All of our products are southern made, produced in small batches using fresh ingredients and seasonal produce. The flavors will delight you!
www.carolinaciderco.com
Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets
North Charleston, SC
An Afro-American art form made by the people in the Lowcountry of Charleston, South Carolina, basket weavers are ancestors of African roots. The art itself is over 300 year old, traced from the slave descendents from the west coast of Africa. Today, Corey Alston and his family are keeping the tradition alive, pasting it down from generation to generation. The baskets that they make are usually sold in downtown Charleston on the market or US Highway 17 North in the home land of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Gullah basket-making is a rare art form that is only evident in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Some will tell you that the more you use them the more you will appreciate them.
Nature Inspired Designs
Hilton Head, SC
Susan Knight’s own passions for unique silver jewelry lead her to her craft. Once she learned how to make silver jewelry, the work of George Jensen, a silversmith in the early 1900’s, inspired her to find her own voice in creating silver pieces in organic shapes. Her years as an interior designer and antique dealer in Cary, North Carolina gave her great opportunities to work with texture and observe and preserve to patinas of yesterday for today. You will see this influence in the jewelry she creates today.
Savannah Bee Company 
Savannah, GA
The Savannah Bee Company is internationally admired for its rare specialty honeys. Savannah Bee Company is dedicated to creating only the most desirable floral varietals, including Tupelo and Sourwood. Our honeys are spun purely out of the comb and into the bottle---without blending them or processing them in a way that could compromise their taste or quality. We also have a beeswax based body care line that is as natural and pleasant to use as possible. It is our mission to provide pure, rare
delectable honey and beneficial hive products while educating people about the wonder of honeybees. We hope you will enjoy our delicious honeys and hive products!
www.savannahbee.com
Southern Foodways Alliance
Oxford, MS
he Southern Foodways Alliance documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the changing American South. We set a common table where black and white, rich and poor -- all who gather -- may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation.
A member-supported non-profit, based at the University of Mississippi, we stage symposia on food culture, produce documentary films, collect oral histories, and publish compendiums of great writing. In the Atlantic Monthly, Corby Kummer dubbed the SFA “this country’s most intellectually engaged (and probably most engaging) food society.”
www.southernfoodways.org
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