Portrait by Mariah Brink, product shots provided
Dan and Alex Cordell launched Solid Manufacturing in 2012 knowing that quality handmade products could be manufactured in the United States and built to last. The couple makes small leather goods, a kids line for inspired play, home goods, and their signature wooden furniture with paint-dipped legs here in Minnesota, selling their wares out of their brick-and-mortar store in Excelsior. In 2018, West Elm took notice of their quality products and partnered with the pair as part of the company’s weLocal Collection. It was West Elm’s most successful maker partnership, and it sent a little piece of Minnesota to homes around the globe. But the couple didn’t let their success go to their heads—their retail shop, Ace General Store, is community-driven and reminds us that the best retail spaces help us write our own stories by the goods they sell. Plus, stepping into their space feels like visiting a dear friend.
Midwest Home features local makers in each issue via The Collective. Find more on midwesthome.com/thecollective. Curated by Jerrod Sumner, founder of Brandtabulous, a Minneapolis-based marketing and brand storytelling agency that specializes in promoting American makers, including the ones featured on this page.
