Products Made in New Jersey

New Jersey's factory history starts at the Great Falls of the Passaic, where Alexander Hamilton's Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures founded Paterson in 1791. By the late 1800s Paterson's mills wove so much silk that it was called Silk City. Trenton made pottery and wire rope, Newark made leather goods and jewelry, and Thomas Edison ran his laboratories at Menlo Park and later West Orange. Drug and health-product makers grew up around New Brunswick and Rahway from the 1880s on. General Pencil has made pencils in Jersey City since 1889, and Excel Blades makes hobby knives and blades in Paterson. Princeton Tec builds headlamps in Pennsauken, and Tektite builds dive lights in Trenton. Espoma blends organic plant foods in Millville, Ranger Ink makes craft inks in Tinton Falls, and Nylabone makes most of its chew toys in Neptune City. Flexon runs a garden hose plant in Newark, BRIMAR makes safety signs in Garfield, and MetroVac builds pet dryers and hand vacuums in Oakland.