What Does It Mean To Be Certified Brooklyn Made?
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, the Brooklyn name is a profitable one. But therein lies the problem: Too many businesses and people who aren’t even remotely associated with the borough want in on that success. So, who better to offer a solution to the issue than Brooklyn’s own Chamber of Commerce, which recently teamed up with NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service to establish the Brooklyn Made certification program, protecting brands that are actually making products in Brooklyn against imitators.
“When people think of a ‘Brooklyn product,’ they know it’s going to be high-quality, they know it’s going to have good craftsmanship, it’s probably going to be artisanal,” says Chamber President and CEO, Carlo Scissura. “The program really separates you. It says, ‘I’m actually here.’”
But just being here isn’t all it takes. Potential members of the Brooklyn Made club get additional points toward bronze, silver, or gold certification if they employ Brooklynites or make their product with other local products or deeply embed themselves in the Brooklyn community in some other way. And no, you don’t have to be member of the Chamber to apply, but don’t be surprised if they pitch you on joining once you’ve got your certification.