Viva Fall River

Making it here: Celebrate Manufacturing Month with these 11 products created in Fall River

Mar 19, 2024 | Small Business

Dan Medeiros; The Herald News
Published October 18, 2021

Fall River’s unofficial slogan is “Make it Here,” and we certainly do. Though the city is often stereotyped as a town full of dead mills where manufacturing is a distant memory, plenty of companies around here still produce goods — some of them destined for the swankiest homes worldwide.  

The Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for the manufacturing sector, marks MFG Day on the first Friday of October with events happening nationwide all month. MFG Day celebrates the jobs and the workers that make up that sector of the economy, and looks to the future of the manufacturing industry. 

Here are 11 products you can find manufactured right here within city limits. 

A sampling of the leather jackets available at Vanson Leathers in Fall River.

Vanson leather jackets 

Vanson is one of the country’s leading makers of high-quality leather apparel, with a focus on motorsports. At Vanson’s workshop on Broadway, they’ve been making high-end bags, racing suits, jackets, pants and more since 1974 — a range of beautiful products, each one handmade, for everyone from the professional racer who needs a racing suit, to the casual rider looking for some protection, to someone who just wants to look awesome in a leather jacket. (vansonleathers.com, 951 Broadway)

A SwimEx pool, built at the company's factory in Fall River.

SwimEx paddlewheel pools  

This company at Airport Road has been building pools, spas and plunge pools since the mid-1980s. SwimEx’s special pools are outfitted with paddlewheels that create an adjustable current — like having a water treadmill, useful for getting in a swimming workout without needing a huge lap pool. SwimEx pools are also made for aquatic therapy, too, helping people recover from joint injuries. (swimex.com, 390 Airport Road)

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