Martha Stewart Announces Third Annual American Made Program

NEW YORK, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This fall, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) will present the 2014 Martha Stewart American Made program for the third year, with sponsors including The UPS Store and Hyatt House. The program will kick-off on June 4 as voting opens for this year's American Made Awards competition, and will culminate in November with the American Made Event, which includes the public announcement of the 2014 Award Winners, a lecture and interview series and a maker networking party, all to be held on November 7 and 8 at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia headquarters in New York City.

Martha Stewart's American Made is a nationally recognized awards program that celebrates new rising stars of the growing maker culture who have turned their passions for handcrafted, well-designed goods into small businesses and proudly make their products in America. According to a study conducted by the Small Business Association, small firms (defined by those with 500 employees or less) accounted for 64 percent of the net new jobs created between 1993 and 2011 (11.8 million of the 18.5 million net new jobs during the same period). The 2014 American Made competition honors these creative entrepreneurs across the food, crafts, style and design categories, and awards a cash prize of $10,000 to each of the 10 winners, a trip to New York City to attend the American Made Event, the opportunity to be featured on MarthaStewart.com and in Martha Stewart Living, and an appearance on Martha's Sirius XM radio show, as well as marketing and public relations to help move their businesses forward. A panel of judges led by Martha and made up of members of the Martha Stewart Living executive editorial team will select nine grand prize winners; additionally, one grand prize winner will be chosen by popular vote. All winners will be announced on October 17.

A new extension of the program this year is the Martha Stewart American Made Market on eBay—a marketplace of American made products, handpicked by Martha Stewart and her American Made team. With hundreds of products, the Martha Stewart American Made Market on eBay is available to all who want to support and shop the work of American artisans.

Last year's program, which honored businesses such as Shinola, Lindsey Adelman Studio and Woodberry Kitchen, received over 2,000 nominations for Audience Choice and more than 3.5 million votes to determine the winner.

"Three years ago, we created the American Made program as a natural extension of the Martha Stewart Living brand," said Martha Stewart. "Since our earliest days as a company, we have celebrated craftsmanship, artisanal initiative, local provenance, and creative entrepreneurialism. These values are deeply rooted in American culture and history.

"Now we are delighted to see a shift as these entrepreneurs define a new American economy," Stewart continued.  "With American Made, we honor and support this growing population of makers who create beautiful and useful products, pioneer new industries, improve their local communities, and change the way we eat, shop, work and live – all while supporting the USA.  We are delighted to showcase their work and help them grow and thrive."

To learn more about Martha Stewart's American Made Program or to nominate your small business for the 2014 American Made Awards (beginning June 4, 2014), click here.

About Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) is a diversified media and merchandising company, inspiring and engaging consumers with unique lifestyle content and distinctive products. The Company reaches approximately 100 million consumers across all media platforms each month and has a growing retail presence in thousands of retail locations. MSLO's media brands, available across multiple platforms, include Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Everyday Food; the Company also offers books and utility Apps. MSLO's television and video programming includes "Martha Stewart's Cooking School" and "Martha Bakes" series on PBS, in addition to made-for-the-web video and a vast library of how-to content available online. Martha Live, a radio show hosted by Martha Stewart, airs every weekday on SIRIUS XM Channel 107. MSLO also designs high-quality Martha Stewart products in a range of lifestyle categories available through select retailers, including The Home Depot, Macy's, jcpenney, Staples (together with Avery), PetSmart, Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores. The MSLO family of brands also includes Chef Emeril Lagasse's media and merchandising properties. Additional information about MSLO is at www.marthastewart.com.

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SOURCE Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.