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Building Bridges Newsletter
Supporting businesses by lending good money to good businesses!
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February is symbolic of many things "red": Valentine's Day, National Heart Month, colorful Mardi Gras time, etc. So, it is appropriate to feature as this month's newsletter header the beautiful red bridge photo (taken by our Facebook friend, Sam Miller) located in Ariel Foundation Park, Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Here is hoping you have a wonderful month.
Happy February ♥
Lisa Hultz
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American Made: Nelson Knitting Company
 John Nelson was born in Sweden in 1830. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1852, meeting his future wife Eva Christina Persson (Peterson) on the ship on the way over. Nelson was supposed to disembark from the train in Chicago, however, an outbreak of cholera there kept him traveling farther northwest to settle in Rockford, Illinois. He worked as a carpenter before opening his own business as a cabinet maker. In 1865, he opened a shop sash, door, and blind factory. But he soon took a turn and began working on inventing an automatic knitting machine.
In 1866, he formed a partnership with William Worth Burson and the two began working on developing a home knitting machine. The machine was patented, and by 1871 Burson and Nelson were knitting 80 pairs of socks a day. All the socks were knit on circular machines and the toe was closed by hand. In 1873, Burson and Nelson developed yet another machine, the flat machine. This could close the heel and toe of the sock automatically, creating the first truly seamless sock. In 1878, William Burson withdrew from the partnership and in 1892 started Burson Knitting Company in Rockford.
 By 1904, the production of socks at Nelson Knitting reached 450 dozen pair each day. The Nelson Knitting Company's socks looked the same as their competitors': brown body, white toe, heel, and top. In 1932, Rockford advertising executive Howard Monk suggested that red be added to the heel of the Nelson sock to make it distinctive. Nelson called this trademark the "De-Tec-Tic," or what is now called the Red Heel sock.
By 1938, Nelson Knitting produced 4,000 dozen pairs of socks each day. A knitter could run 25 to 30 machines at a time. The machines ran off of belts that were turned by ceiling shafts. These machines never stopped. During an 8- hour shift, there were no breaks. A worker ate his lunch while he watched his machines.
 No one knows exactly when the first sock monkey was made as the socks had been used to make dolls for decades. But in 1955, the Nelson Knitting Company was awarded the patent for the sock monkey doll based on the evidence that Grace Winget of Rockford made a sock monkey doll as a Valentine's gift for her grandson in 1951. This is the earliest recorded sock monkey. Nelson began including instructions on how to make the sock monkey with every package of Red Heel socks. The patent expired in 1970, so now the sock monkey  belongs to everyone!
Shortly afterward, Roebuck and Co. started to sell a book which included instructions to make more than 50 sock animals, dolls, puppets. Thus, turning the sock stuffed animals into a whole separate branch of the hobby. Sock monkeys are some of the most popular to this day. They were in their high throughout the 1960s and 1970s with a rebirth of popularity in the last few years. Sock Monkeys may have originated in Rockford, Illinois, but now they're available everywhere - from specialty stores like  Cracker Barrel to your Aunt Thelma's sewing room. Anyone who wants one can get one or make their own.
Fox River Mills of Osage, Iowa purchased Nelson Knitting in 1992. Today, the instructions for making these dolls are still included in each package of authentic Red Heel Monkey socks.
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This Month In History
♥ The board game Monopoly first went on sale Feb. 6, 1935.
♥ Nylon was patented on Feb. 16, 1937 but it didn't become popular for a few more decades.
♥ A prize was inserted into a Crackerjacks box for the first time on Feb. 19, 1913.
♥ Frank Woolworth opened the first "Five Cent Store" in Utica, NY on Feb. 22, 1879.
♥ Yellowstone became the first National Park on Feb. 29, 1872.
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February Business Book Pick
 Marketing For Dummies, by Alexander Hiam. Paperback, 384 pages; published by For Dummies, May 5, 2014; ISBN-10: 1118880803, ISBN-13: 978-1118880807.
Marketing strategies are evolving faster than ever before, and mastering the latest and greatest strategies are essential to getting results. This updated edition of the classic marketing bestseller includes new and revised material, with full coverage of the latest marketing trends and how to effectively apply them to your business. Whether it's boosting your baseline marketing skills, figuring out social media, developing a comprehensive Internet marketing strategy, or getting expert tips on effective local marketing techniques, Marketing for Dummies, 4th Edition has everything you need in one easy-to-use and accessible guide.
Effective marketing is about knowing your customers and giving them what they want, when they want it. The latest marketing research tells us that every customer interaction is an opportunity to grow your business and your bottom line, which is why you need a results-oriented marketing plan. With this updated, practical, and savvy guide to marketing strategies that work, you can apply the skills you already have more efficiently than ever before Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition gives you the structure and practical advice you need to get the most out of every marketing initiative and, ultimately, grow your business. - Maximize the lifetime value of your customers
- Connect web marketing strategies to real world traffic and sales
- Implement local sourcing to boost local and regional marketing initiatives
- Focus your online marketing strategy to target only qualified buyers
Before you waste any more time with ineffective and potentially costly marketing missteps, let Marketing For Dummies, 4th Edition establish viable marketing strategies that will help your business succeed. (Source: Amazon.com)
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Thoughtful Thoughts
You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.
- Babe Ruth
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February Humor
 A young man asked an old rich man how he made his money.
The old guy fingered his worsted wool vest and said, "Well, son, it was 1932. The depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last nickel. "I invested that nickel in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents."
"The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them for 20 cents. I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I'd accumulated a fortune of $1.37."
"Then my wife's father died and left us two million dollars."
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February Holidays & Events
Feb. 2: Groundhog Day; Feb. 4: Thank a Mailman Day, National Carrot Cake Day; Feb. 5: National Wear Red Day; National Weatherman's Day; Feb. 9: Mardi Gras Carnival (New Orleans, LA); Feb. 12: Lincoln's Birthday; Feb. 14: Valentine's Day; Feb. 15: Presidents Day; Feb 22: Washington's Birthday. February is National Heart Month!
Note: Mazon's office will be closed Monday, Feb. 15th in observance of Presidents Day.
FAQ: What is the cut-off time for submitting my invoices for factoring?
Client invoices are to be submitted to Mazon by 10:00 a.m. CST. Invoices submitted after 10:00 a.m. are funded the next business day. We can, however, be flexible with this cut-off time depending on individual situations and if we are notified that you are running a little later. Invoices may be submitted by fax, email, FedEx, UPS, courier or dropped off at our offices during business hours.
If you would like to find out more about our services for your business and/or apply for an account with Mazon Associates, please phone us at 972-554-6967 (toll-free 800-442-2740 or visit our website at
$$$ Refer And Earn $$$
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Business contacts, friends, family and acquaintances -- you just never know when someone you know might need Mazon's accounts receivable factoring services! Visit our referral page for more information.
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About Our Clients
Our clients are traditionally businesses that are manufacturers, distributors and service companies in the following areas: advertising / marketing / apparel / design / courier & delivery services / equipment repair & maintenance / environmental services / graphic design / signage & printing / staffing & employment services / security services / catering & food services / legal services / light construction / telecommunications / transportation services. Our clients may include start-up, early-stage growth and high-growth businesses; under-capitalized businesses with historical operating losses; businesses with cash flow problems having a cash flow need; businesses with tax liens or turnaround situations; businesses who may not currently meet a bank's credit criteria. Our clients have delivered services or products to other businesses and have business-to-business invoices that can be independently verified. Most of our clients have come to us through referrals from current and former clients. We rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to bring in new clients -- and we offer a lucrative referral program. Our clients are located in any of the 50 states in the U.S.A. Our clients are not companies with a majority of consumer receivables such as retail businesses, progress billings, third party pay medical receivables and certain construction-related businesses.
For more information about becoming a client, please contact us by telephone 972-554-6967 or toll-free 1-800-442-2740, or visit our website:
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