Workers move steadily inside M-Clip‘s workshop in Savannah, Georgia, fitting springs made in Connecticut into polished steel, setting inlays sourced from Florida, and hand finishing every piece before it ships out the door. The space feels more like a studio than a factory. Small teams sit at long tables, talking quietly as they assemble products designed to last a lifetime. Every component comes together under one roof in the South, and every job inside the building supports a family in the community.
“We’re not a flashy company,” said founder Ron McGarity, who started M-Clip 25 years ago in his basement. Frustrated with traditional wallets and unable to find a money clip that could properly hold both cash and cards, he transformed a simple binder clip into something extraordinary - a patented design featuring sliding levers and heat-treated springs that would never lose tension.
That same attention to detail defines their workshop today. “Everything is assembled here in Savannah,” McGarity said. “The parts arrive from trusted American suppliers, and our people put it all together by hand.” Most employees have been with M-Clip for more than a decade, creating the kind of skilled manufacturing jobs that help local communities thrive.
Keeping a business like this steady through wholesale sales alone wasn’t simple. “Initially it was primarily brick and mortar. You’d have to go meet with buyers, it took a lot of energy to reach people,” said Mark McGarity, Ron’s son and the company’s brand and operations lead. Nearly sixteen years ago, M-Clip expanded their sales channels and began offering products in the Amazon store. “As it grew, we’re like, ‘Damn. This has kind of taken off.’”
The Amazon store provided tools that leveled the playing field for a business their size. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), a service that stores, packs, and ships products directly to customers, transformed how they handle orders. “With Fulfillment by Amazon, we can ship a large amount of product. Amazon allows us to utilize their people like they’re ours, they handle all those individual orders,” Mark explained. “Over the years, it’s saved us a ton of energy, a ton of time. Time’s money.”
Their advertising strategy shows similar efficiency. Amazon Ads lets businesses test different approaches and optimize based on real-time results, with costs coming directly from sales rather than requiring upfront investment. “We have been using Amazon Ads for about five or six years, and it definitely increased visibility,” Mark said. “It puts our clips in front of people who are ready to make a decision.”
The company also uses A+ Content, Amazon’s enhanced product detail pages that allow brands to showcase their story through rich images and detailed feature descriptions. This helps M-Clip demonstrate their craftsmanship and quality materials to potential customers. Combined with product reviews and Prime shipping benefits, these tools help build trust with customers who might be discovering their brand for the first time.
This combination of tools has driven consistent results. “We typically see about 10 to 12% growth a year,” Ron said. That stability helps them maintain their workforce through market fluctuations. “When orders fluctuate, the team feels it immediately, and we work hard to keep our workforce stable.”
Looking ahead, M-Clip plans to expand with new designs and into new regions, especially through the Amazon store. But the business remains centered in Savannah, rooted in the values Ron laid out decades ago. “Quality, unique designs, treating people right, and our integrity is really what matters,” he said. “And with Amazon, we can carry that forward.”
Back in the workshop, another precision-engineered money clip moves through quality control. The tables stay full, the paychecks steady. For this American manufacturer, success comes from balancing traditional craftsmanship with modern commerce, and keeping people working, one carefully assembled piece at a time.