The discovery we made over time was that our copper mugs impressed people. More importantly than that, our friends were excited to host cocktail parties and barbecues around the mugs we’d built for them. Quite literally: our mugs were bringing people together.
It is this very idea that keeps us moving. A lot has changed in the 15 years since I built that very first mug. My cell phone, in those days was of the flip-variety; it barely had a camera, didn’t know what the internet was, and I didn’t care if I left it lay for hours or days at a time. In our hyper-connected world, we’ve come to realize the importance of unplugging. Disconnecting from the e-world, and connecting with friends, family, and even strangers beneath the guise of “good times” is, perhaps, more important to our well-being now than it has ever been.
Since the birth of Handlebend, the company, we’ve decided to lean into these sentiments. In 6 years of building copper mugs we’ve refined the prototype, streamlined the process, and grown the personnel. We’ve remodeled the historical Shelhamer building that has been a main-street O’Neill, Nebraska staple for over 70 years. It serves not only as our Coppershop, but as a hub for gathering and building community right here, in our hometown.
