My name is Matt Williams—the founder, crafter, owner, shipper, designer, lawn mower, customer support tech, hype man, photographer and so on for Gravel Drive Trading Company. I believe in real human connection, authenticity, the old ways of doing things, and supporting American small businesses.

My professional background has nothing to do with leatherwork or woodworking—but building things with my hands has always been my passion. I am a former Army officer turned covert CIA officer and spent almost 13 years of my life trying to do my small part to protect this messy freedom experiment we call the United States of America.

I believe in America. I have been around the world several times and home is here. When I walk the gravel roads in Loudoun County, Virginia, where all of our products are handmade, I’m reminded of the history of this country and marvel at how those gravel roads, some 250 years old, are still in use today.

That is why Gravel Drive sources its leather from America tanned at one of the US’s last three tanneries. All of our thread comes from a small thread company in Maine. Even the bags we ship in are muslin bags made in Kentucky and stamped with our logo from a stamp maker in Virginia. While we may not be able to truly get every last piece of the business made here at home…it will always be at the forefront of our purpose and effort.

Maybe cheesy, but I also will not use electricity to make these products (other than the lights and computers, obviously). Every single product will be made by hand by transferring my energy and effort into them.

Is this necessary? Or even a good business model? No. But it matters to me that every product I make and ship to you for your daily use was made by hand for you.