For ChemArt, 2026 represents a major milestone. The company will commemorate half of a century in business as America celebrates 250 years of independence on July 4th. For the Rhode Island-based designer and manufacturer of ornaments, custom keepsakes, luxury packaging accents, and precision etched components, there is a lot of pride in being located in the smallest state, with the biggest decorative ornament output in the country.
“It is something really special, and not lost on us,” says Ana Lopes, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Beacon Design. “And our customers see tremendous value in U.S.-made products.”
The company’s slogan, “Where Quality Drive meets the New England Way,” says it all. For ChemArt’s many customers, there are countless benefits that come from working with a proud New England company. “Made in the USA means quality craftsmanship, dependability, and our ability to react to demand,” says Lopes. “And it gives you outstanding service, because you’re not having to deal with lag time from working with somebody overseas. There is comfort in knowing you can execute a project on time, on budget, and with consistent communication along the way.”
Investing in people and products
ChemArt has come a long way since it was founded by research chemist Richard Beaupre. Serving in the Navy in the 1950s, he earned his BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Rhode Island in 1962, which fueled his passion for innovation. Soon, Beaupre worked for several companies, including Dynachem Corporation. Highly inventive, he developed and patented several unique core chemistry processes, including dry film resist polymers, still in use today. Created under a work-for-hire arrangement, Beaupre didn’t get into the royalty stream, but is listed on the patent; when he left Dynachem, he received a check as a gesture of appreciation. This became the seed money for ChemArt, which he created with his wife, Barbara, in 1976.
“When ChemArt first launched, it wasn’t a big company,” says Nick Jones, Vice President of Operations. “It was a small location in an old ice cream shop.” Within two years, Beaupre moved the business to its current Lincoln, Rhode Island site, and in 1998 created an additional building. ChemArt was profitable in its first year and every year since, allowing it to grow entirely on internally generated cash flow, which meant there was no outside funding. “This is a very rare accomplishment,” notes company CEO Hamilton Davison.
Planning for the future, Beaupre saw the benefits for the company and its customers of having everything—from initial concept to manufacturing and packaging—under one roof. This allows control over entire projects, from the initial phone call to getting products out the door. “That’s important to our customers,” says Lopes. “It allows us to meet emerging trends, optimize inventories without risk of shortage, and ensure consistent quality.”
ChemArt’s customers include government agencies, military, and historical organizations, as well as medical and aerospace, and for these clients and others, working with a well-established, U.S.-based business has its advantages; Beaupre developed many of the company’s innovations, such as dry film technology, plating recipes were internally created, and the company was vertically integrated long before its competitors. A trusted list of local suppliers and vendors from area companies completes ChemArt’s capabilities to allow the company to make most anything fathomable out of metal, finished in 24 karat gold or other finishes, then hand assembled and packaged in stock or custom boxes.
“Even today, we continue to innovate,” says Jones. Before he passed in 2018, Beaupre realized the importance of investing in technology to produce high-quality products at a reasonable cost. “A Christmas ornament only sells at a certain price point, so we have to figure out how to keep making it for less, given our price point and increasing cost inputs,” Jones explains. “So we’ve combined 3D printing as a form of tooling, rather than paying for traditional hard tooling, and use 3D printers in some of our processes. We’ve added automated cutters instead of hand-cutting, and digital printing instead of just screen printing. And we’ve automated basically through micro-controllers that allow data gathering, improved safety, robotics, and automated press forming, among other advances.”
Along with incorporating robots and updating equipment, the company has also improved its wastewater treatment facility, which has an excellent record. Protecting the planet is important to the company and its clients alike, who value ChemArt’s commitment to the environment compared to more far-flung manufacturing locales.
“Since everything ultimately drains to the Atlantic Ocean, there are very stringent discharge requirements imposed on all companies in this area, especially regarding metals, and we continuously monitor our discharge, sample it, and send it off weekly for chemical analysis,” says Davison. Occasionally, members of the Narragansett Bay Commission, the regional wastewater operator, show up unannounced, take samples, conduct their own analysis, and compare the two to ensure accuracy. In 2023, ChemArt had a perfect record; in 2024, it had just a single incident, due to employee error. “We take employee health and safety and environmental stewardship very seriously,” adds Davison. “We’ve got a great track record, and that’s something we’re very proud of.”
Constantly refining its processes and procedures, ChemArt continues to improve efficiencies and reduce waste and setup times. In the two years he has been with the company, Davison has seen significant improvements. “By being vertically integrated, we can bring different disciplines together to ideate and problem-solve in a way you don’t find in other non-vertically integrated shops,” he states. “They just have a piece of the process; we can look holistically across the whole production flow and optimize the entirety, not just individual pieces.”
“Three brands. One legacy. Made in the USA.”
ChemArt is proud of its three brands, which focus on distinct market segments. Beacon Design is centered on creating custom brass ornaments for clients including religious organizations, universities, non-profits, and fundraising programs across America. B Luxe creates tags, wraps, labels, and other custom luxury packaging solutions “designed to elevate high-end retail presentation.” And ChemTecUSA manufactures precision metal components for industrial and aerospace applications.
“Most of the products we make at Beacon Design support missions of non-profits, by giving them program income while deepening their donor basis allegiance and affiliation with the charity,” Davison explains. “That’s really the lion’s share of our business.” In fact, most of the company’s products are for non-profits. This includes educational and religious institutions as well as local and municipal government agencies and entities.
“The idea with Beacon Design is that we are creating products that reflect the missions of the organizations we are working with to create sustainable annual programs where they are turning their supporters and donors into lifelong collectors,” says Lopes. One of the company’s many long-time relationships is with the White House Historical Association, which furthers its mission to promote a deeper understanding of the Executive Mansion through millions of dollars annually in proceeds from the ornament.
ChemTecUSA, the company’s precision division, sells very tight tolerance parts to industrial clients that are used in subassemblies in medical, energy, transportation, defense, aerospace, and oil & gas. Products include filters, flow measuring components, connectors, springs, sharps, encoder disks, and critical components. B Luxe, meanwhile, uses its capabilities to make luxury attachments and accessories, which helps elevate and differentiate brands in the crowded consumer marketplace and create shelf awareness in retail spaces. Made of metal, these attachments and accessories can be configured to be attached to a box, handbag, perfume bottle, or other containers.
America’s jewelry state
Known as the ‘Ocean State,’ Rhode Island is famous for its striking coastline, rich history, Newport mansions, seafood restaurants, thriving arts scene, and jewelry industry. A leader in the state, ChemArt has made more than 70,000 unique projects in the past 20 years and has some 400 SKUs representing everyday items sold through its open line for retail.
Averaging about 120 full-time staff, the team expands leading up to Christmas, with its increased ornament production. “We can be at over 200 employees at peak season,” says Jones of the company’s roster, which includes manufacturers, assemblers, designers, engineers, and sales. In addition, it has about 150 independent field representatives supported by Beacon Design. These talented staff members, and a commitment to quality and service, continue to put the company ahead of the competition.
“We are lucky to have a highly skilled, collaborative workforce on projects both big and small,” says Lopes. “All those pieces of the puzzle are really important. And to say we have the largest output in the country, being the smallest state, is super impressive.”
CEO Davison joined the company about two years ago. Today, ChemArt’s former CEO remains active as head of the retail division. The transition brought an influx of strategic investments as well as experience and increased sophistication in certain areas.
“Having been through these sorts of transitions in the past, I can honestly say this has been one of the best—maybe the best—I’ve seen in terms of combining incredible history and capabilities with new ideas and technology in a seamless, productive way,” says Davison. “We have not lost any of our executives or managers in that process. There has been a great transition and melding of capabilities, which has been a lot of fun.”
When Davison arrived, he saw the company’s 17 distinct manufacturing steps and how they were precisely sewn together. “I was full of wonder and amazement—and I still am—on a daily basis here,” he says. “And I realized how hard it is to do, to come up with a quality product; maybe we are the only people silly enough to try it? It is really hard!”
When customers and others visit the company, they are often in awe of ChemArt’s dedication to quality and the intricacy involved in the products it produces. “I think for anyone trying to recreate this, the barrier to entry would be huge,” says Davison.
The manufacturing process varies depending on the project: the shortest time from initial conversation to production can be as little as six weeks, while high-volume, large-scale projects with many components can take months or more. Many clients do projects with the company year after year.
Although potential customers can choose to deal with cheaper offshore companies, ChemArt’s clients prefer consistent American quality, accountability, and timely turnaround. This is especially crucial during peak seasons, when customers can’t wait weeks or months for shipping from overseas. “And buying locally allows customers to purchase from us and not have to hold large inventories,” says Lopes.
The ChemArt advantage
Offering design, cutting, plating, advanced manufacturing, assembly, and packaging all in-house, ChemArt continues to attract new clients. “There are other companies that do everything we do—they just don’t do all of what we do,” says Davison. “If you were to go elsewhere, you would be paying three, four, maybe five companies, plus an artist or engineer. And each one of those companies or contractors would have their costs, plus their markup, whereas we just have one markup at the end, so that also keeps us competitive. And because we are vertically integrated, if something goes wrong, you don’t have people pointing the finger at each other, and saying, ‘that wasn’t me, that was your other supplier.’ We take a lot of pride in our quality here, so everyone views themselves as an inspector. When it shows up at their department, they make sure it looks like it’s supposed to look.”
Experienced in running plants in the U.S. and one in Canada before coming to ChemArt, CEO Davison says, “I would put the Northern Rhode Island workforce up against any that I’ve worked with. There is such a sense of craftsmanship, pride, and commitment to quality here, and it’s multi-generational. It’s really cool, and a great asset.”
Lopes, meanwhile, has been with the company for 26 years, and is continually impressed by the company and its staff’s dedication to their craft. “We take great pride in our ability to produce beautiful ornaments and keepsakes all year long for our customers,” she says.
“When you walk out on the assembly floor it’s like walking into Santa’s workshop. The joy and amazement you see in our employees while they handcraft beautiful product for our customers is inspiring.”
