Are Puzzles Made in America?

With some companies reporting an increase of puzzle sales of 370% from March 2019 to March 2020, the pandemic saw a large increase of consumers looking for an alternative form of entertainment in an old-fashioned hobby. With the puzzle industry expected to continue to grow over the next five years, you might be wondering how much of the growth will benefit the U.S.?

America is a large player in the puzzle manufacturing business, accounting for 29% of all jigsaw puzzles made worldwide. With a global market of $670 million USD in 2020, jigsaw puzzles, America has a nearly $195-million-piece of the overall picture. At an average price of $16 per puzzle, approximately 12 million puzzles were produced in America in 2020. 

In this article, we will take a look at several of the major American puzzle manufacturers and which products to purchase if you are looking to ensure that your product is 100% American-made. In addition, we will identify some of the larger manufacturers outside of the U.S. so that you can be aware of where these products are coming from.

American Puzzle Manufacturers

While no company is 100% immune to the effects of globalization, the companies in this section claim to manufacture their products in America.

Springbok

Founded in 1963, Springbok is one of the oldest and largest puzzle manufacturers in the U.S. From 1967 to 2001, the brand was owned and produced by Hallmark and then bought by Allied Products in 2002. Today they produce puzzles with images from popular brands and artists like Coca-Cola, Jim Shore and B&O Museum. 

According to Springbok's website, their puzzles are manufactured in the U.S.A, with the exception of their mini-puzzles and premium wood puzzles. 

Springbok is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and ships its puzzles worldwide.

Buffalo Games

Accounting for about 45% of the market share in North America, Buffalo Games is a huge player in the puzzle manufacturing industry in the U.S. The company has a licensing agreement with popular brands such as Star Wars, Pokémon, Aimee Stewart and Pac-Man. 

Buffalo Games claims that all of its puzzles are produced in the U.S. 

The company, located in Buffalo, NY, sells puzzles in over 3000 retail locations, including popular stores like Walmart and Target. They ship their puzzles directly to customers living in the United States. 

White Mountain Puzzles

Founded in 1978, the same year as Ben & jerry's Ice Cream, White Mountain is a smaller puzzle manufacturer located in the town of Jackson, New Hampshire. The company is family-run and has been named the top family business in New Hampshire by the New Hampshire Business magazine for four years in a row. 

Every White Mountain Puzzle is made in the U.S. In fact, the company was one of just 50 to be invited to the White House's "Made in America" showcase in 2018.

White Mountain Puzzles gets its name from its hometown, which is located in the White Mountain National Forest. The company embraces its small-town vibe (Jackson only has a population of 850 people) by treating its staff like family. 

The company only ships its puzzles within the United States.

Sunsout Inc.

Sunsout Inc. is located in California but only sells its puzzles on a wholesale basis and never direct to consumer. As a result, they are not a public-facing company; however, they are one of the larger American puzzle makers with an estimated annual revenue of $21 million per year. 

Sunsout's website claims that all their products are made 100% in the U.S.

While Sunsout does not ship direct to consumer, you can buy their puzzles through popular online retail distributors like serious puzzles, puzzle warehouses and jizsawexpress.com. They also sell to a wide variety of international online retailers.

Portrait Puzzles

Portrait Puzzles takes a unique approach to the puzzle manufacturing business by creating custom-made puzzles since 2005. The company will take a customer-submitted image and put it on any size puzzle up to 5' x 10' sheets. 

When you order a Portrait Puzzle, you can be assured that your puzzle is American Made as all products are produced in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Portrait Puzzles are only sols directly from the company as they are custom-made. They ship your custom order within 1-2 business days anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.

New York Puzzle Company

New York Puzzle Company was founded in 2007 with the simple goal of producing puzzles of the New York City subway line. Since then, the company has expanded by picking up licensing deals with iconic brands such as Harry Potter, Guinness, National Geographic, and Penguin Random House. 

According to their website, all New York Puzzle Company puzzles are printed, cut, and boxed in the United States.

New York Puzzle Company is based in Brooklyn, NY, and ships its products worldwide. 

While the above list is not an exhaustive list of all Puzzle companies that manufacture their puzzles in America, it is a good starting point and covers a lot of the large players in the American puzzle manufacturing game. 

American Companies that don't Manufacture in the U.S.

Several American companies choose to manufacture their products outside of the United States. We've identified a few of the well-known companies for you to avoid if you are looking to purchase an American-made product.

Hasbro

This Pawtucket-based company manufactures and ships over half of its products from China. While their website does not specifically identify where their puzzles are made, it is clear that a majority of their products are not American made.

Mattel

Mattel is based out of El Segundo, California, but owns factories internationally in Asia, South America, and Canada. The company has recently taken to selling its factories and outsourcing production to Chinese manufacturers in an attempt to cut costs.

Like Hasbro, Mattel sells more than just puzzles, but there is no identified distinction between where their various products are manufactured. 

Melissa & Doug

This company started off as an American-based toy company based out of Connecticut focused on producing toys that encouraged imaginative and learning-based playtime. While their original product line was manufactured in the United States, about 85 to 90% of their products are manufactured in China as of 2019. 

Large International Puzzle Manufacturers

There are several large puzzle manufacturing companies outside of the United States. You might find these companies' products in the store when looking to buy your next puzzle. 

Ravensburger AG

Ravensburger AG holds a large portion of the international puzzle market with over $600 million in global sales. The company is based in Germany and produces its puzzles in a factory located in Southern Germany. The company does have a North American sector based in Seattle, Ravensburger, NA, but this is where they produce their popular Disney board game Villainous. 

Cobble Hill Puzzle Co.

Cobble Hill Puzzle Co. has its headquarters based out of Canada in Victoria, British Columbia, and makes it puzzles in Brampton, Ontario. However, Cobble Hill does have a warehouse in Buffalo, NY, where puzzles are sent for large skill manufacturing. Therefore, can claim that its puzzles are made, at least partially, in America. 

Eurographics

Eurographics is another major puzzle manufacturer that is ironically based in Montreal, Canada, which is where their headquarters and warehouse are located. They sell and ship their products worldwide.

Final Thoughts

While there is plenty of competition in the puzzle industry, it is quite clear that there is a large portion of puzzles made and sold in the United States. The next time you are looking to buy a puzzle, with a little help from this article, you should be able to identify where your puzzle was made.