Can Do

Give the gift of Detroit.

THE ORIGINAL DETROIT Can Company—founded in 1890 as a local source of metal cans for paint and varnish—may be long gone, but Linda Stone brought back the name to introduce a new concept in gift-giving.

The new Detroit Can Company, based in Livonia, even includes a paint can opener to help recipients pop the top to see what’s inside.

“My husband, Mike, and I do this business together,” says Stone, explaining how the two had 15 years in the gift fundraising business before COVID. “Everything completely stopped for us.”

That business never fully came back, so the pair brainstormed and “got creative,” Stone says.

Today the Detroit Can Company offers a dozen and a half options of carefully selected items packed into a vintage-designed, sealed, reusable paint-style can, customized with a note.

Many cans represent local Detroit and the Michigan products, including one packed and sealed with a line of all-natural premium body care products proudly produced in Michigan. Stone says “gifts for guys” was initially their motivation. Now, most of their cans are perfect for anyone, with their foodie cans being the most popular.

The Marvelous Mitten Can consists of Germack Snack On Bar Mix, Kar’s Salted Peanuts, two Dearborn Brand Original Hunter’s Sausage Sticks, Gus & Grey Handcrafted Jam, Dearborn Brand Spicy Mustard, Detroit Mint tin and a custom Detroit Can Company coaster.

Uniquely customized cans for group gift giving are also available. Stone says they work well for local corporations, wedding parties and realtors.

“We enjoy meeting other Detroit area small-business owners and love supporting them and representing their brands,” says Stone.

—Mike Lerchenfeldt

Detroit Can Company
33801 W. 8 Mile Rd., Livonia;
734-674-0898; detroitcancompany.com

Detroitaly

MICHAEL SCAMARDELLA says his cultural and familial roots run deep in both Detroit and Italy. The founder of Detroitaly, a multifaceted production and collaboration brand, hopes to continue to intertwine those roots.

“Some time ago I realized just how beautiful it was that the last two letters in Detroit matched the first two letters in Italy,” says Scamardella, who became attached to that idea because of how it directly reflects his own personal identity as a first-generation American-born Italian American on his father’s side and a “native Detroiter” on his mother’s side. “I had an intimate relationship and connection with both worlds, so the idea and inspiration for Detroitaly is personal and symbolic in that respect.”

In the larger picture, says Scamardella, Detroit and Italy are “universes of essence, ritual, tradition and history and intrigue to really dive into and explore. Programming surrounding both of these worlds is what this bigger brand picture is about, which is why I like to inform people that Detroitaly is not only about combining two words, but how we combine two worlds.”

Scamardella says that the wild popularity of the freshly pressed limited run of Detroitaly T-shirts is exciting, especially as their “ethos is often the very spark of intrigue for new narratives and collaborations: a profound passion for Detroit culture.” The brand is building a framework for themed, narrative-driven products, projects, collaborations and experiences across music, fashion, footwear, visual arts and business.

“You can expect to see fusions of all of the above and more.”

Learn more at detroitaly.co.