Shelley McPherson, owner of American Wiping Rags, with her delivery van.

Shelley McPherson is also known as the “Rag Diva”.  An entrepreneur with Navajo blood, this small-business owner is building an American company that recycles, promotes capitalism, and provides valuable products to the marketplace.

Just what are these products?  American Wiping Rags (AWR) manufactures ten different types of disposable cotton wiping rags and all of these come from 100%
recycled cotton material.  AWR also has a microfiber cleaning line including microfiber cloths, mops, and dusters.  If you are unfamiliar with microfiber cleaning products, they have a unique ability to attract dust, lint, dirt, and grease and trap these particles within the microfiber; the microfibers are also extremely absorbent and can absorb several times their weight in liquid (and can be washed at least 200 times and are biodegradable).  In 2009, AWR added another product made of paper, wool, and cotton that can be used to contain oil-based spills as well as hazardous liquids.

AWR is a 100% minority woman-owned business.  McPherson has three part-time employees that assist in the manufacturing and shipping of these product lines to customers around the country.  Being a small-business owner is no small task, and McPherson is familiar and trained in all aspects of a business including sales, delivering, bookkeeping, and marketing.  The “RagPeople News”, a seasonal newsletter from AWR, is one of McPherson’s marketing mechanisms in addition to working with several chambers of commerce, business networks, leads groups, and the Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) to name just a few.

McPherson’s dedication to people, her community, and her country, is commendable.  Although seeing some effects from the economic downturn, the Rag Diva’s will to prosper, to work even harder, and to grow and expand during this crucial period is wielding great results for American Wiping Rags.  Just this year, McPherson, with the assistance of Diamond Autocraft, created her newest marketing endeavor – the AWR van (pictured here).  This ’82 Chevy C-20 has an all-custom body and paint job that reflects the American spirit and even wins McPherson salutes as she drives by.

An interesting mix of sustainability, recycling, conserving, and entrepreneurship is what makes AWR a truly unique company that is thriving because of its sustainable value chain and McPherson’s dedication to the customer through her product offerings.  You can learn more about AWR from the website, www.RagPeople.com, and you can call McPherson if you would like to learn more about her products and services (719-671-7604).