PORTLAND MADE COLLECTIVE - JUNE 2013

Williams launched North St. Bags, named for the Montpelier street his grew up on.  Working alone, he made bags for two of his best friends. “The look of joy on their faces,” he says, “motivated me to keep going with it.” He credits the BikeCraft show, which he first attended just a few weeks after opening his Portland shop, with connecting him to the local market. “I literally only had like two bags on the table, because that was all I had made,” he says...From the union of cycling and working with his hands, Williams has created a thriving business. “I really believe in cycling,” he says. “Bicycle transportation is the key to making our cities more sustainable, and I just want to make products that make it easier to do more trips on a bicycle.”

North St. Bags