Keepsakes of Olympic dreams come from Va.

POWHATAN - At some point during the Olympics, National Basketball Association stars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will reach for their sneakers and jerseys.

And James Moslow of Powhatan County will cheer. Like most Americans, Moslow would like to see the U.S. men's team win a gold medal in basketball.

But he also has a vested interest.

The keepsake boxes bearing the basketball team's jerseys and sneakers -- and soon, hopefully medals -- were made by Moslow Wood Products, the family business that Moslow runs.

The sneakers are stored in the bottom of the suede-lined maple box, while the jersey is in a compartment above.

Inside the lid are the words, "We the people of the United States of America . . . "

"I consider it a box for all of our memories of Beijing," said Kara Lawson, a member of the Olympic women's basketball team.

"Our names are on it, our numbers. . . . On the top of the box is where your jersey would lay and, hopefully, your medal."

Teammate Seimone Augustus is more confident. "It's for us to hold our gold medal."

Moslow Wood Products made 85 boxes that were given this summer to the men's and women's teams, their coaches and trainers.

The solid wood boxes -- in blue for men and red for women -- were made for Nike, which is supplying the uniforms.

"I'm supposed to get an autographed team jersey for these things," Moslow said.

Moslow Wood Products has a 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Powhatan that employs 50 people.

The company was founded in Buffalo, N.Y., but moved here in 1986 to expand and be closer to its customer base in the mid-Atlantic, said Karin Carmack, vice president of sales.

Carmack is the sister of James Moslow, president, and William M. Moslow Jr., vice president in charge of finance.

The company also makes plaques, frames and shadowboxes, clocks and custom products. Products are not sold to the general public but to retail trophy stores and wholesalers.

"When you tell people you make awards for a living, they think you are in your garage with a little table saw," James Moslow said.

Company officials say they can ship up to 5,000 pieces a day.

Moslow also makes components, such as plaques and award bases, for about 19 major college conferences and for 26 high school athletic associations, as well as products for the Country Music Awards, NCAA Tournament and the federal government.

"We are no stranger to prestigious events," Carmack said.

The company has spent the past eight months pushing to become a market leader in environmentally friendly, renewable green manufacturing.

It makes items out of bamboo and biocomposites made from recycled newsprint. While people may say they want recycled items, William Moslow said, the market is small.

The operation also recycles its sawdust and wood waste, using it as kindling during the winter, he said.

The company's main competition is not so much from American companies as it is from China and Mexico.

"They're not making it any [better], they are just making it cheaper," William said.

Moslow Wood Products has held down costs in the highly competitive business by investing in mechanization and developing a niche, he said.

"If someone wants 12,000 pieces and they want to wait five months, they go to China," James said. "If they want 1,500 pieces and they need it immediately, they come to us."

The Olympic boxes had to be turned around in a couple of weeks, he said. Each was about $145, not including the cost for metal emblems on the top.

The company can make some products cheaper than the comparable items from China. However, more labor-intensive items -- like boxes -- can cost as much as 10 percent more, he said.

That said, some things are more important than price.

"I don't think an American basketball team would approve of a uniform in a box made in China," James said.

Special correspondent Jay Weiner contributed to this report.