Insider Business: Still Standing

M&S Schmalberg is the last factory handcrafting custom fabric flowers in New York’s historic garment district. The family business has designed flowers for celebrities and designers since 1916. But competition from overseas flower manufacturers has made it difficult to stay afloat.

Kurozu is Japanese black vinegar made using a 200-year-old technique of naturally fermenting ingredients outdoors in giant clay pots. It takes at least a year until it’s complete, with some of the best batches aging from three to five years. Sakamoto Kurozu is one of eight vinegar makers that haven’t changed the process.

Natural dyes from kola nuts and indigo have been used to make tie-dye in Gambia for generations. But more and more artisans have been replacing these traditional ingredients with imported chemical dyes. Today, Musa Jaiteh is the last artisan in his town in Gambia still using only natural dyes and traditional techniques.

Li-Lac Chocolates is Manhattan’s oldest chocolate shop, having survived decades of change in New York City. Since Li-Lac opened in 1923, owners have stuck to the founder’s original chocolate recipes while adding new confections along the way. Today, Li-Lac makes its legendary fudge, butter crunch, and truffles, as well as over 1,000 specialty molds for occasions like Easter and Thanksgiving. The company has six locations in New York City, with all of its ingredients made inside its Brooklyn factory.

Parchment is one of the most durable writing materials in the world. The ancient paperlike material was invented more than 2,000 years ago in Turkey but almost went extinct after the Middle Ages. At 92, İsmail Araç is one of the last artisans in the world still making it by hand.

Kameyakiyonaga is a confectionery shop in Kyoto, Japan that has been making sweets since 1617. Today, it's run by the 17th-generation owner, Maegawa Kiyoaki. The shop specializes in kyogashi, a type of wagashi only made in Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto.

For generations, farmers in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have been selling their crops on the Dal Lake in a floating market. The lake is an economic hub for people living there – with many working in agriculture, fishing, and tourism. But decades of pollution have threatened their livelihoods.