Buy American!

[johnnyz53]

Over the past several months I had done a poll on Buying American.

I am so pleased to see that we are trending toward buying "American".

I know I obviously have a stake in this as an upstart american company.

It's just so ironic how addicted we are to the Third world produced goods!


They are cheap! Absolutely, then we adjust our standard of acceptance based on the "Deal".

Walmarts sales are up in a downturn economy. . . oh my....it's all chinese or mexican.....

People are losing Jobs by many companies who import this stuff or have a part of it..... other company services are outsourced to other countiries.... so how do we create Jobs?

Buy American and the boost will require more employees who in turn spend more...simple philosophy...But we're all addicts and will become indentured to our Government for handout because we were addicts of an economic sort!

Since the "Buy American" Grassroots have been recognized more and more people have been doing so, my business is Growing and I have hired two new Employees and expanded my shop by an additional 1500 sq ft. Let's help others grow.....

Buy AMERICAN!

Thanks for Reading


John Zirpola
www.americanworkbench.com

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

I agree completely, I go out of my way to buy American. I spent nearly eleven years at Cal chasing an Economics PhD. The one thing that I learned was that WE are the only people that can get us out of this mess, it is up to us to save ourselves.

Protect Your Way of Life

Adam

 

[jerk_chicken]

There is an odd trend under the surface many don't see and it's that while they think they're buying American, they're actually increasing sales to other countries due to the fact that so much of "American made" goods are not American and assembled of mostly imported goods. Sometimes just finishing is done here. Additionally, it's the drive of perceived value and the consumers being less and less educated, based on price and form, and not function. The manufacturers and designers are doing a poor job of not showing the differences in between products and the values of good products, instead having their advertising agencies latch onto gimmick stuff or false-not-exactly-untrue marketing.

Are consumers willing to pay more? Are consumers willing to get a better product?

Oddly, on the mountain bike forum I'm on, someone asked for hexes. With these questions, I always reply "Bondhus", as they are great quality and cheap, with hidden benefits to better superior construction. Others answered going to walmart and j-mart and everything else. I guess it's worth sacrificing to get it for a couple bucks off or the same price as a Stanley, with invariably poorer tolerances, alloys, and build quality.

I read a quote once where someone said "I am so poor, I can only afford to buy expensive things". I'm probably saying it wrong, but it's the point of buying something once, and of better quality, than buying it twice. It's way cheaper. That's why our bike rack came from a fairly high end company. Our friend who sold it to us said just that: it's more expensive to buy the same thing several times.

 

[stricht8]

I try my best to buy American. Not, specifically because I want to support the US economy, which I try to do anyway, but because American products are generally better than Chinese. That being said, I have no problem buying Western European tools either. It is however getting very difficult to buy only American. When you need some tool on the spot and have to go to your nearest hardware store or Home Depot or whatever, you are at the mercy of whatever they sell which is usually Chinese made. When I'm in Europe and I need some tool on the dime and go to a hardware store or whatever the tool I will buy is most likely going to be either made in France, Germany, Spain or Italy, not in China. We are destroying our own economy by limiting our choices. Almost everything sold in this country is Chinese. This is truly pathetic!

 

[jerk_chicken]

While it's good for us to protect our local economy, it's also important to support worldwide businesses that have safe, dignified conditions for their workers and offer quality products. I deal with a lot of stuff from the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and other parts of the world.

It also helps to know who is inside the buildings. A very well-known "made in the US" shock and fork maker for dirtbikes and mountainbikes actually only assembles their stuff from parts imported from Taiwan. Still good stuff, BUT the problem arises with the people they use to assemble the stuff in California and their "documentation status".

 

[brad d]

Its going to be hard to get off the China addiction, your dollar just does not go as far.... Keep in mind that lots of Americans make money from selling, transporting and warehousing these cheap products.

How do you guys feel about Canadian products? My company sells 80% of our product in the US

 

[duderjay]

i just recently built my garage

all construction material made in canada ie studs sheathing siding roofing insulation etc etc

electrical all made in canda or usa with the exception of my lighting which i am pissed off at being cheap and buring out lights and its made in china.

heating is reznor made in usa (i hope)

I try to buy north american products as much as i can but sometimes theres no choice lots of north american companies have thier products made in china now. kids toys are cheap and dont last as long as they used.

I'd rather spend a little extra and buy a quality product that i know will last longer

i work for a american engine manufacturer and its quality products we sell to the customer. We have big engines we work on still in service that were built in the 1940's and used in the usa navy in world war 2

quality and longivity. we live in a disposable society and people dont give a **** anymore

 

[stricht8]

Things have already gone downhill for us. It's too late when basic construction materials like doors and door hinges are made in China.

 

[jerk_chicken]

I also love the people whom I used to be friends with talk about how they would never step foot in a Wally world. Meanwhile, one of these people who was big on preaching against them was found shopping there. It's hard when even those people are doing it. I remember once we bought an HP printer from them and it had no PC board inside the control panel. Bizarre.

Fortunately, I had a really good hardware store around the block from my home in the US that sold trains and other stuff. They were lifesavers when I worked on my car and couldn't get a tierod out and had to use a sawzall. However, I don't think even they had much that was made in the US anymore, or rather, made with quality associated...

 

[redsky49]

Things have already gone downhill for us. It's too late when basic construction materials like doors and door hinges are made in China.

One more thing to blame on Stanley/Danaher.

There is some builders hardware still made in the US and plenty of mill work items are US made as well. In the end though, we only have ourselves to blame for this situation. And, well, maybe WalMart too.

I was at Sears yesterday, looking for any President's Day Tool Sales. After looking around a bit I left empty handed.

I have never regretted buying the best quality, regardless of the item. I cannot say that for many of my purchases.

 

[dxdexter]

I'd rather buy Canadian.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

... so much of "American made" goods are not American and assembled of mostly imported goods. Sometimes just finishing is done here...

It depends on the industry. For example, Intel Corp makes microprocessors in high-tech Wafer Fabs in, among other places, the USA (Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and until recently, California). So Intel does have US based manufacturing. Intel then ships the wafers (300mm in diameter) to "assembly/test" facilities in places such as Malaysia, The Phillipines, China, Costa Rica and other 3rd world facilities. There, the wafers are cut into individual microprocessor "dies" and then "assembled" into a form called a "package" that can actually be installed on the motherboard of a computer.

This separation between "manufacturing" (extremely hi-tech where the manufacturing employees in bunny suits have PhDs in engineering and where a wafer fab costs about $3 Billion to build) and "assembly test" which can be done in low-cost low-tech areas is common in the semi-conductor industry.

It turns out WHERE you do manufacturing and where you do assembly test is largely driven by availability of engineers and the tax rates and laws. Most countries tax "assembly" differently than they tax "manufacturing." This drives where you can do it.

Examples of laws: the EU put hurdles in place so that anyone who wants to make semiconductor chips has to have a fab in the EU. That's why Intel, AMD, ST Micro and everyone else built fabs there.

But at the end of the day, it is tough to try to build a fab in the USA where the state and local governments throw roadblock after roadblock in the way at the same time the national governments of China, Ireland, Israel and just about everywhere else falls all over themselves to hand out multi-billion dollar incentives to high-tech companies who will build fabs there.

What we really need in the US is a drammatic increase in the number of unemployed ex-politicians, IMHO.

 

[gofastman]

I'd rather buy Canadian.

Part of America, buddy

 

[sam 8]

I agree with the ideal wholeheartedly.
I busted my **** here recently trying to find a used U.S. lathe I could afford.
I say used because new was out of the question.
I searched for 4 months, found one in Az., but shipping would have killed it. I even went so far as looking at driving down myself and getting it.
I gave up and bought a Grizzly.
I'm not proud of it, but there it is.
My welders are U.S., hand tools U.S., and just went partners with a pal on a genuine U.S. Bridgeport, vintage '77 model.
I did just order a backyard buddy lift, the fact that is mabe in Oklahoma, U.S.A, did have a factor in that choice.
The idea of a website dedicated to U.S. born and bred tools and other stuff makes sense to me. With the obfuscated laws we have regarding "domestic content" it is sometimes really hard for the average guy to pick through the lingo and find out just what is U.S. and what isn't. madeinusaforever.com is a great start, imho.
And, until we demand more U.S., (or even North American to include or Canadian neighbors and their G.M. plants) product and are willing to pay for it, manufacturers are not going to rise to meet the demand.
Jag fan you are right, a massive layoff of politicians would be a great start, sort of a "union busting" in the legislative and executive branches of both state and federal gov't., if you get my drift.
But we can't even get our citizenry to shut off the TV set long enough to educate themselves abut the issues and vote with a sense of responsibility and duty, how we gonna put something like that together today is something that I think alot about.
225 years ago a much smaller group of people, with a whole lot more at stake, had a little tea party over one tax issue that led to the birth of a nation.
We need that kind of national commitment, and the rebirth of that kind of personal responsibility, and we need it now.

 

[Kev442]

I was looking into buying an Echo chainsaw today. Disappointed to find out made in Japan.

 

[64duece]

I know this sound odd but, I try to buy good used parts and equipment when I can to help save costs and still get quality stuff. Most of the time it's going to enthusiasts like us. There are times I would love to buy new equipment/parts but, the quality stuff out there for what us "hobbyist" at times isn't cost effective. I have a "wish list" of stuff I'd love to outfit my new shop with but, it'll take time.

 

[rinker1]

Sam 8, Does the back yard buddy lift website have a price list that I don't see? Or do they only quote over the phone?

 

[JerseyJim]

I am definitely a buy American guy. Comes with the age I guess. I buy American cars (please don't ask me to figure out how much of the content is actually made here). I figure no matter what, however little profits there are on the car... A higher percentage will stay here.

But as an principal in a company that designs and sells a fair amount of metal parts, I can tell you that it is getting harder and harder to make anything in this country. We are based in NJ. This area had an abundance of metal cutting and bending companies 20 years ago. Now there are only a few left. Adding to this problem is the fact that tool and die makers are a vanishing breed. We have actually employed one to go to these shops and show them how to make the parts. Even with this approach, we still have precious few companies that will even bid new work.

We have moved some parts to China simply to free up our vendors that are actually willing and able to do more critical work. I see a lot of discussions about inferior Chinese steel and inferior work. Much of our steel is imported. I've seen good and bad steel being sold right here in the US. As for workmanship... You now have to control your processes and your vendors everywhere - US or China. I find that if we don't do that right here, the results are the same. The parts we get from China are well done. But as I said, we put the effort in to make sure we work with people who are capable of doing the job.

Welding on a production basis is a real problem here these days. No one wants to do it. I don't believe it is the price of steel that is driving the lift business to China because I find steel to be just as expensive there. China is gobbling up steel and for a while was causing the price to go up everywhere. Without a doubt, it's the labor factor. Who wants to work in a factory in this country? Where are the tool & die makers and artisans of the next generation? People either strive for MBAs these days or are content to flip burgers.

Buying American and in my case trying to build American is a noble concept. I will continue to do my best on both counts. But I can tell you, it's becoming a greater challenge every day.

 

[TLR67]

http://www.yuengling.com/


Enough Said!!!!!!

 

[sam 8]

Sam 8, Does the back yard buddy lift website have a price list that I don't see? Or do they only quote over the phone?

Their website *****, you have to call, but the sales people are okay.

 

[v8garage]

Part of America, buddy

Yeah, I agree, I don't have a problem with Canadian made products at all.

 

[bayou985]

I will always try too Buy American....Note its not always possible!! due too global economics [what a poor excuse] Buying American is about PRIDE...and RESPECT..for the American Worker....Take the extra time too look for American Made Products Ya Heard Me??

 

[JOHNMAN]

The only way to REALLY ween ourselves off of cheap Chineese goods is to create a brand spankin' new concept.

The concept (at least to me) seems straight forward.

There needs to be some sort of limit and relationship between the goods that are imported and those goods that are exported.

I like to call my newly invented concept "balance of trade".

Once upon a time, I thought something similar to this existed, but I must have been mistaken.

I do try to "buy American" at work (or at least spec out items that are American made), but many if not most of the items that I buy are made up of items manufactured elsewhere. Many of my things are made in other countries. I look around my office and have a hard time finding a dozen things actually Made in USA. Nearly all of the items Made in USA that I find are old (primarily because they used to last). It is sad, but we must carry on.

We still build American made systems.

 

[Kev442]

The local Budweiser distributor is running kias, and the local Miller distributor honda fits. Talk about a lack of pride in America. I get that they are both foreign owned beer companies, but like walmart, the more they wrap themselves in the american flag with their advertising, the more I want to puke about what a lie it is.

 

[jerk_chicken]

Where are those Hondas and Kias made? If they are US made ones, the bulk of their revenue actually stays in the US, with a small percentage going back to Japan. Most of the money goes into the hands of people here.

 

[BooUrns!]

The decline in quality (either intentionally through planned obselescence or just cost cutting due to staggering labour support costs) of the US auto industry products seems to sum up the situation as a whole. You guys were making crappy products and charging a premium for them for years. Is it so surprising that companies that produced cheaply made low-quality and low-cost products was able to dominate market share (ie Walmart)?

I don't visulaize American-made and quality as being synonymous. I think of the phrase 'American-made' as a marketing tool that evokes national pride while some execs embezzle company funds and an overpaid unskilled line-worker gripes about how he is under-valued.

I know there are american and canadian companies that still take pride in the quality of their goods. The reputation they have earned has been squandered by others who just want to make it rich and don't care who they screw to do it.

If you're going to buy american/canadian, make sure those companies deserve your money. Being within the boundaries of North America doesn't ensure that their products are well made or that they are supporting the economy by providing jobs that pay a living wage. Sometimes the imported products are superior in quality. Instead of asking for american made, perhaps you should specify American quality made.

 

[SUPERCOUPE]

The decline in quality (either intentionally through planned obselescence or just cost cutting due to staggering labour support costs) of the US auto industry products seems to sum up the situation as a whole. You guys were making crappy products and charging a premium for them for years. Is it so surprising that companies that produced cheaply made low-quality and low-cost products was able to dominate market share (ie Walmart)?

I don't visulaize American-made and quality as being synonymous. I think of the phrase 'American-made' as a marketing tool that evokes national pride while some execs embezzle company funds and an overpaid unskilled line-worker gripes about how he is under-valued.

, perhaps you should specify American quality made.

Hadn't hoped to pick a fight on my third post here but I'd invite anybody to walk a mile in my autoworker shoes before spoutin off about overpaid and undervalued, or even being so smug about "unskilled". That mile wouldn't even get you to first break. Hourly Labor accounts for what? 8% of total vehicle cost? Ask where the rest of the cost comes from before shooting a **** cannon at those who are for the most part hard workers. Add that labor non-stop for 30plus yrs and you'd understand why the average retiree dies off shortly. The wages earned are paid back with a life. Why are execs entitled to such exhorbitant wages to run Companies into the ground? American Quality workers need American Quality leadership.

 

[BooUrns!]

Hadn't hoped to pick a fight on my third post here but I'd invite anybody to walk a mile in my autoworker shoes before spoutin off about overpaid and undervalued, or even being so smug about "unskilled". That mile wouldn't even get you to first break. Hourly Labor accounts for what? 8% of total vehicle cost? Ask where the rest of the cost comes from before shooting a **** cannon at those who are for the most part hard workers. Add that labor non-stop for 30plus yrs and you'd understand why the average retiree dies off shortly. The wages earned are paid back with a life. Why are execs entitled to such exhorbitant wages to run Companies into the ground? American Quality workers need American Quality leadership.

Please don't mis-interpret my post. I am aware that the auto manufacturing business is more complex than greedy execs and unskilled labour. I know there is a vast spread of educational background and skill sets present at all levels of the manufacturing process.

My post was focusing on the stereotypes that have been presented to us (the public in general) over the last decade. These stereotypes have been fostered by both sides of the industry as there has been a long standing conflict between management and union labour.

In the end, both sides were trying to avoid taking responsibiity for the decline in the quality of their product.

 

[Kev442]

honda fit and kia rondo or rio or whatever it is are 100% imported.

 

[nyjets53]

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/index.html

 

[Dragster Racer]

Hadn't hoped to pick a fight on my third post here but I'd invite anybody to walk a mile in my autoworker shoes before spoutin off about overpaid and undervalued, or even being so smug about "unskilled". That mile wouldn't even get you to first break. Hourly Labor accounts for what? 8% of total vehicle cost? Ask where the rest of the cost comes from before shooting a **** cannon at those who are for the most part hard workers. Add that labor non-stop for 30plus yrs and you'd understand why the average retiree dies off shortly. The wages earned are paid back with a life. Why are execs entitled to such exhorbitant wages to run Companies into the ground? American Quality workers need American Quality leadership.

Have you ever gotten to the root of a problem by playing the "why" game? You need to go a few more whys to get to the root. The execs should not be entitled to the wages they get. And to explain away with the 8 percent number is avoiding responsibility. The failure of our auto industry has many causes, but everyone points thier fingers other places. Labor is one ingrediant, and yes I think we have a problem there. Take the same skill level in other industries, and the pay is much less. Why? If the American auto industry is going to make it, everyone involved has to make some adjustments. Not just the labor, but including the labor.

I also agree with the post above about a system to balance trade with other countries. Individuals cannot successfully fight this battle. We need to work congruantly, and need help to do it.

 

[nickdup1]

I will always try too Buy American....Note its not always possible!! due too global economics [what a poor excuse] Buying American is about PRIDE...and RESPECT..for the American Worker....Take the extra time too look for American Made Products Ya Heard Me??

Exactly, people give up too easily and buy foreign made goods. Of course it's not possible 100% of the time, but it's possible a lot more often than you might think to buy American-made goods.

 

[jerk_chicken]

Now is the best time for big restructurization in engineering and manufacturing to bring America to some sort of level where it's synonymous with high quality goods and workmanship.

Unfortunately, there's been a lot of damage, at home, and abroad, and the good industries many times get shoved in there with the bad ones. I was talking about the build quality on our bike frames some time ago, and got a laugh because people didn't assume that some of the top companies are in the US, but you end up paying. The competitors, such as Nicolai Machine Works of Germany, have incredible builds, then leave many things to be desired, including customer service. There is more of an illusion than anything else with buying their stuff.

 

[JOHNMAN]

I'm sorry, but it seems to me that it will take some doing (and a bunch of time and effort) to get back to a place we once were. With the decline in schools teaching basic skilled labor trades, it will not be possible to find workers skilled enough to compete, let alone skilled enough while accepting little pay.

Who could blame the young people today who make too much money for what they produce and ***** about not making enough? We made the young people that way. Instant gratification. Cheap and easy credit.

The root cause is US.

The only way to get better is to focus on what is most important and to implement change. Our most valuable resource is the young. The root cause of them being stupid is lack of quality education. Show them at a young age that they need to work hard to make this a better place. It really is their future anyway.

It seems to me that all kids today want to sit on their **** and surf the internet, talk (or text each other) on cell phones, watch cable TV and get handouts from their parents. They really have no concept of money or our economy.

Sorry, rant over.... I have to go work on my garage....

 

[shovel]

I try to buy American whenever I can. I'm an old Harley & Chevy guy from way back. When shopping for an SUV, My family doesn't comfortably fit in a Chevy Suburban anymore. I'm 6'3 and my 16 year old is 6'4 and our heads hit the roof from the back seat.
Finally found a good fit in an American made SUV. It's a Nissan Armada. Assembled in Miss. Drivetrain from Tenn.
By the way, my daily driver is a 2000 Chevy 2500 pickup. Assembled in Canada & engine built in Mexico. I guess "American made" means all of North America.
I work in a chemical plant on the Gulf Coast of Texas. A lot of the products our plant makes is for the auto and homebuilding industries. My job depends on "Buying American".
Rock on y'all.

shovel

 

[SUPERCOUPE]

Have you ever gotten to the root of a problem by playing the "why" game? You need to go a few more whys to get to the root. The execs should not be entitled to the wages they get. And to explain away with the 8 percent number is avoiding responsibility. The failure of our auto industry has many causes, but everyone points thier fingers other places. Labor is one ingrediant, and yes I think we have a problem there. Take the same skill level in other industries, and the pay is much less. Why? If the American auto industry is going to make it, everyone involved has to make some adjustments. Not just the labor, but including the labor.

I also agree with the post above about a system to balance trade with other countries. Individuals cannot successfully fight this battle. We need to work congruantly, and need help to do it.

I don't disagree that the wage seems a bit outa whack to most. But the fact is that American UAW workers will be making LESS than non-unionized transplant(honda toytrash etc) by the end of current contract. The health care issue has been dealt with, retiree health care(VEBA), they haven't managed to dump the pension plan on the taxpayers yet, but wait...

I don't think people have Any idea what it takes to work the line. Even construction, which pays very comparably btw is less dangerous in the way of repitition while similar in actual labor. Mine isn't some pansy job, I can see a few from it though. Are the similar skill levels in other industries as physically demanding? I don't know. I've worked in mfg. nearly 20yrs and haven't done anything More physical than foundry work in that time.

I could offer some common sense consessions that labor should make, but it's not my place. We elect people to negotiate that, and they've already brought us into line with others who don't even pay a union in our specific field. What I can suggest is that if People are to get Products that they want and will enjoy using, then from Some overpaid part of the equation, like maybe the ridiculous bureaucracy of mgt administration must come a sacrifice that brings some REAL money back to Engineering!!! And I believe we can all agree on that issue!

Don't let anybody hear you suggesting that trade should be fairly balanced. The ******** right wing corp. puppets will be screaming socialism and bringing up Smoot Hawley and all manner of BS! The availability of cheap foreign labor in never ending 'new' markets while driving the standard of living to a global average of tar paper huts and rickshaws can't be opposed you know!

 

[porschedude996TT]

Yeah, I agree, I don't have a problem with Canadian made products at all.

Canada makes things? Really, other that maple syrup and Canadian Bacon, what is made in Canada? I know they make some car parts and assemble them there, but what else???

 

[duderjay]

Canada makes things? Really, other that maple syrup and Canadian Bacon, what is made in Canada? I know they make some car parts and assemble them there, but what else???

LOL yeah we make other things. The only things in my garage which is not made in canada is the lights and they are from china and the heater which is a reznor.

The hinges on my garage door are stamped made in canada i was quite plseased to see.

What did piss me off is my new dell laptop which came to the house yesterday and on the power supply cable bag was a big ol made in chine and I thought I was buying a american product by buying a dell computer

 

[SUPERCOUPE]

BEER

Man ya just Gotta love Canadian BEER!!! Nuttin better!!!

 

[Yoke]

Guys I could be way off on this one but this has always bugged me.... all the US/CDN/EU companies shipped their plants and labour over to China for one reason. To increase share holders profits. Who are those share holders anyway!!!! They are your neighbors, friends, family. In fact we (Canada/US/EU) did this to ourselves, how to fix it I don't know. I have a feeling eventually the economies will even out and it will be more expensive to make and ship everything from China, so jobs will come back to North America but that is not going to happen overnight.