madeintheusa – Odd Stuffing

Independence Day is tomorrow, July 4^th. It was on this date in 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and thirteen former British colonies became the United States of America. 241 year ago, our nation was made. This year, I’m celebrating Made In USA.

Recently I needed to buy a rather pricy piece of equipment for my business. As with most things these days, there were many options from all over the world. Capabilities, reliability, options, support, price and reputation all played a part in my decision. I chose the product made in the USA.

When I received my shipment, I noticed a particular line on the packing list. It was Item # 14-1035-00 Label, “Made in the USA”. Sure enough, that label was prominently, and proudly displayed on the front of the product, the very one in the image that accompanies this article. The equipment, software and all the trimmings are from a company in Arizona that has been in business for over 30 years. All of the company’s engineering, development, assembly, training, support and operations are in this same location and always have been. Best of all, they are great people to do business with.

The United States used to be the world leader in innovation and manufacturing. We are still leading in innovation, although more and more of that is being outsourced offshore. Manufacturing in the US is now only a fraction of what it used to be. Why is that?

If you ask the big corporations, they say they need to outsource work and production out of the country in order to effectively compete. They say doing the same work and building the same products in the US would make their products and services more expensive and nobody would pay that amount. I say that’s a load of bull.

The real reason is profit and greed. When is the last time you saw a company drop their prices on a product because they moved production off shore? Their price to produce that product dropped by X% and no, that savings wasn’t passed along to you. Simply put, if you can make $5 profit on a widget made in the US vs. $10 on the same widget made outside our borders, they’re going to go outside every time. Is $5 profit a bad thing? No, of course not. But $10 is twice as much as $5. Greed is good, or so they say.

Companies also complain the American worker is overpaid and lazy. While this may be true for some individuals, as it would be for any civilization anywhere in the world, I don’t believe it to be a valid assessment. I think it’s an excuse. Does it cost more to pay American workers? Yes, but that’s the price we pay for a robust economy. And it’s not like those dollars don’t get spent. If American workers have become obsolete it is because the companies that employ them no longer see them as an asset to the company, only pricey liability on the company books.

Was my purchase decision influenced by the location of the company? Absolutely. Now does that mean I would have purchased an inferior piece of equipment just to have a “Made in the USA” label on it? Of course not, I’m patriotic, not idiotic. In this case I was fortunate to find an American company that is doing it right. Products and services made in the USA have to compete favorably with the world on all facets of what they make. You can’t just put an American flag on a piece of crap and expect people to buy it based solely on national pride.

During his inauguration speech on January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stated: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” It was a call to action for the nation, to do what is right for the greater good. The most interesting thing is that the greater good for individuals very often correlates with the greater good for all. You just have to make the right choice.

As you are celebrating our nation’s birthday this week, I invite you to not only think about how the USA was made, but what is made in the USA. What can we do individually and as a nation, to make what is made here, even better.

Bob

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Something a little different for you today:

September 5^th, 2016 is Labor Day in the United States. More than 80 countries around the world celebrate International Worker’s Day, or Labour Day at different times of the year. Today is ours and today I celebrate the American worker.

The modern holiday is celebrated with a three-day weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer. Fall activities begin around Labor Day including football, NASCAR and schools going back into session. Retailers use the Labor Day weekend to kick off the fall sales. And of course, it is the last official day to wear white. You know who you are…

Unfortunately the modern observance of the holiday seems to have forgotten the roots that brought Labor Day into being. Following the Pullman Strike of 1894 where 30 workers died and 57 were injured at the hands of the United States Army and Marshals Service, Congress approved Labor Day as an official holiday. It was an attempt by President Grover Cleveland to gain support among the trade unions following the strike. While it is disputed who first proposed the holiday, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners or machinist Matthew Maguire, the intent was to create a “workingmen’s holiday”.

The American Labor Union movement, most often associated with Labor Day, began in the United States in the 1880’s. The function and influence has varied over the years but they have always played a major role in worker safety, pay, benefits and job security. While the numbers of union workers has declined over the years, unions still wield considerable influence in American politics.

Some argue it is the unions who, demanding too much, cause American companies to take their work overseas in order to remain competitive. Others contend it is the companies themselves whose never ending demand for greater profits at the expense of the workers who made them successful in the first place.

Union or not, it is the everyday workers of this country that have brought us to where we are. From the houses we live in, the roads we drive on, the utilities to make modern life possible, and nearly every commodity we buy, use and trade come from another worker’s hands. Though we live in an increasingly smaller global village where the products and services come to us seamlessly from down the street or the other side of the planet, there is still a sense of pride in American made.

Perhaps it is the conflicts outside our boarders that bring about the national pride when something is “made in the USA”. As some companies outsource more, others are keeping the jobs inside our country or are actively returning them home. American ingenuity, creativity, resourcefulness and quality all contribute to make our products among the best in the world. Many, including myself, are willing to pay a premium for items made in the USA knowing the contributions from American worker that went into it as well as being able to send our own dollars to another part of the nation.

The majority of the nation has today off and will be celebrating with family and friends in ways as varied as our nation itself. During this time, I’d ask you to join me for a moment to remember those who have contributed to what we have today as well as those who are working today for us. To those of you in the service industry, in infrastructure support, health care, military, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services – and so many more – our thanks for your labor today.

Bob

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