“Thank you” to Mag Instruments of Ontario, California, maker of the Mag light flashlight. Owner Anthony Maglica has kept his manufacturing plant in the U.S running, while all the other major flashlight brands alit for Mexico and China. Mag even exports 25% of their production. Eight hundred Americans have good manufacturing jobs, pay federal and state taxes, and have money to spend to keep other local businesses going.
“Thank you” to New Balance of Boston, Massachusetts for the Made in U.S.A athletic shoes that carry me about. They are the sole U.S. company still manufacturing athetic shoes in the U.S. Look for the tag “Commited to the American Worker” on their U.S. made shoes.
“Thank you” to Weinbrenner Shoes of Merrill, WI for continuing to employ American union labor in the manufacture of work and safety shoes. It’s not easy to make a principled stand when the competition has taken a hike, to have their products made in a socialist totalitarian state.
“Thank you” to American Apparel of Los Angeles for producing “sweatshop free” clothing with all U.S. labor. The company pays workers an average wage of 12 dollars an hour. In China the prevailing wage is 17 cents an hour. Our child labor laws, workplace safety laws and wage and overtime laws protect 5,000 employees. They sell across the nation and export as well, in factory outlet stores.
These companies prove that even in heavily outsourced industries, a business can succeed with U.S manufacturing. These companies made a strong commitment to the American way of manufacturing.
The American way of manufacturing is about caring owners keeping a watchful eye on all aspects of the manufacture of a product, from raw materials in, to finished product in the hands of a customer. It’s about strict adherence to labor laws and environmental protection. It’s about a team approach between management and labor, whether through unions or enlightened management. And it’s about fair competition on an even playing field.
There is something good and fundamental about the taking of raw materials and carefully bending, heating, cutting, stitching, melting and assembling them into a useful and salable product. Manufacturing is the foundation of any economy. Whenever I can I say “thank you” with my wallet, to the stubborn American survivors of these foolish outsourcing times.
