Posted on May 21, 2015
Is whether something is American made or not important to you?
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I am the founder and co-owner of a small tactical gear, equipment and off-duty apparel manufacturing company. We strive to develop and manufacture innovative gear and equipment that stands up to the toughest of missions, all while focusing on keeping our products American Made.
Since making our products here in the United States is our founding initiative we will not be backing down from it, ever, but I am curious to see how important it is to people that the products they use, wear or interact with are American Made.
If you said yes, please explain why. If so, are slightly higher prices acceptable? Do you think more products and services should return to being manufactured or developed in the United States?
If no, please explain why. Do you see a larger benefit from the world economy? If where your product is made doesn't matter to you, what key dynamics do you look for in picking which product to buy?
Please consider this question in regards to all products, not just the type of products I mentioned my company develops. Thank you.
Since making our products here in the United States is our founding initiative we will not be backing down from it, ever, but I am curious to see how important it is to people that the products they use, wear or interact with are American Made.
If you said yes, please explain why. If so, are slightly higher prices acceptable? Do you think more products and services should return to being manufactured or developed in the United States?
If no, please explain why. Do you see a larger benefit from the world economy? If where your product is made doesn't matter to you, what key dynamics do you look for in picking which product to buy?
Please consider this question in regards to all products, not just the type of products I mentioned my company develops. Thank you.
United States
Small Business
Manufacturing
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
Suspended Profile
I'm pretty sure my answer is going to rub most people on here the wrong way. While emotionally, I prefer to buy American made things, I ultimately care about only two things: quality and price/value. I'm a die-hard laissez-faire capitalist/objectivist/etc, and so my object is to buy what I view as the best product/service for the best value. If that product/service happens to be American, then that's just a bonus. If an American-made product/service I'm shopping for is a noticeably worse value than a foreign one, then I won't buy it.
Competition between the producers of goods/services is core to increasing the quality of what's available in the general market, as well as lowering prices and increasing value. Increase in quality and value unaccompanied by consummate increase in real prices (over time), results in a net increase in wealth in the economy. This increase in wealth is what has lifted billions out of poverty over the past centuries, and increased standards of living across the board. Clearly I have strong opinions about all this.... @__@
Competition between the producers of goods/services is core to increasing the quality of what's available in the general market, as well as lowering prices and increasing value. Increase in quality and value unaccompanied by consummate increase in real prices (over time), results in a net increase in wealth in the economy. This increase in wealth is what has lifted billions out of poverty over the past centuries, and increased standards of living across the board. Clearly I have strong opinions about all this.... @__@
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I try to buy and support small American products and buisnesses whenever possible. However after retirement I also look at thing from an economical standpoint as well.
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I look for US made on everything. I would rather pay a few extra dollars and know that I am supporting an American company, providing American jobs- than one that is out sourcing. Being from rural American, I know what it is like to have to rely on those who support American made things... so I do it in return.
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When I was a gear/gun/apparel dealer, the cost of manufacture between US/Foreign made items was 2 orders of magnitude different for labor. $18.00 US/Canada, $0.18 for Taiwan/China. Although customers claimed to want US made items, the ratio of similarly purchased foreign made items was better than 10:1 (and that's being extremely nice), and my markups were just better on overseas items.