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Old 07-06-2016, 10:40 AM   #101
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Duluth Trading Company has jeans made in America. They cost 4 times the identical ones they sell made overseas. Why do you suppose that is?
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Old 07-06-2016, 10:48 AM   #102
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I'll ask again, is the average consumer prepared to pay the retail prices that would come with domestic manufacturing employees earning a living wage? Or, will the demand for cheap and domestic-made mean lower salaried employees to compete with offshore manufacturers? Can't really have it both ways. Pay more, earn less, or stop complaining about offshore manufacturers.
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Old 07-06-2016, 04:47 PM   #103
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IMHO it starts with each of us. As an example, if you go to Home Depot (or wherever) to buy something and the one made in the USA is more expensive than the one made in China, will you buy the Made in USA brand?



Businesses will do what the consumer dictates! If the consumer always buys the lowest priced item the business man will try to drive down the cost. He must or he will lose sales.



I started my career as a tool and die maker and retired as a CEO, all spent in manufacturing. I have seen first hand the radical changes globalization has brought. The company where I started as a tool and die making apprentice has all of it's manufacturing now done in China. As a CEO I too have made decisions to purchase manufactured items from China knowing it would put Americans out of work. Did I want to make those decisions. Hell no! But my customer demanded continuously lower prices. Why? Because he was competing against foreign made products and if he did not keep his prices in check the consumer would ultimately buy from them.



So as long as we as a society are hooked on getting the cheapest priced product, the producers will continuously look for cheaper sources for labor and materials.


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Old 07-08-2016, 08:14 AM   #104
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The high performance/hot rod industry is still dominated by companies with US manufacturing facilities. Some of the dress up items are manufactured off shore. Hot rodders seem to have no problems buying a name brand intake manifold in the $300 range instead of a $99 knock off made overseas. Even though this thread is about aluminum wheels made in China, there are still several companies manufacturing aluminum wheels in the US that are doing just fine, thank you very much. As long as there are people out there demanding the cheapest goods, off shore production will prevail. BTW, as of this morning, there are 94 million people no longer in the work force.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:42 AM   #105
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Vic Edelbrock was/is a champion of produced in America goods.

I have bought a lot of his top notch made in America goods.


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Old 07-09-2016, 09:00 AM   #106
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Duluth Trading Company has jeans made in America. They cost 4 times the identical ones they sell made overseas. Why do you suppose that is?
Expensive U.S. advertising!
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Old 07-09-2016, 09:33 AM   #107
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The high performance/hot rod industry is still dominated by companies with US manufacturing facilities. Some of the dress up items are manufactured off shore. Hot rodders seem to have no problems buying a name brand intake manifold in the $300 range instead of a $99 knock off made overseas. Even though this thread is about aluminum wheels made in China, there are still several companies manufacturing aluminum wheels in the US that are doing just fine, thank you very much. As long as there are people out there demanding the cheapest goods, off shore production will prevail. BTW, as of this morning, there are 94 million people no longer in the work force.
As I have gotten older I need to buy less stuff. So when I need something I specifically search out US made. Boy is that ever difficult. The most disturbing fact I have come across is the increasing items made in Mexico on the store shelves. Don't tell me that NAFTA is good for the American worker.
I believe these trade deals benefit Wall Street only, since they can invest their billions anywhere in the world and come out smelling good. The American blue collar guy looses out.
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Old 07-09-2016, 09:54 AM   #108
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Expensive U.S. advertising!
Their advertising is crude and insulting. I no longer buy from this company because of their advertising practice. Pat
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:01 AM   #109
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Good example of things in the grocery store is in the non produce area. How many of you knew that Nabisco which is now foreign owned closed the Oreo plant in Chicago only to move all the production to Mexico. A devastating loss to a lot of long term workers. I've switched to American made Hydrox cookies. Interesting that at first the labels noted that the cookies were being produced in Mexico. Due to the negative press, they've removed that labeling.

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Old 07-09-2016, 10:27 AM   #110
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Never had a bad Chinese Aluminum Wheel... ever.

Buy a Made in USA flag for $29.00 at Lowes. It might last a month in Colorado or Nevada. WHERE anything is made does not indicate quality.

I can return anything to Costco, Walmart or a yellow pages full of stores that sell Made in (anywhere in the World). If there is something I do not like about how it fits, operates, tastes or just decided it was an impulse purchase... I can get 100% refund. Unless it is fraud on your mind, I have never had an issue returning what did not work or did not fit.

It is this 100% no questions asked REFUND that makes Quality Control at a factory important.

Now... speaking of Airstreams.

If it does not perform or hold up to use... try getting a 100% refund. Try getting cooperation of screwing cabinets back together and also avoid passing of the warranty buck to other suppliers. Automobile dealers may outsource their parts, but THE OUTSOURCED part suppliers are not the ones who you contact for warranty repairs. Airstream has found a slick way to avoid this important fact of purchase. They are responsible for... not much of what can go wrong.

I have never had an aluminum wheel failure. I have had bad luck with 14" tires, Load Range C made in China and Australia (Marathons). No problem with Costco's 14" trailer tires, no matter the source, worked very well. Maybe Canadian made.

Had a Costco tire failed... I would have a better chance having it taken care of... immediately.

I remember Made in the USA automobiles... too well. Warranty periods of 12 months, 12,000 miles. Short warranty = Poor quality. I still have all the tools to prove my point.

Airstream's warranty, if you call it that, is short considering most owners use the trailer for short trips. A FIVE year or TEN year 100% warranty on an Airstream would encourage better quality control. Until quality improves, no matter the source of the parts... the shorter the warranty and making it difficult to actually have the service performed is an easy way to discourage warranty work.

If customers in Panama or New Zealand feel as some do on this Thread... you would be the bigger fool as your selection will be limited and you would have to make it at home.
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:41 AM   #111
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And when automated tech for making things and providing services becomes pervasive ~enough~, the distinction between domestic human labor and foreign human labor is...?
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Old 07-20-2016, 10:07 PM   #112
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Actually, when Sam Walton was still alive, Walmart *did* feature American-made stuff. They even put American flag stickers on them. But, to be competitive, they would also carry a Chinese-made version of whatever. Guess which one we Americans chose to buy? The American consumer is still the most powerful economic force on earth - and we continue to fund our own demise...

Incidentally, when I ordered my new 16" Sendel TO3s in May, they had "made in China" stickers on them. ((sigh))
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Old 07-20-2016, 10:21 PM   #113
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Incidentally, when I ordered my new 16" Sendel TO3s in May, they had "made in China" stickers on them. ((sigh))
The Sendel website makes no claim as to the origin of the wheels. Despite that, I am happy with mine. Good and bad quality can be made anywhere in the world.

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Old 07-20-2016, 10:53 PM   #114
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We will pay more for made in America. Maybe not always three times more, but the wife and I try hard to put our money where our mouth is.


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Actually, when Sam Walton was still alive, Walmart *did* feature American-made stuff. They even put American flag stickers on them. But, to be competitive, they would also carry a Chinese-made version of whatever. Guess which one we Americans chose to buy? The American consumer is still the most powerful economic force on earth - and we continue to fund our own demise...

Incidentally, when I ordered my new 16" Sendel TO3s in May, they had "made in China" stickers on them. ((sigh))




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Old 07-21-2016, 05:15 AM   #115
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5 Years ago I bought some Thor shares for $30.98 per share today they are $83.87. They must be doing something right.
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Old 07-21-2016, 08:44 AM   #116
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Made in 'where ever' is no guarantee of value

My galvanized Trash Cans have large Made in the USA stickers on them. They have proven to be reliable and useful. I have not had one fail, yet.

Europeans would buy the trash cans to ship back inventory to Europe, versus cardboard boxes. They would clean out spark plugs and filters for vintage USA automobiles at Walmart, and other items purchased in the USA, they wanted to arrive safely in a container. They would then sell the galvanized USA trash cans to customers, eagerly awaiting new inventory once in Europe and empty.

I do not care where a product is made, as long as it is provides value for the cost.

When they begin to grow bananas in Minnesota... I will buy those. You have to be a shallow thinker to believe that Made In 'where ever' can be a guarantee of quality and value just from the source indicated on the packaging.
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Old 07-21-2016, 11:06 AM   #117
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I buy American when I can because it is good for our nation.

I have been that way since my youth, problem is, there are so few that think like me that my opportunities to buy American are dwindling, dwindling the same as the small factories that used to dot our nation.


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Old 07-21-2016, 10:49 PM   #118
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I buy American whenever and wherever I can, and am willing to pay more for it. But I also do my homework and get the best quality I can get. Worth it? Hard to say - most of my stuff will outlast me! ;-)
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Old 07-22-2016, 09:08 AM   #119
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Airstreams Aluminum Wheels Made In China

Just bought a "made in USA" 16 oz. steel hammer at Home Depot for $21 instead of a "made in China" 16 oz. hammer with a fiberglass handle for $6. Do I get a prize? Wait, I think I hear the "Today" show calling us for a featured interview...

BTW, the steel hammer is pretty darn good at driving tent stakes, so I'm happy.
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Old 07-22-2016, 10:48 AM   #120
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Just bought a "made in USA" 16 oz. steel hammer at Home Depot for $21 instead of a "made in China" 16 oz. hammer with a fiberglass handle for $6. Do I get a prize? Wait, I think I hear the "Today" show calling us for a featured interview...

BTW, the steel hammer is pretty darn good at driving tent stakes, so I'm happy.
Sounds like a waste. Airstreams don't use stakes.

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