Jump to content
Washington DC Message Boards

I'd like to buy American!


Guest Jason Henstridge

Recommended Posts

Guest Jason Henstridge

I read with great interest the thread re. Wal-Mart practicing unfair trade, labor, and for that matter just about everything else.

Here's my dilemma: I want to buy American made products, but frankly (and sadly)they're damn difficult to find these days.

Do the readers at large have any ideas?

Thanks.

 

Jason, CT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was downtown this weekend at the Cherry Blossom Parade and noticed every souvenir was made from China or another foreign country. It’s sad that in Washington, DC, there are no MADE IN THE USA products. You kind of expect that elsewhere but not in our Nation's Capital.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest MDsailor

I was in town for the Cherry Blossom parade and did see a few American-made products. They were hand-blown glass ornaments that looked great. They are from a local artist and I saw many people with them this weekend.

 

Glass-Cherry-Blossom-Ornament-450x450.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest KIRBY

There are many good vendors around the country. What our government should be doing is promoting manufacturing companies throughout our country.

 

The problem is that countries like China can pay their workers $1/day and just make cheaper products.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Americans don't realize that their top brands are not even American. Here is a partial list of companies you may know.

 

Giant Food is Dutch

Firestone is from Japan

Dial Soap is from Germany

Shell is from the Netherlands

Church's Chicken is from Bahrain

Toll House Cookies are from Switzerland

Holiday Inn is from the United Kingdom

The Chrysler Building is owned by the United Arab Emirates

Trader Joe's is German

7/11 is Japanese

Budweiser is Belgium.

Radio City Music Hall is owned by Japanese

CITGO is owned by Venezuela

Ben and Jerry's is owned by a British-Dutch conglomerate

French's Mustard is from the United Kingdom

Frigidaire is from Sweeden

Adidas is German

The Plaza Hotel is owned by Isreal

Caribou Coffee is owned by Bahrain

Campton Place Hotel is owned by India

T-Mobile is Dutch

Sunglass Hut is Italian

The Indiana Toll Road is owned by Australia

The Chicago Skyway is Australian-Spanish conglomerate

FOOD LION is Belgium

Chesapeake Hardwood Products, Inc is Chinese

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have a link for that hand made glass ornament?

Help!

 

I spent a long time looking for a company that sells quality American made glass ornaments.

 

http://www.achristma...Glass-Ornaments

Edited by Luke_Wilbur
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Human

AND, AND the internal white house gift shop? There is NOTHING there made in America "Except for the people who work there".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think Americans don't realize that their top brands are not even American. Here is a partial list of companies you may know.

 

Giant Food is Dutch

Firestone is from Japan

Dial Soap is from Germany

Shell is from the Netherlands

Church's Chicken is from Bahrain

Toll House Cookies are from Switzerland

Holiday Inn is from the United Kingdom

The Chrysler Building is owned by the United Arab Emirates

Trader Joe's is German

7/11 is Japanese

Budweiser is Belgium.

Radio City Music Hall is owned by Japanese

CITGO is owned by Venezuela

Ben and Jerry's is owned by a British-Dutch conglomerate

French's Mustard is from the United Kingdom

Frigidaire is from Sweeden

Adidas is German

The Plaza Hotel is owned by Isreal

Caribou Coffee is owned by Bahrain

Campton Place Hotel is owned by India

T-Mobile is Dutch

Sunglass Hut is Italian

The Indiana Toll Road is owned by Australia

The Chicago Skyway is Australian-Spanish conglomerate

FOOD LION is Belgium

Chesapeake Hardwood Products, Inc is Chinese

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Yaris1

I stopped buying Levi's a few years ago when I found out they were not made in the USA. There is a good American alternative. Union Line Jeans are made in Ohio by union workers and sold online by All-American Clothing. I own 3 pairs of jeans and 3 carpenter shorts and love them. They are as good as Levi's, only a few bucks more, and they don't pollute a river, involve child labor, or have to be shipped thousands of miles.

 

http://www.unionlabel.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Scott Misner

Rucker Helps Truth Hardware Prove "Made in U.S.A." Can Be More Efficient

 

Most manufacturing is outsourced overseas, often to save money, but Lean processes from expert David Rucker helped one company find a new truth. Truth Hardware found changing oil prices, shipping surcharges and currency exchange rates costing them time and money as they outsourced to China. After implementing Lean Six Sigma improvements, Truth found they could source components just as cheaply right here in the United States.

 

Owatonna, Minn.-based Truth Hardware manufactures more than 5,000 window and door hardware products, everything from hinges and double hung rail locks to sophisticated remote-controlled motorized systems for windows and skylights.

 

In addition to discovering the efficiencies of sourcing from domestic suppliers, the company also found they were able to respond more nimbly to customer requests thanks to the Lean improvements. Some of the challenges are described in the article "Home, Away and Back Again," featured in Assembly Magazine.

 

The Lean improvements were brought to the table by David Rucker, who founded Raleigh-based Rucker & Associates to help companies just like Truth Hardware to discover dramatic efficiencies in their everyday operations.

 

"When it comes to manufacturing, there is no place like home," wrote Doug Johnson, Truth Hardware's vice president of business. "Using Rucker's recommendations, we increased productivity, shortened lead times and freed up capacity, allowing us to provide better customer service."

 

Rucker's Lean principles have been honed by two decades of experience. Keen knowledge of manufacturing and industry best practices lead to some unique solutions for Truth that produced timely results. Truth's new pull-based scheduling system allowed the company to increase the number of products offered, yet decrease inventory.

 

"Companies are making tough decisions these days about their supplies, and cost is no small part of that decision," said Rucker. "Improving plant processes often makes the switch home from Asia cheaper, and yet can ultimately lead to a better quality product."

 

Although cost is a big factor, Truth Hardware discovered one other benefit to manufacturing closer to home: stronger customer service. Companies often forget that having domestic operations enables them to be close enough to respond to questions and ideas about improvements.

 

"Customer service is just as big a part of the business as overhead," said Doug Johnson.

 

A truth far too many organizations ignore.

 

Rucker & Associates is a high-performance consultancy dedicated to helping companies discover dramatic new efficiencies using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma improvement methodologies. Rucker's hands-on mentoring process with clients produces dramatic results -- training teams to accelerate change and implement continuous improvement. Every Rucker project features an unconditional guarantee.

 

Established in 1914 and manufacturing window hardware since 1955, Truth Hardware is the North American leader in the design and manufacture of quality operating hardware for windows and patio doors. Truth employs 1,200 people and has manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minn., and Toronto, Ont.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
Guest Leo from DC

Rucker Helps Truth Hardware Prove "Made in U.S.A." Can Be More Efficient

 

Most manufacturing is outsourced overseas, often to save money, but Lean processes from expert David Rucker helped one company find a new truth. Truth Hardware found changing oil prices, shipping surcharges and currency exchange rates costing them time and money as they outsourced to China. After implementing Lean Six Sigma improvements, Truth found they could source components just as cheaply right here in the United States.

 

Owatonna, Minn.-based Truth Hardware manufactures more than 5,000 window and door hardware products, everything from hinges and double hung rail locks to sophisticated remote-controlled motorized systems for windows and skylights.

 

In addition to discovering the efficiencies of sourcing from domestic suppliers, the company also found they were able to respond more nimbly to customer requests thanks to the Lean improvements. Some of the challenges are described in the article "Home, Away and Back Again," featured in Assembly Magazine.

 

The Lean improvements were brought to the table by David Rucker, who founded Raleigh-based Rucker & Associates to help companies just like Truth Hardware to discover dramatic efficiencies in their everyday operations.

 

"When it comes to manufacturing, there is no place like home," wrote Doug Johnson, Truth Hardware's vice president of business. "Using Rucker's recommendations, we increased productivity, shortened lead times and freed up capacity, allowing us to provide better customer service."

 

Rucker's Lean principles have been honed by two decades of experience. Keen knowledge of manufacturing and industry best practices lead to some unique solutions for Truth that produced timely results. Truth's new pull-based scheduling system allowed the company to increase the number of products offered, yet decrease inventory.

 

"Companies are making tough decisions these days about their supplies, and cost is no small part of that decision," said Rucker. "Improving plant processes often makes the switch home from Asia cheaper, and yet can ultimately lead to a better quality product."

 

Although cost is a big factor, Truth Hardware discovered one other benefit to manufacturing closer to home: stronger customer service. Companies often forget that having domestic operations enables them to be close enough to respond to questions and ideas about improvements.

 

"Customer service is just as big a part of the business as overhead," said Doug Johnson.

 

A truth far too many organizations ignore.

 

Rucker & Associates is a high-performance consultancy dedicated to helping companies discover dramatic new efficiencies using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma improvement methodologies. Rucker's hands-on mentoring process with clients produces dramatic results -- training teams to accelerate change and implement continuous improvement. Every Rucker project features an unconditional guarantee.

 

Established in 1914 and manufacturing window hardware since 1955, Truth Hardware is the North American leader in the design and manufacture of quality operating hardware for windows and patio doors. Truth employs 1,200 people and has manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, Minn., and Toronto, Ont.

 

Good read! I just read more about Made In USA Christmas on the website:

www.MadeInUSAChristmas.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...