Made in the USA

We are proud to offer you high quality, American made, woodwork. Contrary to the attitude of many mass market manufacturers and distributors, origin is important. Preservation of domestic jobs is important, especially to those working those jobs. However, there are even deeper issues to consider.

When products are made in this country, you can be far more certain that employees are not being unfairly exploited and that they work in safe and protected facilities. You can also take comfort in the fact that companies are guided by strict environmental rules.

Safety and environmental protection are far less certain in cheap-labor countries. Importers and trade industry groups set up inspection programs to assure that all local laws are being followed. That is fine until one understands that in many regions, local laws are no more protective of labor and the environment than those of the United States at the turn of the last century.

It is ironic that our society, which works to outlaw exploitative activity within, is perfectly fine purchasing products made in conditions that were deemed improper here generations ago. All for the reason that products are cheaper.

Those inclined to import products will say that foreign production is more efficient, less wasteful. We beg to differ. For the most part, foreign factories don’t operate with less labor, less material waste, or with less pollution. It can be argued that there is more true waste in these places because things are so cheap, there is less incentive to conserve and be careful.

The real “waste” importers are trying to avoid is the American standard of living, attacking the very people they expect to buy their products.