Made in the USA - Now just a myth?
I received an email on 3/22/2006 that I'll post below as a nice introduction, then get into the bulk of my post below that.
Brian Mark,
I read your posting about not liking the Craftsman truck series commercial about bowling (no, I didn't watch it as I am sure it was not very good).
To write "you're going to need to buy quality hand tools that aren't from Craftsman. I'll make the recommendation for Stanley Tools". Come on now. I am not a Craftsmanite by any stretch of the imagination. Infact I do not own one Craftsman socket or ratchet. I am more of a Made in the USA man than any one brand loyal. But to say the nearly exclusively made in China Stanley tools are better in any way than any tool made in the USA is crazy. You do know Stanley made a majority of the hand tools for Craftsman in the 90's and prior don't you?
I don't need to go into who owns who in the tool buisness or anything beyond that. Just wanted to say Buy American when you can!
Best Wishes,
Vince Bellantonio Jr.
Thanks for your comments, Vince. I'd agree that we need to watch to a point what we buy. If everything is created overseas, we could end up with a huge unemployment rate stateside. However, "Made in the USA" in the tool business is getting to be a myth. We carry Irwin tools if you really want to stay with US built, but the point of the article you were referencing was that their commercial was sending the wrong message, not that I wanted to send more money overseas.
Hand tools are a bit different than power tools (the usual focus of this blog), but it warrants comment. Most of the metals used in creating hand tools are now imported, much from Japan and Europe. So even a "Made in the USA" tool is supporting overseas markets. A look at the Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau data shows the following data:
The largest steel exporting countries in 2004 were Japan (34.8 million tonnes), the EU15 (31.8), Russia (30.4), Ukraine (28.2) and, entering the top 5 for the first time, China (20.0).How many hand tools are made from steel? I'd say a large percentage. What about plastics? Well, that's very similar as well. Materials come from overseas, so that US made tool is still foreign materials in most cases.
Conversely, the largest steel importing countries in 2004 were China (33.2 million tonnes), USA (32.8), the EU15 (30.4) and South Korea (17.7)
Made in the USA Power Tools
This question comes up on a regular basis: What power tools are the largest percentage US built? We all know that DeWALT is a US based company and Makita is based in Japan, but where are the tools built? Surprisingly, the typical answer to the question of who builds the most tools in the US is Makita. We've asked reps from many companies, and that's usually the answer. There are a lot of Mexican built tools on the market today, quite a few German built, Korean and Japanese aren't uncommon either. Additionally, most of these companies have a US division. So what's that really mean?
Regardless where the tool is made there is always going to be some of the money staying home. Most people don't buy their Makita drill from Japan, they go to their local store or buy it from us online. Sure, some of the money ends up back in Japan. But it's a global economy now more than ever, and part of the money stays with the seller, some stays with the rep, some stays with the local warehousing facilities, some stays with the shippers, some stays with the manufacturer, some stays with their material suppliers, and some goes back into advertising via local media outlets. Regardless where the item is built, money gets spread all around both locally and abroad.
posted by Brian Mark at 11:20 AM
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4 Comments:
The problem with the theory that just buying a tool in a store means that you are supporting American made products has to do with the multiplier effect. It is a fact that making products here in the USA has a much greater effect on the local economy than purchasing a foreign made product, no matter who owns the factory. When Reagan threatened tariffs on Japanese cars, they hurried over here to build their vehicles for this market. Reagan also imposed tariffs to save Harley Davidson. The last 4 presidents could care less. I find it nauseating that Bush saw fit to visit a Harley plant to tout free trade and globalism. It was protectionism and hard work that saved that company. It will take the same to bring industry back here. The trends, however don't look good. I cant find a handheld drill made here. Its sick.
Thursday, 05 October, 2006
So true. It was refreshing to see some Delta marketing material talking about their X5 line and seeing that "Made in the USA" logo. Milwaukee has a few SKU's made in the US as well. But overall, very little of what we sell is built here. Even Craftsman, which is often touted as "Made in the USA" only says that on their hand tools. Most of their power tools are from other manufacturers, so they're made overseas just like the rest of the tools in the industry.
You may call it sick, but I don't know too many people that actually want to work those manual labor jobs. I know I don't personally. More power to those that do. But that's where our country is headed - marketing, research, entertainment and commerce instead of manufacturing.
Thursday, 05 October, 2006
All very interesting and is it such a wise move for the US to find itself in a totally dependent situation where even the essentials for Americans are imported? We are hated in some parts of the world and that does not bode well. And most Americans do not have a clue why that is. What if the items just for defense are gone from Made in the USA? What happens if we find ourselves turning to those that are not fond of us to provide us with key strategic items?
More seriously, will we become a country of haves and have nots such as in South America? Right now the middle class is strong. Get an education and go on to great things in YOUR life. There will always be those that fall between the cracks or just do not get that education that is needed for great things. So, I ask where are those with vision that can enable, inspire and lead us to be a balanced society with a balanced manufacturing community rather than short sighted leaders that are on a get rich quick track. Somewhere we are going to have to wake up. George Bush, Kenneth Lay and Jack Abramoff are not the examples that should lead us into the future, but they are the examples that are leading us. It is a slippery slope and it does not look pretty unless we as Americans ask some rahter serious questions and soon.
Monday, 25 December, 2006
I paid $20 more for my Made in USA Makita hand sander. I paid $40 more for my Made in USA Makita 4.5" angle grinder. I wish there was a way to make tool companies realize, that there are people out here that do that, but I don't think anyone is listening......my choices for Made in USA tools are getting slimmer and slimmer, and I've now stopped buying Makita since they don't seem to have a Made in USA tool left in their lineup. Sad really.
Monday, 08 October, 2007
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