Made in America

[Markum]

I was reading the posts about the 64$ Loomis and saw the "made in america" pitch. I was wondering how important it is that a product is made in the USA? If yes, would you buy an inferior US product over an international product? Just wondering how everybody felt on the issue!

[hook-out]

OK, I'LL BITE!!!!!

I figure that I work pretty hard for my pay, thus,I have grown to know that when I spend money on anything, I want the best I can get for it. In todays world, do we really know where most of the products "actually" come from? Ford, and American company, built in Canada...Chevy(GM) and American company built in Mexico, and all these companies build with parts made all around the world. I really don't care if it is made on the moon, as long as I get a decent product for a decent price.
Fair value is the key for me.
Hook-out

[Phil T.]

The "made in America" arguement makes sense for American labor. Not many of us would be willing to relocate outside US borders for the jobs we now have. However, the companies that employ us often have an attitude of make it here, and invest it wherever labor is cheap, environmental laws are lax, etc. American steel did it in the '70's, American auto about the same time. A few companies weren't happy with their foreign experience and have moved back. Now, of course, auto makers are building factories in the SE US. With most electronic products, human hands touch the thing only to put it into the box. There is absolutely no corporate advantage to doing robotic assembly overseas. If you want to get an idea how pervasive the cheap labor sentiment is, read the package your Lindy Rig came in. Hand tied in Voodoo Central, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Flies are usually tied in Sri Lanka, another country famous for its poverty and starvation.

[AquaMan]

I think, at the risk of some negativity, that the "Made in America" thing is a little over-hyped and has some misnomers in light of US consumer's demands for less expensive products. The gentleman that made that comment may not realize that almost every single item on that rod came from outside the US and that it was probably only assembled here. To be "Made in the US" a product only has to be assembled in some fashion.

Since most products sold in the US share an enormous trade flow and are distributed by US companies, there is no longer the need to be made here in the US to protect US jobs. The current trade agreements made it easier for US companies to move outside the US to make their products cheaper for US consumers. Our demand for less expensive products is the real culprit. What amazes me is that we demand to be paid more for our work and pay less for our goods and keep it all in the US...can't happen. How long do you think McDonald's can afford to pay it's workers $9 an hour and sell burgers for 99 cents? We can't buy beef from Japan..yet.

The new tag phrase should be "Made for Americans."

Personally, I would and do pay a little more if I knew that my money was really going to benefit a local company. I have put my money where my mouth is time and again. Lund Boats, Wave Tamer, FigRig Rods, Northland Tackle, Federal Arms, Zercom. These are Made in the US and more over...Made in Minnesota! :-)

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[MPhelps]

Aquaman,
I believe you are incorrect on your analysis of Northland Tackle. I do know that many of their items are made overseas. I am not saying all, but, I know quite a lot of them are. All they do in Mn is mostly package products, and maybe put together some of their spinnerbaits. I think it is great for you, and others, to buy American made. This is a real sore subject for me so forgive me if I sound angry. So, if they, or also some other companies, put Made in America on their package, it is not always true.

[SUPERTROLLER]

When I spend my money I just want a quality product at a decent price. If it's an American made product, so much the better. Love my Shimano spinning reels and my Diawa linecounter and Baitcasting reels. Less happy with the Okuma linecounter but it was worth what I paid for it. I think they were the best products to fill my criteria for quality and price and don't care that they're made in Japan. ( Think they all were ) There are a lot of American made reels too but they were of lesser quality (my opinion) or more expensive or didn't have all the features I wanted. We might be able to out produce workers in other country's but how many of these products are built to last without falling apart one day after the warranty period ends?

[Weyes1]

It all boils down to you get what you pay for. Basically most of your equipment will be made overseas. I would prefer to buy american. St Croix rods are made in the U.S. They are great rods and won't break the bank. Loomis was bought by Shimano so the uncertantity of where the product is coming from keeps me buying St. Croix. St. Croix are great rods and have a very good warranty. You can't go wrong.

[steve(IL)]

I'm the guy who made the "made in America" comment and am fully aware that most of the components come from outside the country. For me, all things being equal, made in America means something to me and should to you too.

[steve(IL)]

I am on the road selling products manufactured by american workers. These are good honest people who come to work every day and turn out a quality product. I've seen them work through breaks and stay overtime(w/o expecting pay) to get the job done. They are grateful to our customers as they realize they provide their livelihood. They pay mortgages, car payments and taxes. They are a big part of our economy. Don't blow it off like it doesn't mean something. I'm not a Pat Buchanon(sp?) protectionist or Union supporter - I just feel a great respect and responsibility to these good folks and their families. You probably know somebody that works for a manufacturing business.....

I'd answer your question this way - all things being equal, buy American if it's an option.

[hook-out]

St. Croix gets most of it's blanks from the east, Taiwan and Korea. If you think that that makes this a US company, then so be it. Yes, they do have some made here in the states, the most expensive ones.

Hook-out

[Mike]

All other things being equal, I would buy a Canadian-made product over any other. However, having already been Rotor-Rootered by the government for almost half my salary in income tax, I feel no moral obligation whatsoever to buy an inferior product or a more expensive product simply because it has a Maple Leaf stickered on it.

As a consumer, I look for what is best for me and for my family, and if that means buying a fridge from The Yak Pluck Co-operative in Upper Mongolia, then so be it...although I hear warranty service can be a real bugger...

[Hans]

Whoever builds the best product (it need not be the cheapest) gets my business. Period.

There are good honest people in Minnesota, Timbuktu, South Dakota, Hong Kong, Wisconsin, Malaysia, Texas, Canada, South Carolina, Mexico, Florida, and France too, working to put out a good product and support their family. I'll buy from the guy whose product meets my needs the best.

Hans

PS: I spent 21 years in uniform including combat, so don't even consider throwing any "patriotism" guilt my way.

--
"There is nothing; absolutely nothing; half so much worth doing,
as simply messing about in boats." :-)

[AquaMan]

I guess that was my point. It matters not where it originated, but where it ends. After reading my post, my point was cloudy but I think you know what I meant.

The products I choose to buy do not have to made in the US to be worth my money. But I do focus on companies that are >>based<< here in MN more so then anything else. Its just my choice, that's all.

It is appearant that the other posts are more concerned with quality vs the products origin, which says volumes about what is really important. And since most of the products, or components of that product, we buy come from overseas, the "Made in America" does not mean, emotionally or financially, what it did in the 70's and 80's.

I don't think that most of what we buy today is made here in the US, but that does not mean the US will not benifit from it or that we are giving up jobs. On the contrary, we are spreading the wealth. Heck look at the unemployment rate. We can't find anymore workers in the US.

Not to change the subject, but if you are concerned about America then help the farmers?

Ahhh, what the heck. Buy what works, drink more milk and eat more pork!

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[eye crosser]

Loomis rods will continue to be made in the same plant as always! Did you Shimano makes reels in the U.S also! By the way "MADE IN THE U.S" sometimes means assembled in the U.S !!! It's very common these days to buy rods oversea's an put on a handle''NOW IT'S MADE IN THE U.S.

[Den]

st croix has their own mandrels for their rods, and they are made here. i have been through the plant, and unless they have changed lately they are still made here .Just passing on what i saw with my own eyes.
Den

[Silver/MI]

Buying an inferior product because it is made here helps no one. I think everyone would agree that most American cars of the mid 70's and early 80's were absolute junk. Due to foriegn competition the auto industry was forced to make better cars or go out of business. Look at todays US cars. They are good. They run forever without tune-ups! And even though it took 50 years they even have cup holders!! What an idea.

[Jeff Reed]

Well guys here I go again. I have worked for consumer electronic giants on the wholesale level to include Panasonic, Hitachi, Pioneer, Goldstar, Uniden, Pioneer, JVC, to name a few. The fact is not one has any respect for America other than to get as much money as possible and return it to the motherland. Their rudeness is in a class by itself to include talking in Japanese or Korean during a business meeting to hide what they're saying from us "Dumb Americans". You would not believe some of the slipshod down right faulty products I've witnessed pushed on the American consumer that didnt work "out of the box" and was knowingly shipped faulty. The products they produce cannot be afforded in their own country because of poverty wages and conditions they provide for their workers. Think about it.

[TerryMac]

I think I try and buy stuff from people who bought things from or have done business with me. Or from other friends , or from people that support the causes I believe in.
That is how this small town guy was raised.

[Weyes1]

Last I heard they make all of their rods. Early on they impored some of their cheap rods. I like the St. Croix rods that I have. They are the high dollar rods. Like I said before you get what you pay for.
Weyes1

[Hook-out]

Kinda sounds like the U.S. auto makers doesn't it?
"Ship it to the dumb consumer and then, if we get caught, we will have a recall" I really don't care who you work for, they are all driven by the same thing,"GREED"! The only thing about buying their stuff is that you get a better quality of "Junk". Obviously, you made out on some of their greed also, I mean you worked for them$#$#$

Hook-out

[jeff reed]

So what was I suppose to do???? I didnt have any power over it. When I was notified it was after the the fact and I was part of the "damage control" process. If I would have known it was defective I would never had sold it.

[River_eye]

I'm canadian, but I feel no obligation to buy goods manufactured here. I want the people who produce the best product at the best value, and stand behind it, to get my money. Those are the only businesses that are worth supporting, whether they are Canadian, US, Japanese or whatever.

The moment that a business decides that getting bigger and making more money are more important than satisfying custiomers, is the moment when they lose my respect. I've seen this happen too much already in North America.

River eye

[steve(IL)]

Did I say anything different? What guilt are you refering to? Yours? I said "all things being equal(including quality), buy American". Do you really disagree with this idea Hans?

[Road Kill]

I try to buy products that are Union made 1st. and then I look for made in America. I belive that if we are to survive as a country we must have a strong industrial base. In my openion the Unions and the causes they stand for today and historicly are a big reason we still are America the land of the free, and the envy of the rest of the world. I also wish to thank the gentleman who in a related post said that he was a combat veteran, as was my father in WWII. Thank god that we are all Americans and free to do as we choose. These veterans are the reason we can decide what country we want to buy from.

[River_eye]

I don't know about that union thing. Wouldn't it be better to support companies that treat their employees good enough so that there is no need for a union?

River eye

[DEADEYE NICK]

I don't beleive in buying exclusively from any one country.I buy what meets my needs no matter what country it's manufactured in.Take a look around your own house and I'm willing to bet there are a lot of items not made in USA.
I want to hear about fishing, not about what country people buy their equip. from.


thankyou

[Guest]

Hey...it is you, "name already in use"...!
how ya doin. Buddy?
"Guest"

[mlc]

Aquaman, PORK FAT RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MLC

[mlc]

Greetings! Your comment about "dumb american" caught my eye. American automobiles are a fine example. The Japanese saw our poor quality control and engineering and ended up producing a superior product at a fair price. The citizens of the country noticed it also. They ended buying them. Sad but true. I own 4 cars and 1 truck. The cars are Japanese. My truck is American, only because there is no real foreign competition in this area.

Another example of this "dumb american" stuff is a little closer to home for those of us on this site. I am referring to the Evinrude FICHT. Talk about damage control. The lack of quality control and adequate engineering PRIOR to the sale cost Evinrude a fortune. Many loyal customers are no longer loyal. I am willing to bet that once again we will be outdone by foreign competition. Do you think Yamaha will dump a HPDI system on the American public that has severe problems.

How about Mitchell/Garcia. Their old 300 model real was a nice unit for its time. They even made a left handed real. Mitchell/Garcia split and the quality portion of that marriage went overseas.

I think we are a proud and stubborn people sometimes. We have not always done the right things and we have paid a price for it. Short term profits are not the way to build long term loyality and quality.

So, maybe we should take a look at what the phrase "dumb american" really means. I think it is a very dumb thing to point our fingers outward when attaching blame. Some of those mistakes originated here and can only be corrected here.

mlc

[Nate W.]

Last fall my wife and I were buying a couple of new bikes. We were trying to decide between the Schwinns (American) and the Fugi's (Japanese). We opted for the Fugi's, because they were being sold from a family-owned store down the street while the Schwinns were sold out of a chain store 30 miles away. I'd have much rather supported an "American" company, but I felt it was more important that my money stayed closer to home so I spent it with a local business owner. I live in a small town and I feel a little more loyalty to the local merchants than the factory workers five or six states away.