Shoemaker in landmark case sets its own ‘Made in America’ standards

[MtnMan]

New Balance sidesteps FTC ad rules
Shoemaker in landmark case sets its own ‘Made in America’ standards

By John W. Schoen
Senior producer
msnbc.com
16 April 2010

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36476797...s-us_business/

[GaryS]

Kinda like TB getting some of their material and hardware from Asia for their "Made in America" products. Doesn't matter to me as TB makes top quality products.

[MtnMan]

To be fair, Tom Bihn incorporates an announcement into their product literature (the product web pages) in which the company informs customers that their Dyneema fabric is sourced from Japan. That's a major difference from a larger manufacturer of footwear who may be telling its customers that said footwear is "Made in USA" when that may not be entirely true.

From where I sit, I prefer Tom Bihn's way of handling the matter.

[backpack]

Most footwear is made in China.

New Balance wants to change the rule of Made in America advertising to allow 50% of their product to be made abroad.

If that advertising rule sticks, most manufacturers will keep one plant in the U.S and outsource all the others.
Making our economy even worse. It would hurt competitors who want to stay ethical and give jobs to Americans and it will hurt consumers in the long run.

A quick check of all the recalled toys, other related children products and pet food made in China promises a frightening future if provenance of a product is not clearly labeled and advertised in accordance with the present rule.
Made in America product needs to be manufactured almost entirely in the United States.

I watched Made in America on the Travel Channel, I want those small businesses to offer me superior products and keep Americans employed.

I want the products I buy to be of quality and I want the people who make them to have good working conditions.

[MtnMan]

For me, I have no problem with buying foreign-made goods. But foreign-made goods don't have to come from some mysterious origin that is being concealed.

Take the latest Volkswagen commercials on TV. Their latest slogan is "Das Auto", in other words, VWs are automobiles proudly designed and/or made in Germany by a manufacturer with a good reputation. The same can be said for recent advertisements from Volvo. There is something reassuring to consumers when a manufacturer is up-front with its advertising and displays pride not just in the finished product, but also showing pride in where the products were made.

Accordingly, when I buy a luggage product from Tom Bihn or Red Oxx or WaterField Designs, I am pleased to support a business that is proudly making a quality product thanks to a dedicated workforce and designers who want to let us know how proud they are of their company, their community and their country. That's some of the most persuasive advertising I can think of.

[backpack]

For me, I have no problem with buying foreign-made goods. But foreign-made goods don't have to come from some mysterious origin that is being concealed.

Take the latest Volkswagen commercials on TV. Their latest slogan is "Das Auto", in other words, VWs are automobiles proudly designed and/or made in Germany by a manufacturer with a good reputation. The same can be said for recent advertisements from Volvo. There is something reassuring to consumers when a manufacturer is up-front with its advertising and displays pride not just in the finished product, but also showing pride in where the products were made.

Accordingly, when I buy a luggage product from Tom Bihn or Red Oxx or WaterField Designs, I am pleased to support a business that is proudly making a quality product thanks to a dedicated workforce and designers who want to let us know how proud they are of their company, their community and their country. That's some of the most persuasive advertising I can think of.

I feel the same way Mtnman. When I run out of my U.S made paper, I plan to buy Rhodia products proudly made in France.
Once in a while, I eat cheese imported from Europe.

The WePad is made in Germany and I have no problem with that either.


My problem is concealment of origin to gain unfair market share and jack up the price to customer kept in the dark about labor practices.

I don't want to buy products made by children, if I don't know where the product came from I have no idea if the country of origins has anti child labor laws.

[nikonnut]

Backpack,
Your point is interesting but I take one issue. You state "The WePad is made in Germany and I have no problem with that either." but what about some of the more esoteric alloys and elements that may be in that WePad? There is some talk about the "conflict metals" found in computers that come from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Definitely not the best safety or labor laws in effect there (and much worse!). So my question is this? If the assembly point is a responsible country does that make everything upstream that goes into the product a mute point? I know this is a damned if you do and damned if you don't question but as I study globalization I am curious so please share. Not trying to start a flame war by any stretch.

Here's an interesting link;
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2...ublic-of-Congo

[falconea]

nikonnut, I think you will find that Germany is far more aware of these issues than the US and that anything made there will be fine.

Audrey