Just a thought.....?

[Dan Bennett]

A few years back I was reading an industrial trade maqazine and noticed an ad from an offshore supplier. They touted their "one stop" capabilities in that all the manufacturer had to do was provide them with the specs for the part or assembly. They would then engineer it and produce it.

This ad showed a complete headlight capsule. According to the text, the manufacturer would do anything electrical. Ever since I read that, I've looked at replacement parts in a different light. Even though it may have been produced on a US assembly line, the engineering was done by a company I'd never heard of.

This just added to the unease I got a few years earlier when a Goodyear engineer told me that no tire company designed their own tread configurations - there were outside "styling" companies who would sell the designs to the tire manufacturers. The selection evidently hinged on what they felt they could promote the best.

[David Lee]

We can just blame ourselves for the current problem ith Chinese and other foreign made crap. WE allowed ourselves to be happy with the chep microwaves TV and computers made abroad. Now its all but impossible to buy rebar that is made here. Maybe if we got angry enough at the companies who were selling this crap and the companies who sending all the injection molding machines over to china we would not be facing this problem

[Bill Edgeworth]

It’s a complicated issue. 90% of the time it’s the result of us all wanting more for less.
Even when you expect nothing but the best you can still get junk. Example; Earlier this year Austin Martin had a recall due to the electronic accelerator pedal breaking. Austin Martin sub contracted making the part to a British tier one automotive parts supplier who then sub contracted the job to a Chinese auto parts supplier whose injection molded parts supplier substituted a cheap resin to save money over the specified material. So even when you are buying a $300,000 luxury sports car this can happen.
But as mentioned lots of other things lead to offshoring. Example in the last two decades lots of American companies have been purchased by foreign interests just to gut them for their customer base to up production at existing foreign factories. And in the case of the company I work for offshoring happened because some of the large US glass companies no longer wanted to deal with distributors and/or dropped production of certain items. They decided they would not deal with anyone that was not lets say a big beverage company buying a 500 million+ parts a year. It lead to us going from primarily being a distributor for US companies to distributing mostly for Asian and European companies.
In the end I have to ask why can we buy a Chinese made TV for less in America than what it costs a consumer in China? That’s where subsidies and fair trade practices come into play.

[Dan Bennett]

Originally Posted by Bill Edgeworth

...That’s where subsidies and fair trade practices come into play.

Your reply hits the target dead center, Bill.

In the early 90s I was working for a division of Anheuser Busch that made aluminum beverage cans. The raw material was a large roll of aluminum stock, each one weighing anywhere from 10 to 14 thousand pounds.

The company decided to switch from Alcoa (made in Alcoa, Tennessee; 500 miles away) to an asian company. The Japanese coil could be shipped the 6000 miles and still be sold for 20% cheaper. As far as I can see, there wasn't any aluminum ore deposits on the islands so they were buying the stuff on the open market just like us. The Japanese government was making that price happen.

I never understood why we never took a small portion of the money we paid to enemies for foreign aid so we could do the same thing for our companies and working people. I guess I'm not smart enough to be in Congress.

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

A few years back I was reading an industrial trade maqazine and noticed an ad from an offshore supplier. They touted their "one stop" capabilities in that all the manufacturer had to do was provide them with the specs for the part or assembly. They would then engineer it and produce it.

This ad showed a complete headlight capsule. According to the text, the manufacturer would do anything electrical. Ever since I read that, I've looked at replacement parts in a different light. Even though it may have been produced on a US assembly line, the engineering was done by a company I'd never heard of.

This just added to the unease I got a few years earlier when a Goodyear engineer told me that no tire company designed their own tread configurations - there were outside "styling" companies who would sell the designs to the tire manufacturers. The selection evidently hinged on what they felt they could promote the best.

This is a good thread....On a related note...Goodyear just opened a R&D Facility in Hebron Ohio, just a few miles from National Trail Raceway...3 of our Maintenance men just quit (2 weeks ago) and went to work for them .Started them out @ 62 thou and pretty nice benefit package, Good for our area to say the least, they will employ about 50 to 60 people to start....Will be engineering new styles of Goodyear's tire designs....

[Greg Reimer 7376]

But where will they be made? Design is one thing, engineering and production is another.

[Jeff Niceswanger]

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

But where will they be made? Design is one thing, engineering and production is another.

Hi Greg,
One of the men they hired was my ex chief steward . We stay in contact . They are telling them this site was picked as they( Goodyear) wanted it close enough to Akron-Canton Area that is would be easy to could jump in a car and in a couple 3 hours be up there, but not so close that Akron would be a crutch or too much of an influence . But..... Goodyear is also are making them aware to have their passports ready, as when these new designs are complete ,they will be expected to go to wherever the tires are produced and help them get the equipment up and running.....So you are correct....

[GarysZ24]

This topic is one I've written about since the late '80's (since I've cared about MADE IN THE USA for practically my whole adult life). I am more glad to hear about the Goodyear operation, as I use their "American Made" Wrangler tires on my Chevy Colorado daily driver/tow vehicle. It's sad that we stopped caring about where our goods and services were made, and now we've been paying the price for it. This country of ours was made great because we made most of what we consumed, and I feel we can be this way again but we have to demand it! I feel if we made more of what we consume, we'd do a better job of supporting not only our country, but our favorite sport. I'm game, how about the rest of you???

p.s. There's strength in numbers, and it's being proven every day that no-one makes better products for Americans, than Americans!!!!