Made in USA and keepin in that way!

[WLFPIR8]

As someone who makes things "in the usa"... Any LED light you get may be assembled here, but we don't have plants that make the diode chips (or not to my knowledge, or for a decent price) or the control systems (drivers). So, maybe the casing is made here (I doubt it) but certainly all the electrical parts aren't made here.

So why support LOCAL? For me it really depends. Some places are small shops that fabricate in house and it may not even be their primary income. If it's a good product, then sure, I'll be more likely to support it. You also have a lot of "designed" in the USA, but all the parts, assembly and packaging are from wherever.

I get wanting to only have USA made, as there's a list of good reasons... BUT there are simply things that aren't made here, or aren't available here. And especially for our ranger, which is a more "international" truck when it comes to aftermarket, especially from Australia.

Either way. I'm more of a "support the small business" type then a "if it ain't 'murica then it's crap" type. Logistically it's become impossible to be in that latter mindset and remain profitable.

On that note. My product offerings are about 50% USA sourced, 100% USA designed, assembled, packaged and even manufactured (as far as parts that can be). But I have a very simple product. E.G. the OEM connectors? Those are either made in Michigan OR Japan (depending) because that's what Ford uses. In the end, it's up to ME, the business owner to make sure that no matter WHERE the materials come from, they meet the quality standards that all my products stand by.

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[r1ch999999]

Made in the USA typically means Assembled in the USA.

 

[JohnnyO]

What bothers me is the current computer chip shortage. That's piss poor planning at the corporate level. They should have domestic sources, even if they are higher priced, to prevent such events.

I have no idea what computer chips cost but I used to work in purchasing at the corporate level and the main thing that matters is lowest cost, followed by availability. Tell your boss you want to buy American chips for $1.15 when chips from China are $1.00 and if you're lucky you'll get laughed at and if you're no so lucky they'll fire your ass. When I was an idealistic young man I once tried to do the environmental thing and ordered a truckload of recycled copy paper which for some reason cost more than regular copy paper. I was politely but firmly told not to do that again.

 

[HenryMac]

I have no idea what computer chips cost but I used to work in purchasing at the corporate level and the main thing that matters is lowest cost, followed by availability. Tell your boss you want to buy American chips for $1.15 when chips from China are $1.00 and if you're lucky you'll get laughed at and if you're no so lucky they'll fire your ass. When I was an idealistic young man I once tried to do the environmental thing and ordered a truckload of recycled copy paper which for some reason cost more than regular copy paper. I was politely but firmly told not to do that again.

How's that philosophy working for automakers now?

Chip shortages force Ford to cut more vehicle production

 

[OFC Ranger]

How's that philosophy working for automakers now?

Chip shortages force Ford to cut more vehicle production

It just means once production does come back they will charge even more to make up for the short fall. I will never shed a tear for corporate American. Ever.

 

[AzScorpion]

How's that philosophy working for automakers now?

Chip shortages force Ford to cut more vehicle production

A little to late but I guess better late than never.

Intel is spending $20 billion to build two new chip plants in Arizona

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/23/int...-to-build-two-new-chip-plants-in-arizona.html


Apple supplier TSMC to build a $12 billion chip factory in the U.S.


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/15/tsmc-to-build-us-chip-factory.html


https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/semiconductor-fabs-dotting-arizona-silicon-desert/

 

[OFC Ranger]

I noticed a lot more Amazon lights are coming with OSRAMs or components like 10W crees vs the usual 5w or 3w crees.

Don't forget that all your iPhones and iPads, and other stuff come from China. Quality is usually just determined by the amount of money the product requester allows to go into the spec. These guys literally have valleys in rural areas filled with factories and have mastered the art of re-tooling on the fly.

 

[F150stxguy]

Generally speaking German/Japanese > American when it comes to quality. And this is coming from someone who bashes Toyota a lot.

I think we used to have pride in American made products. It was more into our culture then. I mean, I’ve worked In a few warehouses and production facilities before and the average American worker gives little fucks as long as they’re skating by and getting their pay.

Also, it’s over looked a lot but consider WHERE some of these vehicles are being produced in the United States. Certain areas actually have better, higher skilled employees on average than other areas.

Another thing, I know it sucks that some of our manufacturing gets shipped down to Mexico, but, have any of you seen Mexicans work before? I would trust a truck or car assembled in Hermosillo Mexico before one assembled in the Chicago plant 100 percent.

On a side note. My father ordered chains for his chainsaw from Germany. They were actually more expensive than the Chinese garbage or the American chains, but the German chains kept longer before needing to be resharpened. So he doubled his work from the German variety.

 

[JohnnyO]

How's that philosophy working for automakers now?

Chip shortages force Ford to cut more vehicle production

They don’t really care. They saved money in the meantime. Most publicly traded companies focus on short term profits.

 

[GitRDone]

They don’t really care. They saved money in the meantime. Most publicly traded companies focus on short term profits.

You think? Your logic makes some sense but I would think ANY manufacturer would want to sell more product, not less.

 

[FloggingBishop]

then there’s this...

 

[CHS]

Chinese own so much here is the USA, it could still say made in USA, but the money still goes to the Communist Party of China

 

[CHS]

Then there is this.

Ford Ranger, with a score of 85.
70% of the Ranger's parts were made in the United States or Canada.

Not sure if Canada is too happy with us since screwing them on the pipeline deal and now Biden's U.S. is removing sanctions thus allowing Russia to finish theirs to supply Germany with oil (not us or Canada)

 

[Sashimi_Moto]

It is a conundrum.

Do you support Blue Collar jobs, White Collar jobs, Both? Foreign companies using American labor puts money into the workers pockets, but it's still a foreign company, profits go over seas.

American companies building cars off shore, their profits stay here.

What bothers me is the current computer chip shortage. That's piss poor planning at the corporate level. They should have domestic sources, even if they are higher priced, to prevent such events.

You folks ever wonder who makes the chips for the American military? No worries right, our government is making sure we're sourced on domestic components. Yeah, right. Scary shit right there.

We won WWII because we had huge manufacturing capabilities, huge natural resources and able bodied skilled trades people to build the war machine. Do we have that today? I know China does.

IF I have to choose the answer for me is very easy. I'll put money in blue collar pockets any goddamn day of the week because I know they A) need it, B) deserve it, C) pay their taxes with it, and D) it goes back into the economy - likely their LOCAL economy too. If the foreign corporation employing these Americans is an alley, that's groovy with me.

I'd like to reiterate a concept I'd like to see with online retailers - Let me filter by Made in America, or filter OUT made in China. I think it would be great if we could make prioritizing buying things on principal easier during the shopping process.

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