What Made In The USA Means And Why It Matters

Before you even think about reading further, you should play this song in the background.

Now we can talk about the importance of USA-made materials and products. "Made In U.S.A" labels are trademarked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). To be considered Made In U.S.A, it's stated that "all or virtually all" significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of US origin. For some industries, if their items are assembled in the US with more than 50% American-made parts, they are still legally allowed to use the trademarked label. Because of these broad terms, both consumers and companies can become confused about the validity of this label. There's good news though. Some companies, like WireCrafters, sell products that are 100% Made In U.S.A.

The Growing Value of U.S. Made Materials

In light of the Fourth of July coming up–as well as Made in America Day celebrated on July 2nd– we think now is the perfect time to highlight the growing importance and value of American-made products. Catch up on a brief history of the American manufacturing industry to see how the industry began and continues to evolve. For this post, we'd like to highlight the fact that it was in the 1800's that the industry grew exponentially and that 1979 was when employment in the American manufacturing industry peaked.

Of course, America was founded on the momentous day of July 4th, 1776. That means that in just 24 short years, manufacturing took a quick hold and has had a defining impact on our country since the beginning. For 179 years (1800-1979) the industry grew exponentially and changed the way Americans lived, worked, and travelled. However, in the late 1990's, many companies began moving their facilities overseas where labor is cheaper.

Today, the manufacturing industry is experiencing an unexpected slow down and as such, we think that it's more important than ever to bring attention to our industry and how we're still making a difference. It's because of this unexpected decline in manufacturing jobs that the value of the "Made In U.S.A" label means more and more. While industry output and created jobs have fallen for the first time since 2017, the story at WireCrafters is much different.

Our new space we opened in early 2019 already feels like home and has already led to new WireCrafters team members and hopefully 100 new, full-time jobs in total as a result of the project. Talk about an exciting time for the Louisville manufacturing industry! With the increased workspace and welding capacity, our output will increase and turnaround time will decrease so that we are able to provide more of our "Made in America" wire partitions across the nation.

WireCrafters: Made In U.S.A

When a company chooses to carry out its work through local employees, it contributes to thriving communities. It's all interconnected. Our team members represent many families and households. From our welders to managers to our shipping department, they put in the work that creates the machine guards for chemical plants and storage lockers for the U.S. Navy. Many of our wire partitions are used in the criminal justice system too. We love that our products help others do the great work they do.

We are proud to continually say that all of our materials are made and assembled in the U.S.A. We're also proud to be a part of a larger community of manufacturers with products made only in America, such as:

• Lodge Cast Iron Cookware
• Stihl, INC.
• Pyrex

It's reported that since 2010, 300 companies have moved production back to the US. We hope this trend continues and that America can continue and grow in leading the world's manufacturing.

This week– in honor of Made in America Day and Independence Day– let's all be thankful for our freedom; for those who have sacrificed and worked diligently to make our country what it is today. Let's try to always remember the importance of the Made In U.S.A label and all that it means for us and our future.