By Paul Pannone

The high cost of labor and tax liability in the United States are blamed as primary reasons why American companies manufacture their goods elsewhere. While Americans say they want to see jobs return to the United States  business owners say they’re torn between staying competitive and their patriotism. Meanwhile the outsourcing creates the easy opportunity for China to make the goods and sell directly to unsuspecting American consumers.

 

PortaPocket owner would love to find a way to make her products in American.

 

eWedNewz continues our investigation and why Americans say they want products made here while buying products made elsewhere.

One business owner says she’s torn between the no-brain move of making her products off-shore because of the cost effectiveness while maintaining her patriotism.

Kendra Kroll, owner of PortaPocket, explains;

 ”Not everyone making products overseas deserves to be shunned. The fact of the matter is; some of us “small guys” are totally patriotic, yet HAVE NO CHOICE than to make our products elsewhere due to being priced out of the market in the USA. Our products are made from neoprene which takes a certain type of machinery to work with. If you have a supplier in the states that can make my patented PortaPocket products at the same cost that I get from Cambodia and China… I’m all ears! I’d like nothing better than to manufacture my designs here but have not been able to find anyone who can do it at a rate that leaves enough margin so that I can price them at a level where people will buy.”

Kroll and many other US companies are forced to live with the problems and challenges of off shore productions of their products because of pricing. But new information shows American companies suddenly face competition from their manufacturing partners that copy products and sell to the same market for lower prices.

Liz St. John answers Kroll with empathy but keeps the record straight;

“PortaPocket Gal… I, like you, am a “little guy” and just to clarify, this story is not about manufacturing overseas, but rather about overseas manufacturers COPYING your product, and passing it off to unsuspecting consumers as an authentic product, made by YOU.   It’s a lose/lose situation, for the consumer, that usually ends up with a far inferior product if they get one at all, and you lose a sale that was otherwise intended for you alone.  If you have a manufacturer overseas copying and selling your patented PortaPocket direct to a consumer, and cutting you completely out of the transaction, you would feel the same way?”

A current eWedNewz poll asks whether it matters where products are made. Right now 38% say it does matter, while 19% say it doesn’t. 44% of respondents so far say they want to see products made here in the United States.

“One would think that’s a clear statement in favor of at least the quality of American-made products. In other words, no one favors the lack of quality displayed by the knock offs. Of course everyone wants to pay less but at what price? Certainly not in the disappointment given by supporting inferior products,” says Jim Duhe, a proponent for quality, wherever it’s made.

 

What do you think? Take the poll.

eWedNewz

All Rights Reserved

2012