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Made in America: Apple's supply chain increasing US production

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By Neil Hughes
Published: July 19, 2012   07:38 AM EST (04:38 AM PST) 
Over the last year, some of Apple’s key component suppliers have begun increasing their U.S.-based production, which could be a sign that more of the iPhone is already made in America than one might think. 
When Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was recently asked at the D10 conference about the possibility of his company building products in America, he noted that some crucial parts for the iPhone and iPad are already manufactured stateside. Specifically, he identified the ARM processors built by Samsung in Austin, Texas, or the Corning Gorilla Glass made in Kentucky.

But the iPhone and iPad — Apple’s two most popular products — are made up of much more than the CPU and glass that Cook highlighted. These complex mobile machines include power controllers, proximity sensors, cellular radios, Wi-Fi chips, audio and video chips, accelerometers and more — and a number of those parts come from American companies.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of the parts found in Apple’s products are, with absolute certainty, made in America, even if they’re sold by a U.S. company. Many chipmakers build their products at a number factories located around the world. And ever-secretive Apple doesn’t even disclose who makes many of the parts found in its products, leaving enthusiasts to tear the company’s devices apart and hunt for clues, sometimes to no avail.

But over the last year, some of the more prominent chipmakers that Apple does business with, including Texas Instruments and Avago Technologies, have begun to increase their stateside production of components.

One industry contact who spoke with AppleInsider said that many of these companies are expanding their U.S. production in part because of orders received from “a large personal electronics manufacturer” that continues to see record breaking sales. Afraid to identify Apple by name, some in the industry are said to jokingly refer to growing orders from a mysterious “fruit vendor.” 

Expanding production

One Apple supplier, Avago Technologies, is currently expanding its manufacturing processes in Fort Collins, Colo., and is planning to buy as much as $130 million worth of manufacturing equipment. Avago is responsible for making a custom part for Apple’s iPhone 4S that allows one handset model to connect to multiple forms of wireless networks around the world, according to IHS iSuppli.

AppleInsider inquired with Avago about its U.S.-based chip fabrication, as well as its assumed partnership with Apple, but the company declined to comment.

Texas Instruments, another key Apple partner, is also currently ramping up production at its Texas chip fabrication factories. While the chipmaker is closing factories in Japan and Houston, one person familiar with the company’s operations said those moves have come as the company turns its focus to products seeing increased demand.

In particular, Texas Instruments is said to have seen orders grow considerably for its power management chips for mobile devices like smartphones. Texas Instruments already supplies a number of components to Apple, including the touchscreen controller in the iPhone 4S, as well as power management chips and a control device found in the new third-generation iPad. The company was also rumored in March to have begun manufacturing new power management chips for Apple’s next iPhone.

A person familiar with operations at Texas Instruments said its power control chip business, which is said to receive a significant number of orders from Apple, has generated “thousands of jobs” in the U.S. Many of those jobs are said to be high-paying technical jobs that require employees with engineering degrees, particularly at its Richardson, Tex., facility, known internally as “RFAB.” 

The Texas Instruments fabrication facility in Richardson, Tex., opened in 2009. 
A spokesperson for Texas Instruments told AppleInsider their company doesn’t comment on matters related to “potential customers,” and declined to discuss the company’s general chip fabrication business.

Fairchild Semiconductor, which is believed to supply power supply chips for Apple’s iOS devices, is also said to be producing over capacity at its American facilities. The San Jose-based company, which has been around in various forms since 1957, saw record quarterly sales for mobile products in the first quarter of 2012, and is in the process of adding more equipment in the U.S.

An individual familiar with Fairchild’s business indicated to AppleInsider that the company’s 200-millimeter wafer fabrication plant in South Portland, Maine, is currently at full capacity, as is its 150-millimeter facility in West Jordan, Utah. This person said Apple-ordered components built by Fairchild will primarily come from its Maine plant in the second half of 2012. 

Fairchild Semicondutor plant in South Portland, Maine, via Maine Ahead. 
AppleInsider reached out to representatives from Fairchild Semiconductor multiple times over the last week and a half, but the company failed to respond to any inquiries.

There are also rumors in the industry that Maxim Integrated Products, a semiconductor manufacturer based in San Jose, has secured orders from Apple. The company has plants in San Antonio and Dallas, as well as Beaverton, Ore., and San Jose, Calif.

AppleInsider reached out to Maxim to comment on rumors that it has received orders from Apple, but the chipmaker declined to comment on that particular topic.

However, Vivek Jain, senior vice president of Manufacturing Operations at Maxim, did discuss his company’s general chip production business, and revealed that about 50 percent of its wafer fabrication production is based in the U.S.

Maxim recently began a multi-year investment in its American facilities, upgrading and expanding capacity at all of its U.S. fabrication plants. Jain said the investment will allow Maxim to improve product quality and upgrade its equipment while assimilating production from recently acquired companies. Maxim’s 380,000-square-foot semiconductor fab in San Antonio was purchased from Philip
s Semiconductor
s Inc. in 2003.

Jain said the companies Maxim partners with have not specifically asked the chipmaker to build more products in the U.S. But Maxim has focused on its American operations regardless, because the company feels it gives them a competitive advantage.

“We have a very talented pool of resources in Silicon Valley and across (the) U.S. to develop new process technologies and do cost effective manufacturing, while protecting critical intellectual property,” Jain said.

Maxim Integrated Products is spending $65 million to expand its chip fab facility in San Antonio, Tex. 
Maxim has 9,300 employees worldwide, and about 1,000 of those are manufacturing cleanroom workers at its four U.S. fabs, which produce integrated circuits for smartphones, tablets and more.

Combined, Maxim’s plants in San Antonio and Beaverton employ nearly 1,100 manufacturing and engineering staff. Even more high-end workers are expected to be added as the company continues its $200 million in upgrades aimed at expanding its U.S. semiconductor manufacturing facilities.

Breaking down the iPhone’s parts

It’s impossible to tell exactly how much of Apple’s products are truly built in the U.S. As evidence of this, Andrew Rassweiler, senior principal analyst at research firm IHS iSuppli, put together a breakdown of components found in the iPhone 4S, and 52.6 percent of the parts were considered “unknown.”

iSuppli’s research did find that Samsung Semiconductor, which builds Apple’s custom ARM processors in Texas, plays the biggest role in the iPhone 4S. They estimate that Samsung’s components represent 12.4 percent of the smartphone’s identifiable bill of materials.

Avago Technologies is estimated to account for 1 percent of the bill of materials in the iPhone 4S, while Texas Instruments is pegged at 0.6 percent, Maxim is estimated to account for 0.5 percent, and Fairchild Semiconductor has 0.1 percent.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass, which serves as the scratch-resistant surface for the iPhone 4S touchscreen and is publicly acknowledged to be made in America, is estimated by iSuppli to represent another 0.6 percent of the smartphone’s total bill of materials.

Other noteworthy iPhone component makers on iSuppli’s list are:

  • Qualcomm, based on San Diego, Calif., and estimated to account for 8 percent of the bill of materials
  • Amperex Technology, with 3.2 percent and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York
  • TriQuint Semiconductor, of Beaverton, Oregon, with 1.1 percent of the iPhone 4S cost
  • Cirrus Logic, from Austin, Tex., is estimated by iSuppli to take 0.6 percent.
  • Skyworks Solutions is headquartered in Woburn, Mass., and accounts for 0.5 percent of the iPhone 4S cost
  • AKM Semiconductor is a subsidiary of Japan’s Asahi Kasei Microdevices, but it is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and represents 0.3 percent of the bill of materials
  • Peregrine Semiconductor, of San Diego, is estimated at 0.3 percent
  • RF Micro Devices accounts for an estimated 0.2 percent of the iPhone cost, and is based out of Greensboro, N.C.
  • ON Semiconductor, of Phoenix, Ariz., accounts for the smallest identifiable share of the iPhone 4S, with less than 0.1 percent
Domestic assembly less likely

While a number of parts found in the iPhone, iPad and other Apple products come from American companies and are made in the U.S., those parts are still shipped to China where Apple’s assembly partner, Foxconn, puts together the final product. Cook noted at D10 that much of the media scrutiny regarding Apple’s overseas partnerships comes from an “intense focus on the final assembly.”

“Could that (assembly) be done in the U.S.? I sure hope so,” Cook said. “But look, how many tool-and-die makers do you know in America? I could ask them, nationwide, to come here tonight and we couldn’t fill this room.”

It’s also worthwhile to consider that assembly jobs with companies like Foxconn tend to be low paying positions, which is in part why so many Chinese workers take on large amounts of overtime for extra pay. In contrast, the engineering jobs required for chip fabrication at companies like TI, Avago, Fairchild and Maxim are highly skilled, more desirable positions.

“We do as many of these things [in America] as we can do,” Cook said at D10. “And you can bet that we’ll use the whole of our influence to do this.” 

What the Candidates Should Do About U.S. Manufacturing

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Gilbert B. Kaplan
Former Deputy Assistant and Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce
Original Post: 07/18/2012 3:22 pm
Nations around the world are engaged in a battle for manufacturing dominance, and the United States, almost in spite of itself, is still a major player in the race. The U.S. manufacturing sector ranks number two in the world, slightly behind China, in output. But what we have lost in the last few decades is so large, and we continue to move in the wrong direction. U.S. industries are losing market share and manufacturing employment is down a third from ten years ago. Many U.S. companies are putting plants abroad, or sourcing their products abroad, for reasons unrelated to foreign market access. As we lose manufacturing plants, we also lose the seed corn of manufacturing — research and development — which is clearly tied at the hip to manufacturing production. Innovation cannot happen in a manufacturing vacuum.

This cannot go on. But what do we do? 

Several months ago, a group of Americans committed to reviving manufacturing in this country, and having expertise in a wide range of areas relevant to that goal, met for a day-long meeting, The Second Annual Conference on the Renaissance of American Manufacturing: Jobs, Trade and the Presidential Election, in Washington, D.C. The Conference focused on what needs to be done to revive U.S. manufacturing and why this objective must be a central issue in the 2012 Presidential Election. Speakers ranged from Gene Sperling, Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy, to Grant Aldonas, former Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade under George W. Bush, speaking for the Romney Campaign. Corporate and labor leaders included Gordon Brinser, President of SolarWorld; Brian Toohey, President of the Semiconductor Industry Association; and Thea Lee, Deputy Chief at Staff at the AFL-CIO. Policy gurus included writer Clyde Prestowitz, Rob Atkinson, President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Ralph Gomery, former Senior Vice President at IBM, Leo Hindery from the New America Foundation, and Alan Tonelson of the United States Business and Industry Council. Present and former elected officials included Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and former Governor of Maryland, Bob Ehrlich.

Such a diverse group of participants has no one solution for reviving manufacturing in the United States. But a number of key ideas emerged, which are described below. These need to be followed-up on immediately by policy makers, and by candidates at the Presidential, Congressional, and State levels.

Two-Part Strategy: As a matter of process, we need to embrace a two-part strategy: (1) specifying what we need to enhance based on that we are already doing (i.e., trade enforcement, R&D tax benefits) and (2) taking on major new strategic elements (e.g., trade action against currency undervaluation, creation of a Secretary of Manufacturing, a large Economic Development fund at the Federal level).

Capitalizing on Recent Growth Areas: We need to take advantage of events that are already occurring, capitalizing on three areas of robust economic development in the United States: the communications boom, the tremendous increase in natural gas production, and the health care boom. We should think of health care in Buy American terms-in other words we should buy from domestic manufacturers–given the heavy subsidies from the U.S. Government to this industry.

Off-Shoring Policy: Many participants believe there should be a governmental and economic review of the implications of off-shoring by companies in the most sophisticated segments of the manufacturing base (such as electronics and avionics). Off-shoring of technologies in these areas is particularly problematic.

Eliminating the Trade Deficit: There is a strong belief that the trade deficit contributes to the budget deficit and we need to take steps to eliminate it — in other words “Trade Deficits Matter.” We also need better scoring on trade agreements. We should only approve trade agreements that demonstrate a “plus jobs, plus factories effect.” 

Addressing the SOE Problem: State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China and elsewhere have become a major challenge for U.S. manufacturing. Many U.S. manufacturers are now competing against arms of the state to a much wider degree than in the past, yet our trade system is still geared toward dealing with market-oriented companies who have market-oriented motivations. We need a broader set of remedies and review mechanisms related to SOE investments and imports into the United States and their unfair practices abroad. One proposal is to create a CFIUS-like system for review of investment and sales by SOEs in the U.S. market. CFIUS, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, is a governmental inter-agency committee with jurisdiction to review foreign investments in U.S. companies, and stop such investments if they pose a threat to national security. A similar program could relate to SOEs, trade, and economic security.

A Comprehensive China Policy: A central issue remains trade with China, where we had a $295 billion trade deficit last year. Almost all of it in manufactured goods. With regards to China, our Conference panelists strongly urge the passage of legislation to offset currency manipulation. We also want a standstill in any further trade benefits for China, including negotiation of an investment treaty, until the Chinese government changes its indigenous innovation program, a program which undercuts U.S. high-tech companies in their efforts to access and prosper in China. We also believe we need a broad-scale effort to combat Chinese subsidies and a more vigorous program to combat Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property, which would include serious consequences for Chinese companies that engage in such behavior. Finally, coerced transfer of IP and even of company ownership has become a prerequisite to doing business in China and cannot be tolerated. 

Incentivizing Reshoring: We support reshoring initiatives that have recently demonstrated that it does make sense to bring manufacturing plants and jobs back to the United States now. The Boston Consulting Group and the Reshoring Initiative have done important work in this area.

Structural Changes in Government: We think some structural changes are needed in the U.S. Government, including the creation of a Secretary of Manufacturing, who should be in a position to make sure sound manufacturing policies are developed and implemented throughout the Federal Government. We believe there should be an attempt to replicate the German Fraunhofer Institute system, which is a government-funded applied research organization that disseminates R&D and has successfully assisted the German manufacturing sector for many years, much of it through direct contracts with industry.

Revision of Tax Policy: It is a national scandal that we have allowed a gross tax disadvantage for U.S. exporters to go on for decades, due to a peculiarity in the WTO system. When U.S. companies export their products, they cannot obtain a rebate of their income taxes and thus their
expor
t prices must be higher, but foreign countries, which have a VAT (value added tax), are permitted to rebate the VAT on export under the WTO system. This gives many foreign exporters a 17 percent advantage over U.S. companies. No wonder our manufacturers are suffering! We also need to lower the corporate tax rate — we now have the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

Regulatory Reform and R&D Promotion: It is critical to remember that we do not operate in a vacuum; we are in an international competition for manufacturing market share. Other countries engage in competitive efforts to attract manufacturing, whether it consists of our own, or their own, companies. To that end, and to make the United States fully competitive in this worldwide struggle, we need to lower the regulatory burdens on U.S. businesses and manufacturers, create an Economic Development Fund to match foreign support for manufacturing, increase funding for R&D and innovation in the United States, and provide larger and more dependable tax benefits for R&D and innovation. The R&D tax benefits should be tied to having the subsequent manufacturing take place within the United States. We recognize that when it comes to taxes and general business regulation, other competing demands arise within the U.S. political and economic system. Those of us in favor of a stronger manufacturing base cannot solve all of these conflicts, but we do believe the current status quo is creating disincentives for making things in America.

Enhancing Buy America Provisions: We think more can and should be done with Buy America requirements. These have been worn away to the point that they seldom operate in the way originally intended by the Congress. As infrastructure spending increases, as we believe it should, federal and state government purchases should be made from suppliers in the United States. Insofar as our international agreements prevent this preference, we need to review the operation of these agreements to see if they are benefiting U.S. exporters in foreign government procurements to any significant degree. The International Trade Commission or the Government Accountability Office should conduct a study of this issue. The regulations underlying the Buy America program must be critically examined and probably rewritten — waivers should be curtailed and the new regulations should specify that we need a very high level of U.S. content before a product can be considered to be “Made in America.”

Re-Tooling the Work Force: Finally, there are more and more instances where we do not have the right people available at the right time to fill manufacturing jobs. This does not mean it’s all a question of training, as some would say. It is certainly not because of a “lack of training” that we have lost five million manufacturing jobs over the last decade. But it does appear there is a mismatch between some existing skill sets and the newest demands on manufacturing workers. To that end we should redouble our investments in community colleges and other training programs that can prepare the next generation of workers for a manufacturing career. And we need to fully support the great engineering schools of the United States, and provide funding for any student who wants to undertake this critical and challenging career.

There is no one solution that will solve the problem of a declining U.S. manufacturing base, but there are solutions. We need to have a national commitment to manufacturing, which was one of the main focuses of the Conference on the Renaissance of American Manufacturing. And we need to be prepared to revise our strategy on a real time basis. We cannot build a Maginot Line. We need to build the next space program.

Lose Your Job Due To Outsourcing? The Huffington Post Wants To Hear From You

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A producer from the Huffington Post is looking to interview people who have lost their jobs to outsourcing. Email us for details.

Info@TheMadeinAmericaMovement.com

Russian Olympians Will Wear Uniforms Made By American Brand

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7/17/2012 
Walter Loeb, Contributor
Covers major developments in the retail industry.
American Olympians will wear Chinese made Uniforms in 2012.

Russian Olympians will wear American made Uniforms in 2014.
The recent announcement that the Russian team will march into the 2014 Winter Olympics stadium in Sochi, Russia wearing uniforms made in the United States is a stark contrast to the flap caused by Ralph Lauren last week when it was discovered that the United States team will march into the 2012 Summer Olympics stadium in London, England wearing uniforms made in China.  The Russian uniforms will be made in Los Angeles, California, by American Apparel in their 800,000 square foot manufacturing facility.

I think that the uniforms should have been made in the United States and share the feelings expressed in Women’s Wear Daily by Allen B. Schwartz, principal and creative director of A.B.S by Allen Schwartz–“it was a huge oversight when you are promoting the U.S.A at the Olympics.”

The USOC (US Olympic Committee) is funded privately, in contrast to the Russian Olympic Committee, which is government sponsored and subsidized. With 530 athletes representing the United States at the opening ceremony on July 27, it is reasonable to assume that the USOC made cost an important factor when ordering the snappy uniforms, designed by the quintessential U.S.A. brand, Ralph Lauren, but made in China. U.S. Congressmen and Senators have expressed dismay that the uniforms were made in China, leading Ralph Lauren to promise that in 2014 the uniforms will be made in the United States.  Regarding the reaction in Washington, one observer suggested that if these same lawmakers were to look into the manufacturing source of the performance apparel and footwear the athletes wear during competition, they would find that most of the gear is made in China.  Importing apparel and footwear from China is not new news in the U.S., it reflects trade policy and has been going on for decades.

A similar brouhaha has emerged in Spain.  Spanish athletes will be wearing uniforms made in Russia despite the fact that both Inditex (owner of Zara) and Mango, two Spanish apparel companies, have excellent facilities located in Spain.

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion and basic apparel. The company operates about 249 retail stores, an on-line e-commerce business, and a wholesale business selling t-shirts and casual wear to distributors and screen printers.   Its stores are located in 20 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China.  In 2010-2011, American Apparel experienced a liquidity crisis forcing it to refinance some of its debt in order to avoid bankruptcy. The crisis was caused by funding its rapid expansion with debt followed by the negative effects of the recession on consumer spending. More recently, the company’s financial prospects have been on the mend.  Dov Cheney, CEO of American Apparel, was quoted by the New York Post as saying that the “Russians did not want to wear anything that was made in China.”

Mack Molding Co Invests to Capitalize on Reshoring

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By Mike Verespej | PLASTICS NEWS STAFF
Posted July 12, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (July 12, 2 p.m. ET) — The renewed interest in manufacturing medical devices for the U.S. market in the United States — rather than in China — is giving a boost to medical molders and contract manufacturers like Mack Molding Co.But it also is proving to be a challenge that has prompted Mack to make more investments in training and to be more creative in hiring to get the skilled manufacturing workers it needs.

“We are getting a lot of questions from companies who want to bring their manufacturing back to the U.S., and also from companies who want to stay in the U.S. instead of going to China to manufacture their medical products,” said Jeff Somple, president of the northern operations of Mack Molding, which is based in Arlington, Vt.In particular, he said companies are bringing back to the U.S. the more complex medical-device projects that require hefty upfront design, ongoing customer/supplier interface, multiple engineering changes, inventory control, and where speed-to-market is critical.

“A lot of people have gotten an education in the past decade as to what products it makes sense to manufacture in China and what products it makes sense to manufacture in the U.S.,” said Somple in an interview at the Medical Design & Manufacturing show in Philadelphia, held in late May.

“They have realized that there is a place for off-shore, low-cost manufacturing, but that it doesn’t make sense to manufacture everything offshore.

“A decade ago, boards of directors all over the country were asking their CEOs why they weren’t in China,” said Somple. “Now people are asking questions about whether it makes sense to go to China, and we’re hearing about [manufacturing] programs that are coming back.”

A number of different forces are coming into play all at once that are driving medical manufacturing back to the U.S., said Somple. “The quality demands are high,” he said, “and there are concerns about intellectual property.”

There are other factors as well, he said, including changes in the cost of offshore labor costs, issues related to manufacturing expertise and logistics costs.

“When companies moved to China, they didn’t factor in the hiccups that can occur and the need to expedite and air-freight products” when there are breakdowns or when cultural and time-zone differences create disruptions, said Somple.

“That all eats into the savings” a company gets from manufacturing overseas, he said. “One air-freight shipment of products [that you have to make] because you’re going to miss a customer’s deadline can cancel out a year of savings on the labor side.”

What’s more, the gap in wages is shrinking, he said, because offshore labor costs are increasing and U.S. labor costs remain flat. “With the current 20 percent annual increase in offshore labor costs, it won’t take long for the gap to close dramatically,” said Somple.

Because of the potential time and cost issues related to product development, the development of prototypes and getting production up and running overseas, Somple said companies should try to calculate a dollar value for what it might cost to resolve production problems overseas in weighing whether to manufacture in the U.S. or offshore.

“Look back on your recent domestic product launches and critically evaluate what it would have cost to solve all the issues that took place had the product been manufactured overseas,” suggested Somple. “Then take a pragmatic look at your new project.”

The boost in medical business at Mack, combined with the growth in its other markets, has increased the workforce of the northern operations of Mack Molding by more than 10 percent — from 450 to 500 — in the last year, said Somple.

With its workforce growing rapidly, Mack has put together training and internship programs to make sure that the company gets the quality workers it needs.

“The challenges [of hiring] people are more on the technical side, especially finding engineering people who want to run a [computer numerically controlled] machine,” said Somple.

“[Because] manufacturing has been perceived as a shrinking industry, the labor force has shied away from learning skilled trades like running a drill press or a molding machine.”

On top of that, noted Somple, the northern operations of Mack Molding are “in a rural area where there is not a vibrant manufacturing base” of other companies Mack can draw upon.

To address that, Mack has put together “very robust” internships — 11 this summer and 11 last summer — to whet the interest of future college graduates, Somple said.

“We have been doing that aggressively for three years now. This is a key component to us growing in the future,” said Somple. “We are making the program fun and interesting so we can keep bright people from leaving the state.”

Veteran resource

In addition, the company has always worked with recruiters, including several who specializing in placing individuals who are exiting military service and returning to civilian life, Somple said.

“These are skilled and trained people who have put their lives on hold, put their careers on hold,” said Somple. “They do great work and hit the ground running. Not only are they coming out of the service with incredible skills, they are also tremendously enthusiastic and ambitious about applying those skills to a new career.”

Mack also makes sure its new hires are properly trained and have someone to guide them from the onset.

Somple said Mack usually assigns a new hire a mentor and the company develops a training matrix specific to each position. That training often includes visits to other Mack facilities, off-site development programs and orientation sessions in functional areas, he said.

“It is so hard to find and attract good talent, so we want to do everything possible to help them hit the ground running and blend seamlessly into the company,” he said.

Visit their website for more information MACK MOLDING CO.

Mike Verespej | PLASTICS NEWS STAFF

CNN's " Made in America: The short list"

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By Emanuella Grinberg for CNN
July 13, 2012
(CNN) — The slow death of American manufacturing and the trend toward outsourcing overseas has made it hard to find American-made goods — but not impossible. A host of small businesses are still dedicated to manufacturing goods in America, and, thanks to a few diligent bloggers, they’re easier than ever to find. 
“Buying Made in USA is not just a passing trend, it truly is something we as consumers, business owners and even goverment can do to support small to midsize businesses,” said Julie Reiser, president and co-founder of Made in USA Certified, which audits supply chains for businesses that want their products to bear their seal.

“Small businesses are responsible for two out of every three new jobs created in the U.S. We need these small to midsize businesses to flourish and grow as they are our innovators, our makers and job creators. Making it in America, supporting U.S. manufacturing and buying American is one thing we can all do today to help keep the American dream alive and well.”

Here’s a short list of websites and Facebook groups dedicated to helping consumers find products made in the United States, along with a few brands known to manufacture most or a substantial portion of their goods stateside.

Resources:

The Made in America Movement

Made in USA Challenge

USA Love List

Accessories:

– Arne Mason: leather carrying cases

– Blackbox Case: wooden laptop cases

– Makr Carry Goods: bags, stools, wallets, belts

– NATIVE(X): totes, scarves, jewelry, mugs

– Pierrepont Hicks: ties, bowties

– Randolph Engineering: glasses, sunglasses

– Summit Creek Dry Goods: wallets, key chains, belts

– Estex Mfg. Co.: Tool sheaths, aprons, buckets, holsters

Bags:

– Duluth Pack

– GORUCK

– J.W. Hulme

– Maptote

– Mountain Ridge Gear

Clothes:

– All American Clothing

– American Apparel

– Beverly Hills Basics

– Pendleton

– Pointer Brand

– Taylor Stitch

– Todd Shelton

– UNIS

Footwear:

– Terox Footwear

– Capps Shoe Company

– Rancourt and Company

– Red Wing Heritage line

Headwear:

– Walz Caps

– BUZZLINE

Random:

– Litespeed Bicycles

– K’NEX: Children’s toys

– Geneva Manufacturing: Modular garage organizing gear

– Purrfectplay: Pet toys

– Simplicity Vacuums

– Steelman Cycles

– Braun Corporation: Manufacturer of wheelchair lifts and ramps, transit vehicles

Where do you shop for products made in the United States? 
Share your resources in the comments!

The Shirt Heard Around the World:  America has Returned

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An Article Written by: Josh Miller 
Creator/Producer of “Made in the USA: The 30 Day Journey”

History is often defined by moments of impact.  It appears a few days ago we may have had such a moment.  The recent news involving the U.S. Olympic team apparel being made overseas has raised a question into the spotlight many of us have been asking for decades.  Why are we making so many products overseas?  Did the industrial revolution not show us how powerful we could be when we came together and created our own future with our bare hands? 
The “Made in the USA: The 30 Day Journey” Official Trailer – Released July 4, 2012
It is amazing how quickly we forget our past.  However, that is human nature we tend to push things aside until something dramatic pulls us out of hibernation.  I believe the Olympic apparel story, and my upcoming film “Made in the USA: The 30 Day Journey” will do just that.    

We are a nation of entrepreneurs; we have our dreams that are unique to each of us.  How many times have you shared an idea with a friend, and your friend tells you that this has already been done?  You simply tell your friend that your idea is going to be a little different, and it is going to change the future.  That is the exact spirit we inherited, and that is what has, and always will keep America alive.  

The age of the entrepreneur is here, and we must make sure we give our entrepreneurs a chance to start their ventures here in the USA.  This is not a pitch for lower taxes, less regulation, or vice-versa.  This is a message to the world that a movement has arrived.  

America has returned, and we’re ready to get to work.  Nothing is going to stop us.  We must tell President Obama, and Congress, to get their act together.  Our future is much more important than a 2012 election.  Whether our future leader is President Obama or Governor Romney, our message shall not change.  

I hate using this phrase because I believe it is highly overused in the world of politics, but we are at a crossroads, and we must decide our fate.  If the Olympic apparel story has taught us anything, it is that our voice can, and will be heard, if we speak loud enough, and speak on a united front.  

Keep dreaming because that is what keeps America strong!   We must continue to find that next frontier.  

Check out the OFFICIAL TRAILER for “Made in the USA: The 30 Day Journey” at  www.usa30days.com  

Follow Josh Miller and the progress of his film on Facebook and Twitter
Subscribe to his Youtube Channel and follow his journey.

Ralph Lauren to Make American-Made Olympic Uniforms in 2014

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Associated Press | Updated: July 13, 2012, 8:00 PM ET 
At the next Olympics, the team from the USA will wear uniforms made in the USA.

Designer Ralph Lauren announced Friday that the uniforms it provides the U.S. Olympic team at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will, in fact, be made in the United States.

The U.S. uniforms for the London Games were made in China, which sparked congressional criticism of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the USOC should be “ashamed of themselves,” and Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., called the decision “not just outrageous, it’s just plain dumb. It is self-defeating.”

Ralph Lauren initially declined comment on the criticism, but 24 hours later announced clothes for future Olympics would be made in the United States.

“Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States,” the company said in a statement.

It’s too late to change anything for the 530 American athletes in time for the London Games, which start July 27. The uniforms for the Opening Ceremonies will remain as planned — blue blazer, cream-colored pants for men and skirts for women and a blue beret with red and white stripes.

The USOC initially defended the choice of Ralph Lauren, saying it was grateful for the support from an “iconic American company.”

On Friday, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation takes the complaints seriously.

“We are absolutely committed … to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed,” Blackmun said. “In the meantime, we ask for the American people’s support. The members of Team USA have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who along with Israel wrote a letter to the USOC chairman Larry Probst complaining about the situation, released a statement after hearing Friday’s news.

“When America’s best athletes are representing our country on the world stage, we should be representing the best of American-made goods,” she wrote. “The pride of our Olympic athletics goes hand in hand with the pride of American innovation and manufacturing. While I am greatly disappointed our athletes will not be dressed head to toe in Made in the USA this year, I thank the USOC and Ralph Lauren for hearing our voices and working to correct this mistake going forward. I look forward to cheering on Team USA.”

The Associated Press 

Outrage Over Ralph Lauren's 'Made in China' Team USA Olympic Uniforms

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By Lauren Frankfort on July 13, 2012 
Just a few days after Ralph Lauren released the official images of Team USA’s Olympic Opening Ceremony uniform, the brand has suffered an outburst of public and political rage over the fact that every piece is manufactured in China. 
USA Today reports that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) they should be ashamed, and that “they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them,” Reid said.

Designer Nanette Lepore, who manufactures her entire collection in the US, chimed in her disappointment to both ABC News and CNN.

“It’s very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the United States in New York City or in any other city where there’s factories that still exist,” she told CNN. “And it’s frustrating for us because it’s a cause we’ve been fighting for, and we’ve been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring… This would have been the perfect opportunity.”

Rep. Steve Israel, D-New York, said there was enough time for Ralph Lauren to manufacture the uniforms in the United States. 

“We’re not asking (Ralph Lauren) to do this simply out of American patriotism, although this is a matter of pride. We’re asking them to do it as a matter of economic strategy,” Israel said.

ABC News, which broke the story, reported that the USOC replied in a statement: “We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company.”

In a similar vein, USOC spokesperson Patrick Sandusky tweeted yesterday, “All this talk about Olympic uniforms made in China is non sense. Polo RL is an American company that supports American athletes.”

Here is the rest of the ABC News report:
Americans, are you upset with the latest Olympic news?  Do you think the uniforms should have been made in the US? 
Sound off in the comments below! 

Join The Made in America Movement on Facebook and interact with other Buy American activists/advocates.
Follow the buzz on Twitter.

Join Nanette Lepore in supporting  the Garment District.  Join ‘Save the Garment Center‘ today! 

Lawmaker: USOC 'Should Be Ashamed' Team USA Uniforms Made in China

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By Chelsea J. Carter, CNN
updated 10:29 AM EDT, Fri July 13, 2012
(CNN) — The U.S. Olympic Committee is defending sponsor Ralph Lauren’s uniforms for the opening ceremonies at the London Games after it was revealed that American athletes will be wearing clothing manufactured in China. 
The controversy erupted this week after reports emerged that the clothing unveiled by the American design company sport “Made in China” labels, generating heated criticism from lawmakers and human rights activists.

“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement released Thursday.

“We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America’s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London.”

Rep. Steve Israel, D-New York, said there was still enough time for the uniforms to be made in the United States.

“There are companies and people waiting to make those uniforms, and we can have the job done and the uniforms shipped in time for the Olympics,” he told CNN.

A majority of clothing is produced overseas, but it is a myth that American manufacturers can’t do the job locally, he said.

“We’re not asking (Ralph Lauren) to do this simply out of American patriotism, although this is a matter of pride. We’re asking them to do it as a matter of economic strategy,” Israel said.

Dara Torres, a former American Olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years, said the uniforms looked great but would be even better if they were produced domestically.

“Wearing the U.S. uniform, going out there to represent the United States, it would be nice if it was actually made in the United States,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told reporters Thursday that “the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves.”

“I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,” he said.

“If they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says USA on it, painted by hand, then that’s what they should wear.”

Ralph Lauren and the USOC were bombarded on Facebook and Twitter by hundreds who demanded the fashion design company manufacture new uniforms in the United States.

Actress and human rights advocate Mia Farrow took to Twitter to call on the designer to explain its actions: “please will you tell us why the US Olympic uniforms are made in China? Why not made in the USA?”

Farrow, known for her advocacy on behalf on children, also called on the designer to heed Reid’s call. “Burn them & start all over. How bout it?” she tweeted.

At least one current Olympic athlete also raised questions about the uniforms.

“Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China,” tweeted distance runner Nick Symmonds, who represents the best hope for the United States to medal in the men’s 800-meters since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

Sandusky, the USOC spokesman, also took to Twitter later in the day to defend the uniforms, describing the criticism as nonsense.

“All this talk about Olympic uniforms made in China is non sense. Polo RL is an American company that supports American athletes,” he tweeted.

Ralph Lauren did not respond to a CNN request for comment, though the designer — in a statement posted online — called it a “privilege to be the outfitter of Team USA for the 2012 Olympic Games.”

“The Olympic Games are the ultimate tradition of international competition, sportsmanship, and personal excellence,” the designer said on the company’s corporate website.

The USOC is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships, with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend BP’s sponsorship through the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

It was also questioned as early as the 2002 during the Winter Games in Salt Lake City about why American athletes donned berets made by Roots, a Canadian company.

Ralph Lauren has designed uniforms for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, and both times portions of the clothing were manufactured in China, according to previous CNN reports.

The revelations about the 2012 uniforms, first reported Wednesday night by ABC News, come at a critical time as the United States grapples with a struggling economy that has hit the American textile industry hard.
It also comes as House Democrats introduced a “Make It In America” jobs bill, which was first put forward in 2010 as a manufacturing jobs initiative.

New York-based fashion designer Nanette Lepore, who boasts a “Made In America” collection, said she was disturbed by the news that the uniforms were made in China.

It’s very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the United States in New York City or in any other city where there’s factories that still exist,” she told CNN.

“And it’s frustrating for us because it’s a cause we’ve been fighting for, and we’ve been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring. This would have been the perfect opportunity.”

But free market advocates, such as the Cato Institute, say none of this is surprising.

Globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest, according to Daniel J. Ikenson of the Cato Institute.

“When compa
nies a
re able to outsource, they are able to produce most competitively. They’re able to attend to their costs. And if they can do that, then they can deliver better quality, greater variety at lower prices for U.S. consumers,” Ikenson 
How do you feel about the Team USA uniforms being made in China? Do you check the label when you buy to see where items are made? Let us know in the comments below.

Join The Made in America Movement on Facebook and interact with other Buy American activists/advocates.
Follow the buzz on Twitter.

Join Nanette in supporting  the Garment District.  Join ‘Save the Garment Center‘ today!

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