Long before there were trade fights and tariff wars, we made a commitment to make our products in the US. We wanted to capture the spirit of making things right here at home. Of supporting manufacturers both small and large who adhere to the same principles we value. Of having a greater say in the creation of the products we envisioned.
There are many drawbacks to this approach.
There’s a reason that so many products are made overseas. In a nutshell, it’s cheaper. It’s simply more expensive to make things in the US. In some cases, we don’t even have the tools to make certain products.
For us, we see a bright side to Made in the US. We want to make beautiful, high-quality products. There are three primary reasons we made this decision:
- Focus on quality and smaller production – The exciting thing about many US manufacturers is their willingness to work on projects with smaller production runs. This is not the case outside the US. Some facilities are small and willingly take on projects that require unique craftsmanship. For us, we get to create a close relationship with those working to bring our ideas to life. Part of our own brand positioning is that we make limited quantities of each design. This keeps it special. Our US partners allow us to do this by keeping minimums at a low level.
- Greater focus on employees – Many US manufacturers are family-run businesses. They care about the people who work for them. They treat them as family too. We care about the conditions for those who make our products and look for partners who cater to their employees. We’ve met the people making our products and that makes the whole process feel like we are all on the same team.
- Environmentally friendly – In the US we have rules and regulations that help ensure a more environmentally friendly manufacturing process. More and more, many facilities adhere to even higher standards than necessary in order to create an even more sustainable environment. We look to partner with those facilities that think about their footprint.
Another benefit that shouldn’t be overlooked is speed. Because we can physically visit our manufacturers, if we have a new idea, we can bring it to market quickly. This helps us match our creative outputs with the needs and desires of our customers.
When we make a new product, we are proud to put Made in the US on it because we know the people who made it happen.