Brindisi: Armed Forces will have to buy Made in USA flatware from Upstate NY

*Article originally posted on Syracuse.com.

By Mark Weiner | mweiner@syracuse.com

WASHINGTON – A $738 billion defense bill agreed to by House and Senate negotiators Monday night contains a provision that will boost a small Upstate New York company that serves as America’s last flatware maker, according to Rep. Anthony Brindisi.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2020 includes Brindisi’s amendment requiring the military to buy American-made eating utensils for its installations around the world.

Sherrill Manufacturing in Oneida County is the only U.S. manufacturer that makes and sources 100 percent of its flatware domestically.

The company, which operates in the former Oneida Ltd. plant in Sherrill, sells its products to the public under the Liberty Tabletop brand.

“It’s a huge deal,” Brindisi said in an interview Tuesday. “I’m glad we were able to get this win for a great company in Central New York.”

Greg Owens, CEO and co-founder of Sherrill Manufacturing, said the company has been selling about $1 million worth of flatware to the Defense Department each year. He said that sales will likely soar with the new requirement.

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