Now more than ever it is time to Buy American
By: Greg Owens, Co-Founder, and CEO, Sherrill Manufacturing/Liberty Tabletop
October 10, 2022
Let’s face it, the news these days is not good. The economy is faltering, inflation has taken a bite out of our budgets, and geopolitical events are cause for concern. But Christmas is coming, and we have the holidays to look forward to. There is, however, a way we can make it magical.
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal came out with an article sighting the negative impact of the strong U.S. dollar on domestic manufacturing, one area of the economy that has been on a roll for the past three years. In short, a strong dollar makes imports cheaper and our exports more expensive, putting strain on domestic manufacturing. Add to that a downturn in the economy mixed with less spending power caused by inflation, and times have changed for American companies trying to sell their products in the consumer marketplace.
Our company, Liberty tabletop, is the only manufacturer of stainless steel silverware left in the United States. As an online retailer, our sales went up significantly during the pandemic. Starting in March that trend turned into pull back and we have been off by 10%-15% vs. last year. Speaking with our other Made in America manufacturing partners we are all experiencing the same trend.
The initial fear was that enthusiasm for buying American-made would fade as inflation put a strain on budgets. This does not appear to be the case. From what I have heard from others, sales of made-in-America products are off slightly but not nearly as much as general sales at traditional retailers who sell mainly imported products. This is encouraging and makes sense as the pandemic taught us many lessons about why we should buy American and avoid supporting certain countries, China in particular.
Hopefully, this trend will continue and those companies including ours that still make consumer products here in the United States will enjoy a fruitful holiday season of sales. I did my part yesterday by purchasing socks from Vermont. Way more expensive than Walmart but worth it because they are super comfortable and come with a LIFETIME WARRANTY, meaning they will actually cost me less in the long run. In the end, I felt great about my purchase. Instead of sending my hard-earned dollars to China, I kept them right here in the United States and supported an American company along with all those that they employ. I invite you to do the same and make this a Made in America Christmas. Trust me, you will love the way it makes you feel!