Buy American

[drcollie]

It's been a hard summer on the industry. I call around to my various suppliers and its getting more and more difficult to get folks on the phone, or find product or raw materials that are in-stock. Manufacturers are being very quiet about it, but I've been doing this long enough that I know when CEO's are answering the switchboard, or customer service teams are all on voicemail, its a really bad sign. When pressed, the suppliers will tell you that they're REALLY cutting back now, and I hate to see this happening. Three day works weeks at some places, staff sent home at lunchtime...it makes me wonder if the American Furniture Industry is headed the way of American Textiles? I sure hope not, because the Chinese don't build it as good, nor the Vietnamese or the Malaysians. Most of what I see coming from the Pacific Rim is suitable as future landfill material and not much else.

I'm not a real big 'flag-waver' per se, but I see the US furniture industry is in trouble and drowning in a sea of cheap imports. The only ones who can toss the life ring is the American Consumer. Yes, its going to cost you a little more, but would you really expect your fellow Americans to work for $ .65 an hour like the Chinese? No - you don't want to see your fellow citizens living in poverty.

The USA furniture industry is worth saving. We do it well here, and the great irony is that over the usable lifespan of the piece, its actually less to own than the junk because its not falling apart in a few years. Its been tough since the Recession began on the suppliers, they've been holding on for so long, that I'm worried about them being able to keep their staff and associates. I actually had one customer service rep near tears on the phone with me today, her hours have been cut back to half of what they were and she can't manage the family bills, as her husbands hours (he's in the furniture biz as well in the production end of it) were cut in half as well.

So when you're thinking about that new leather sofa, try to see if you can swing it in your budget to buy American. You're getting a much better piece of furniture and helping save jobs in your country.