Two Words: MADE IN AMERICA

[Vle045]

I will toss in my favorite Made in America story/company.

Once upon a time, Oneida Flatware was manufactured in the USA in Sherrill, NY.  

For whatever reason, Oneida decided to take their manufacturing overseas.  Eventually, a couple of local guys bought the former Oneida plant, started Liberty Tabletop, and hired back some of the displaced workers.  They are now the ONLY manufacturer of Flatware in the United States.  I have several sets of their flatware.  A basic everyday set, a holiday set, and some other small sets just because I like them.  (They have some adorable patterns).  It's not the cheap crap that will tarnish after a few years.  It's good quality.   They also feature some other Made in America brands on their website.  I have no personal connection.  I just really like them.  You can order samples before you buy.

Check them out:  https://www.libertytabletop.com/

Oneida moved overseas because it was cheaper. Labor costs here are some of the highest in the world. We're kind of picky about keeping workers alive and uninjured. They like benefits and days off.

I was intentionally focusing on Liberty Tabletop and their commitment to keeping jobs in their community.  It's a great story.  Here's more about it - https://www.oswegocountybusiness.com/spe...facturing/

I live in NY and know about them and Oneida. The article explains why Oneida left NY. This story is the same all over the country. Cheap labor. Cheap components. No labor laws. No environmental laws. That's why companies left the US. The executives and shareholders wanted more $$$. Some manufacturing never left. Some will never return just for the environmental issues alone. 

When Nixon created the EPA, our rivers were on fire because they were so polluted. One of the most polluted lakes in the US is in Syracuse, NY thanks to Allied Chemical Corporation and now Honeywell is dealing with it. The Hudson River has gone through decades of dredging to remove the PCBs GE dumped into the river. They had approval from the state because no one knew that they were toxic. 

There are empty warehouses and factories all over the country. NY has hundreds of these shuttered buildings. Many aren't up to code. It would cost a fortune to tear them down. No one wants to pay to remove them. Many small towns in NY became a town because of the manufacturing that existed thanks to industrialization. No one thought about the pollution at the time. Well, a few places did and politicians forced them to clean up or leave which is what happened with many of the mills in Skaneateles, NY. Today this lake is one of the cleanest in the nation. It was 1 of 5 lakes in the entire country that did not need to be treated before you drank the water. Yes, you could scope up the water in your hand and drink it without worrying about what was in it. Not the case for tens of thousands of lakes in the country.

 I was just specifically giving a shoutout to Liberty Tabletop/Sherrill Manufacturing.  I like their commitment to their community, sourcing from US companies and being environmentally conscious.