“Made In USA”
As an immigrant to the United States, my father was proud to print the words “Made In USA” on every one of his products. So as I look to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of his design in 2021, I’m happy we’ll print those same words on every Visonic Dome, too.
But manufacturing in the United States is ideal for reasons beyond patriotism and sentimentality.
Read on for my top 3 reasons why it’s still a good idea to manufacture in the USA.
Reason #1 – It’s more efficient
If most of your customers live in the United States, it pays to keep your manufacturing and assembly nearby.
Admittedly, this point matters less for some businesses. You could assemble your product overseas and then ship them to a distribution center in the US. Mailing them across the country from there keeps shipping times just as short for your customers.
But as a crowdfunding campaign that’s shipping directly to our backers, being able to skip that extra shipping step gets products into hands that much quicker. As an added bonus, it also means we can avoid the current import tariffs.
And not only do you keep shipping lead times and costs down, you also minimize greenhouse gas emissions. That’ll help reduce your product carbon footprint. A win-win!
Reason #2 – Avoid cheap knock-offs
At this point we’ve all heard the horror stories of cheap Chinese copycats beating successful crowdfunding campaigns to market. Sometimes the copy is already for sale on Chinese wholesale sites weeks before the Kickstarter campaign reaches the finish line!
This is especially true if your idea is clever, but your product is simple. In that case, a copycat product might be inevitable.
But one way to avoid intellectual property (IP) theft is to keep your manufacturing secrets closer to home.
Your manufacturing partner is going to know a lot about your product. Just getting a price quote will require you to share all kinds of intimate details about your design.
So it’s important that your partner is someone you know and trust. That’s easier to find in person than by searching overseas.
Additionally, IP laws in America are some of the best in the world. If things do go sour, it’s nice to know that the law is on your side here.
Reason #3 – Hands-on experience
Keeping the manufacturing and assembly processes within arms reach means you can stay more involved.
When my father was producing his ultrasonic contact lens cleaner in California, he managed every aspect of production. From the deep draw of the metal can, to the plastic injection molding and packaging – he was part of it all.
Today, as I prepare to restart production, I can draw on that incredible wealth of experience and knowledge to recreate his iconic design exactly as he made it 32 years ago.
But dad didn’t develop his manufacturing knowledge by handing everything over to contractors overseas. Instead, he worked with the experts around him. He was able to learn and grow from the experience. Eventually, he even turned his know-how into a second business, handling the logistics for other entrepreneurs in his area.
Designed & Made In The USA
Making your product in the USA is a great idea for the reasons above – and more. Creating jobs for your community, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from overseas shipping, and working with suppliers you trust are all worth the potential extra costs over cheaper alternatives.
And if one day your business is going so well that you can expand to foreign markets, you’ll have all the skills and knowledge you need to set up production wherever you like.
