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How ‘Made in the USA’ is Making a Comeback

April 11, 2013 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

Rana Foroohar Curious Capitalist

The U.S. economy continues to struggle, and the weak March jobs report — just 88,000 positions were added — briefly spooked the market. But step back and you’ll see a bright spot, perhaps the best economic news the U.S. has witnessed since the rise of Silicon Valley: Made in the USA is making a comeback. Climbing out of the recession, the U.S. has seen its manufacturing growth outpace that of other advanced nations, with some 500,000 jobs created in the past three years. It marks the first time in more than a decade that the number of factory jobs has gone up instead of down. From ExOne’s 3-D manufacturing plant near Pittsburgh to Dow Chemical’s expanding ethylene and propylene production in Louisiana and Texas, which could create 35,000 jobs, American workers are busy making things that customers around the world want to buy — and defying the narrative of the nation’s supposedly inevitable manufacturing decline. Time Magazine Made in the USA

The past several months alone have seen some surprising reversals. Apple, famous for the city-size factories in China that produce its gadgets, decided to assemble one of its Mac computer lines in the U.S. Walmart, which pioneered global sourcing to find the lowest-priced goods for customers, said it would pump up spending with American suppliers by $50 billion over the next decade — and save money by doing so (for TIME’s new cover story, written by myself and Bill Saporito, and available to subscribers, click here). And Airbus will build JetBlue’s new jets in Alabama.

Some economists argue that the gains are a natural part of the business cycle, rather than a sustainable recovery in the sector. But I would argue that the improvements of the last three years aren’t a blip. They are the sum of a powerful equation refiguring the global economy. U.S. factories increasingly have access to cheap energy thanks to oil and gas from the shale boom. For companies outside the U.S., it’s the opposite: high global oil prices translate into costlier fuel for ships and planes — which means some labor savings from low-cost plants in China evaporate when the goods are shipped thousands of miles. And about those low-cost plants: workers from China to India are demanding and getting bigger paychecks, while U.S. companies have won massive concessions from unions over the past decade. Suddenly the math on outsourcing doesn’t look quite as attractive. Paul Ashworth, the North America economist for research firm Capital Economics, is willing to go a step further. “The offshoring boom,” Ashworth wrote in a recent report, “does appear to have largely run its course.”

Today’s U.S. factories aren’t the noisy places where your grandfather knocked in four bolts a minute for eight hours a day. Dungarees and lunch pails are out; computer skills and specialized training are in, since the new made-in-America economics is centered largely on cutting-edge technologies. The trick for U.S. companies is to develop new manufacturing techniques ahead of global competitors and then use them to produce goods more efficiently on superautomated factory floors. These factories of the future have more machines and fewer workers — and those workers must be able to master the machines. Many new manufacturing jobs require at least a two-year tech degree to complement artisan skills such as welding or milling. The bar will only get higher: Some experts believe it won’t be too long before employers will expect a four-year degree — a job qualification that will eventually be required in many other places around the world too.

(MORE: Is U.S. Manufacturing Really Back?)

Understanding this new look is critical if the U.S. wants to nurture manufacturing and grow jobs. There are implications for educators (who must ensure that future workers have the right skills) as well as policy-makers (who may have to set new educational standards). “Manufacturing is coming back, but it’s evolving into a very different type of animal than the one most people recognize today,” says James Manyika, a director at McKinsey Global Institute who specializes in global high tech. “We’re going to see new jobs, but nowhere near the number some people expect, especially in the short term.”

Still, if the U.S. can get this right, though, the payoff will be tremendous. Manufacturing represents a whopping 67% of private-sector R&D spending as well as 30% of the country’s productivity growth. Every $1 of manufacturing activity returns $1.48 to the economy. “The ability to make things is fundamental to the ability to innovate things over the long term,” says Willy Shih, a Harvard Business School professor and co-author of Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance. “When you give up making products, you lose a lot of the added value.” In other words, what you make makes you. For more on the rebound in manufacturing and what it means for jobs and economic growth in the US, check out this week’s TIME magazine cover story, “Made In America.”
Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/04/11/how-made-in-the-usa-is-making-a-comeback/#ixzz2QCREv0EC

Source: http://business.time.com/2013/04/11/how-made-in-the-usa-is-making-a-comeback/

Filed under China, Labor, Made in America, Made in USA Tagged with comeback, Jet Blue, Made in America, made in the usa, Time, U.S. Factories

Made-in-USA label pays off for investors

April 1, 2013 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

usatoday logo

Adam Shell, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — The benefits of the Made-in-the-USA marketing tag now apply to stocks as well as shoes, SUVs and software.

How so? With Europe hobbled by debt, white-hot China cooling and emerging markets slowing, stocks of U.S. companies that get most of their revenue from U.S.-based sales are performing better than companies that do 50% or more of their sales abroad, where things aren’t going as well.

The part of the world where a company makes most of its money can be the difference between a great investment and an OK one. In the past 12 months, U.S. stocks that generate all sales at home are up an average of 18.6%, vs. a gain of 6.2% for American firms that get more than half their revenue from abroad, Bespoke Investment Group says.

“A major theme of 2013 has clearly been a preference for U.S.-centric stocks,” says Paul Hickey, Bespoke’s co-founder. Why? “The U.S., relative to the rest of the world, is the strongest economy.”

That trend helped drive the Standard & Poor’s 500 index to an all-time closing high Thursday and a 10% first-quarter gain.

Domestically focused companies are also sporting better earnings growth, as well as benefiting from inflows of capital from foreign investors that view the U.S. as a haven, Hickey says.

One of Wall Street’s biggest winners this year is media subscription service Netflix, which gets less than 3% of its sales outside the U.S., says S&P Dow Jones Indices. Netflix shares are up 104%. In contrast, tech player Qualcomm, which gets nearly 97% of revenue from abroad and recently warned of slowing growth in Asia, is up 8.2%.

Nearly half, or 46%, of sales of companies in the S&P 500 occur overseas, says Howard Silverblatt, an analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Analysts also see positives in the All-American story, as they’ve been issuing more positive earnings revisions than negative ones in the past four weeks.

The U.S. market, and particularly, domestically focused names, have held up better than foreign stock markets recently following the “Cyprus Surprise,” the latest bailout in the eurozone to spook global investors. Also driving the better performance is the spate of better-than-expected economic data this month, which prompted Barclays to raise its first-quarter U.S. GDP estimate to 2.6% from 1.6%.

While U.S. shares have performed better than a broad index of foreign stocks for more than two years, the outperformance has been particularly acute since late 2012, when the U.S. averted a fiscal crisis and election-related political gridlock weighed on sentiment.

“Once the ‘fiscal cliff’ negotiations were settled, U.S. stocks rebounded and haven’t looked back,” Hickey says.

source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/03/31/american-centric-stocks-sport-big-gains/2022159/

Filed under Aerospace, Automotive, Business, COOL Country of origin labeling, Currency Manipulation, Made in USA Tagged with Domestically focused companies, Made in America, Made in USA Certified, U.S. Centric Stocks, U.S.-based sales, USA Today

What it Really Means to be Made in the USA

February 26, 2013 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

You often hear companies touting their products as Made in America. Recently, DWM magazine looked at the Federal Trade Commission’s “Made in USA” Act which was designed to give the agency “the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading claims that a product is of U.S. origin.” But other programs are in place as well to help consumers make informed decisions and this includes, Made in USA Certified®.

Made in USA Certified® is the only registered “Made in USA Certified” Word Mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to the organization.

“When we say it’s ‘Made in USA,’ you can count on it,” says Julie Reiser, president and co-founder.

Any company bearing one of the USA-C™ seals has gone through a rigorous supply chain audit to ensure that the product and processes originate in the United States of America.

The designation is an independent certification system that applies proprietary audit criteria consistently across companies, and criteria are checked through the company’s supply chain. “The seal says the company has committed to American jobs and to the American economy,” says Reiser. “Displaying the seal gives consumers the option to visibly support products and services of the USA.”

The Earthwise Group LLC, a national network of locally owned, independent manufacturers of doors and windows, announced that the organization has recently been recognized as “Made in USA Certified.” The organization is the first and only door and window manufacturer to be Made in USA Certified, according to Earthwise.

Why did they do it? “Number one it’s the right thing to do,” says Mark Davis, executive director, the Earthwise Group. “We have to invest in the American economy, American worker and American jobs. If our economy is going to turn around we have to be more sensitive in investing, and that means ingesting in American products.”

He also says the consumer is more willing today to buy American.

“Due to the economic slowdown we feel that the American consumer is more motivated than ever to buy American products,” he adds. “They are beginning again to take pride in American made products and realize the benefits of that …. They have seen the result of ignoring investing in America.”

So why should other companies look at this program?

“The biggest thing I try to do is educate people that the claim of ‘Made in the USA’ is unregulated. There are so many companies just making that claim,” says Reiser. “The only way the consumer really knows is if the company does a supply chain audit .”

It’s completely different to say it than to prove it, she adds.

“It says a lot about a company’s willingness to remain transparent. For companies it’s a powerful branding tool to distinguish among those who may be making false claims,” says Reiser.

She also adds that purchasing dollars are going to support a U.S. manufacturer and create U.S. jobs “which is at the crux of our problems now.”

“One of the things this does for companies is it distinguishes them against those in their industry who may be making a false claim to gain market share,” she says. “If the company has legitimately gone through the process and awarded the seal that puts them head and shoulders above the competition.”

Source: http://www.dwmmag.com/index.php/what-it-really-means-to-be-made-in-the-usa/

Filed under Business, Construction, Economy, Made in USA, Small Business Tagged with advertising, American Consumer, American products, American worker and American jobs, business, construction, door, Earthwise Group, Economy, FTC, Housing, julie reiser, Made in America, made in the usa, Made in USA Certified, technology, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, window

Woolrich counts on ‘Made in the USA’ product strategy

January 31, 2013 by Adam Reiser 1 Comment

How refreshing.

How bold.

That’s our initial reaction to the announcement last week by Nicholas Brayton, president of Woolrich Inc., that the over 180-year-old company headquartered in the quaint village of Woolrich since 1830 plans to introduce a 100-percent, American-made apparel collection this coming fall.

Not that Woolrich hasn’t done this before.

But if ever there was a time when American consumers need to rally around a company that has decided to bring some of its overseas apparel manufacturing back home, it is now.

In a letter to all of Woolrich’s customers, vendors and employees, Brayton announced Woolrich also will:

- Increase the yardage of wool produced in the woolen mill in Woolrich by 50 percent this year.

- Increase the firm’s American-made product offerings by 2015, ensuring that more than 50 percent of Woolrich woolen garments “proudly include American made wool.”

“In the coming months, for Woolrich to set and accomplish these goals, it’s going to take more than a company commitment. It’s going to take support from our loyal customers as well,” he said.

Details, we’re told, will be forthcoming as The Express has asked for a direct sit-down with Mr. Brayton to discuss and then report Woolrich’s ambitious plans so far as the privately held company is willing to reveal them.

Dear readers, if you missed Mr. Brayton’s letter published here last week, his words should be revealing and, honestly, quite profound to you in an age when many U.S.-based manufacturing companies have their products made on foreign land to reduce costs.

That has, over the past several decades, taken jobs from Americans.

Woolrich has been no exception.

Faced with a tough sales environment and working to cut costs to remain (as Mr. Brayton said) “relevant, competitive and solvent,” Woolrich has, in recent months, reduced its employee numbers and moved its design team from its local headquarters to the fashion capital of New York City.

Licensing its brand and various products has been a lifeline created with its licensing partner, the Italian firm of WP Lavori. Federal contracts to provide apparel and blankets to the U.S. military also have played a key role.

It’s a darn shame Americans aren’t more loyal to “Made in the U.S.A.” products.

They profess they are, but when they walk into a store, well, the sale of imported products show otherwise.

“In today’s world, the hard reality is that making things here is hard to do,” Mr. Brayton said.

Bringing more wool to the local mill should breathe new life into the longest, continuously running woolen mill in the U.S., which has been operating with a skeleton crew.

Among other things, Woolrich must ramp up marketing of its American-made apparel line of men’s and women’s outerwear and, perhaps, sportswear – something that can be very costly.

It should be a risk worth taking.

The “Original Outdoor Clothing Company” has among the most famous brands in the world, born when John Rich traveled from camp to camp in a mule cart during the great logging era of Central Pennsylvania to sell woolen fabric to loggers and their wives to make clothing.

Woolrich Inc, the “iconic American institution with a heritage that spans over 180 years,” is proudly “eager to begin writing the next chapter of the American manufacturing story.”

Made in USA Certified Inc.

source:http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/543349/Woolrich-counts-on–Made-in-the-USA–product-strategy.html?nav=5004

Filed under Apparel, Business, CPG, Jobs, Power of Consumers Tagged with American-made apparel collection, apparel, fashion capital of New York City, John Rich, Made in America, Made in USA Certified, Nicholas Brayton, president of Woolrich Inc, USApparel.com, Woolrich

Walmart to Boost Sourcing of U.S. Products by $50 Billion Over the Next 5 Years

January 16, 2013 by Adam Reiser 3 Comments

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2013 – Walmart today announced bold commitments to increase domestic sourcing of the products it sells and help veterans find jobs when they come off active duty. Speaking at the National Retail Federation’s annual BIG Show, Walmart U.S. President and CEO Bill Simon also announced the company is helping part-time associates who want to be full time, make that transition.

“We want all of our associates to find the career opportunities they want with Walmart,” said Simon. “We will make sure part-time associates have full visibility into full-time job openings in their stores and nearby stores, and that they always have first shot at those jobs. We will also bring more transparency to our scheduling system so part-time workers can choose more hours for themselves.”

U.S. Manufacturing

On domestic sourcing, Walmart and Sam’s Club will buy an additional $50 billion in U.S. products over the next 10 years. The company will grow U.S. manufacturing on two fronts: by increasing what it already buys here – in categories like sporting goods, apparel basics, storage products, games, and paper products, and by helping to onshore U.S. production in high potential areas like textiles, furniture and higher-end appliances.

“At the heart of our national political conversation today is one issue: creating jobs to grow the economy,” said Simon. “We are meeting with our suppliers on domestic manufacturing and are making a strong commitment to move this forward.”

A popular misconception about Walmart is where the majority of the products on its shelves are sourced. According to data from its suppliers, items that are made here, sourced here, or grown here account for about two-thirds of what the company spends to buy products at Walmart U.S. The company sees room to do more.

To help achieve this commitment, Walmart has created a senior team within the company to lead this effort and it will sign longer term purchase agreements to give suppliers more certainty.

“We can do so much more by working in partnership – as an industry and with governments,” said Simon. “I’ve talked with a number of governors, including the incoming chair of the National Governors Association, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, about how governors and retailers and manufacturers can drive this issue together. Governors from both sides of the aisle are enthusiastic about getting their constituents back to work.”

This summer, Walmart will help convene a manufacturing summit for stakeholders to work together and help accelerate these changes.

Veterans

Beginning Memorial Day, Walmart will offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran in his or her first 12 months off active duty. Most of these jobs will be in Walmart stores and clubs, and some will be in distribution centers and the Home Office.

“Hiring a veteran can be one of the best business decisions you make,” said Simon. “Veterans have a record of performance under pressure. They’re quick learners and team players. They are leaders with discipline, training, and a passion for service. There is a seriousness and sense of purpose that the military instills, and we need it today more than ever.”

Walmart’s pledge is not the end of this effort; it’s the beginning. The company projects it will hire more than 100,000 veterans during the next five years.

“We believe Walmart is already the largest private employer of veterans in the country, and we want to hire more,” added Simon. “I can think of no better group to lead in revitalizing our economy than those who have served in uniform. Through their service, veterans give us a land of freedom. When they return, it must be to a land of possibility.”

Walmart has spoken with the White House about this commitment. The First Lady’s team immediately expressed an interest in working with Walmart and with the entire business community to join forces to build upon this commitment. In the next several weeks, the White House will convene the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and major American employers to encourage businesses to make significant commitments to train and employ America’s returning heroes.

“This is exactly the kind of act we hoped would be possible when we started Joining Forces – a concrete example of our nation’s love and support that our troops, veterans, and their families can feel in their lives every day,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “As our wars come to an end and our troops continue to come home, it’s more important than ever that all of us – not just government, but our businesses and nonprofits as well – do our part to serve those who have served us so bravely. So today, my challenge is simple: for every business in America to follow Walmart’s lead by finding innovative solutions that both make sense for their workplaces and make a difference for our veterans and their families. Given what we’ve seen from Walmart and so many other companies over the past two years, we know that they will.”

Simon also called on the retail industry to work together to provide greater career opportunities for veterans.

“Imagine what retail could do together,” said Simon. “We could leave an incredible legacy as an industry. We can be the ones who step up for our heroes. And we can do this now.”

Click here for Bill Simon’s remarks.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,400 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visitinghttp://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Walmart manufacturing-commitment-fact-sheet

MADE IN USA CERTIFIED®

Filed under Business, China, CPG, Currency Manipulation, Economy, Government, Industry, Insourcing, Jobs, Made in USA, Manufacturing, Military, Power of Consumers, Retail Tagged with julie reiser, Made in America, Made in USA Certified, National Governors Association, National Retail Federation’, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, reshoring, U.S. Jobs, U.S. Manufacturing, walmart

All American Clothing Co. Finishes Record Setting Year In 2012

January 16, 2013 by Adam Reiser 1 Comment

The All American Clothing Co. has survived a clothing industry that has lost -84% of its labor force since 1995 as according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The All American Clothing Co. announced today that the company has experienced another record year. In 2012 the USA made clothing company’s annual revenue increased 20% as compared to 2011. This marks the company’s tenth straight year of solid growth. A great sign for American manufacturers in today’s economy.

Due to its success the All American Clothing Co. has moved from a 5,000 square foot facility to a 55,000 square foot facility, doubled the amount of its inventory, and has created many new jobs at their headquarters. The American made clothing company now looks forward to a new year full of surprises in 2013 as they continue to grow and create jobs for American citizens.

About All American Clothing Co.

Lawson Nickol founded the USA Made clothing company in 2002 with a goal to make a difference. His dream was to support USA families and jobs by producing high-quality clothing in the USA at an affordable price. He founded the company with the help of his son BJ and wife Mary Ann Nickol. Together, the Nickol family started their company in the USA to provide jobs and a tax base that ultimately supports communities across the United States.

The All American Clothing Co. has overcome many obstacles to chase the American Dream. The All American Clothing Co. has survived a clothing industry that has lost -84% of its labor force since 1995 as according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The trend of outsourcing has made it tough on the company to compete with companies like them. The recession has kept consumers tight to their wallets and the American economy has been weak. These factors had the odds stacked against the success of the All American Clothing Co. But, with the help of many American Made supporters the has company pushed on.

Today, the Nickol family’s dream holds true. The All American Clothing Co. continues to grow and succeed by selling quality USA made clothing at an affordable price. The company and its supporters continue to create jobs and make a difference. Visit http://www.allamericanclothing.com or follow them onFacebook to help make a difference.

We’re Certified

Filed under Apparel, Business, Economy, Industry, Insourcing, Jobs, Made in USA, Manufacturing, Military, Power of Consumers Tagged with All American Clothing Co, FTC, industry that has lost -84% of its labor force since 1995, Lawson Nickol, Made in America, Made in USA Certified, U.S. Jobs

Is Apple Prepping a ‘Made in USA’ Boom?

December 4, 2012 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

It could hinge on whether it picks Intel to make more chips for it

Dec 4, 2012, 9:42 am EST | By Brad Moon, InvestorPlace Contributor

Two potentially huge Apple (NASDAQ:APPL) items hit the radar in quick succession over the past few days.

First came rumors that the company was in talks with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) to replace Samsung as the processor supplier for its mobile devices. Then, as the first shipments of Apple’s new iMac PCs arrived, reports rolled out that at least some of them bore an “Assembled in USA” sticker. CEO Tim Cook rose to prominence at Apple for moving production to China, but could the company be on the verge of a shift back to “Made in America?”

Still Time to Catch a Rebounding Apple

If Intel manages to score the coup of becoming the chip supplier for Apple’s mobile devices, that would be a big story for both Intel and U.S. manufacturing. It was only weeks ago that Apple was supposedly in talks with Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC(NYSE:TSM) about the possibility of replacing Intel CPUs in its PCs with TSMC chips based on ARM (NASDAQ:ARMH) architecture.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini (the guy who brought Apple into the Intel fold but failed to break into the mobile market) retires, and all of a sudden Apple and Intel appear to be making up for lost time. With most of Intel’s chip fabrication plants in the U.S. (including factories in Oregon, New Mexico and Arizona), domestic manufacturing would benefit tremendously. Apple sold 43 million iOS devices last quarter alone — that’s a lot of chips.

Then there’s the story of the “Assembled in USA” iMacs that’s burning up the tech sites right now. Some (but not all) of Apple’s latest iMacs have been arriving on doorsteps adorned with the usual “Designed by Apple in California” message. But instead of “Assembled in China,” they’re marked “Assembled in USA.”

The FTC has very specific rules about how to qualify for that label. To comply, Apple has to be doing much more than just screwing bases onto cases. A factory somewhere in the U.S. has to be building these things.

How could you justify assembling a computer in the U.S. if you can pay ridiculously low wages in China? First of all, those low wages aren’t as low as they used to be. According to The Atlantic,they’re five times what they were in 2000 and expected to continue rising at the rate of 18% per year. At the same time, U.S. labor productivity has risen, while U.S. manufacturing wages over the past five years are now back at the level they were in 2000, adjusted for inflation.

Earlier this year, The New York Times did the math and calculated that if Foxconn workers were paid equivalent U.S wages, it would add $65 to the cost of an iPhone. On a $649 device (the price of a base iPhone 4S at the time) with an estimated materials cost of $203, this would require Apple to either hike prices or bite the difference, cutting into its margins significantly.

However, an iMac is much more expensive. The cheapest is $1,299, so a potential uptick in labor costs may be less noticeable. And then there’s its size.

To get a sense of what it must cost Apple to ship one of these all the way from China, I tried an experiment using FedEx‘s (NYSE:FDX) shipping calculator to compare the cost of shipping a 1.4-pound box (iPhone) and a 42-pound box (27-inch iMac) from Foxconn in Shenzhen to the FedEx hub in Memphis. The result: $448.732 vs. $2,620.72.

Obviously, Apple isn’t paying anything near the rate Joe Public would, and it also uses other shipping companies. But the point is clear.

Shipping an iMac costs six times what it costs to ship an iPhone. If a worker at Foxconn in China ismaking $2.50 an hour compared to an average U.S. manufacturing wage of $19.15 (a difference of $16.65), so long as an iMac took 3.5 hours or so of labor to assemble, Apple would be breaking even by shifting manufacturing back to the U.S. based on the savings in shipping costs.

That’s all hypothetical. But it shows how plausible it is that under current conditions, Apple might shift production of bigger products from China back home. Plus, Apple was facing limited supply of the new iMacs based on problems at Foxconn, so maybe it’s decided to take matters into its own hands. Perhaps a hit on margins is worth the insurance against a hit on revenue if Foxconn can’t keep up.

It doesn’t hurt that the iMac is a relatively low-volume product (compared to iPads and iPhones) and that Apple already has an assembly facility in Elk Grove, Calif., where it built iMacs until 2004 and once employed 1,500 workers. Apple continues to refurbish iMacs for resale at this site, so it retains some technical and distribution capability. As TechCrunch notes, employment at that facility has jumped 50% this year, suggesting something is up.

While it’s possible that Apple merely messed up on its iMac labeling or that Intel Inside iOS devices is wishful thinking on Intel’s part, it’s also possible that between the company’s flagship PC and its determination to free itself from all vestiges of bitter rival Samsung, Apple is shifting toward “Made in America.” If so, here are a few things to watch for:

Without a doubt, Intel shares would surge. The company has been largely shut out of mobile, and gaining Apple’s business — even if it does so under license from ARM — would immediately vault Intel into a market leader. If it inked a mobile deal with Apple, those rumors about Apple seeking to shift its iMacs and MacBooks away from Intel would likely go away as well.
Apple’s margins could well take a hit, and even a small decrease could spook investors. Still, computers make up less than a quarter of Apple’s total revenue (and iMacs are a small subset of that), so the actual bottom-line impact of assembling PCs in the U.S. would likely be minimal and may well be offset by “Made in America” goodwill among domestic consumers.
Shipping companies could actually take a hit from any loss of Apple business. During the iPad 3 launch, for example, it was reported that Apple’s massive shipments form China (at premium rates) boosted the price DHL charged customers for international shipments by 20%. A steady stream of Apple shipments come from China to the U.S., and the vast majority (if not all) is by air.

At the time of writing, Apple hadn’t officially commented on either the “Assembled in USA” iMacs or the Intel talks. Expect all eyes to be on Cupertino for Cook’s response to both. In the meantime, the search is already on for a way to identify the U.S.-assembled iMacs while still in the box, so that consumers can choose them — and send Apple the message that they prefer to buy American.

As of this writing, Brad Moon from http://www.investorplace.com didn’t own any securities mentioned here.

Made in USA Certified: www.USA-C.com

Filed under Business, China, Economy, Industry, Insourcing, Internet, Jobs, Julie's Blog, Labor, Made in USA, Manufacturing, News Release, Outsourcing, Political, Power of Consumers, Retail, Science, Small Business, Supply Chain, U.S. Jobs Project, USA-C Tagged with Apple, Assembled in the USA, China, iMac, Intel, Made in America, Made in America Movement, Made in America Technology, made in the usa, Made in USA, Made in USA Certification, Made in USA Movement, Steve Jobs, USA-C

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Wind

August 17, 2012 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

Ed. note: This post was originally published on energy.gov.

Photo courtesy of Nordex USA

Our countdown of the top ten things you didn’t know about wind energy:

10. Human civilizations have harnessed wind power for thousands of years. Early forms of windmills used wind to crush grain or pump water. Now, modern wind turbines use the wind to create electricity. Learn how here.

9. A wind turbine has as many as 8,000 different components.

8. Wind turbines are big. A wind turbine blade can be up to 150 feet long, and a turbine tower can be over 250 feet tall, almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

7. Higher wind speeds mean more electricity, and wind turbines are getting taller to reach higher altitudes where it’s even windier. See the Energy Department’s wind resource mapsto find average wind speeds in your state or hometown.

6. Most of the components of wind turbines installed in the United States are manufactured here. Facilities for building wind turbine parts are located in over 40 states, and the U.S. wind energy industry currently employs 75,000 people.

5. The technical resource potential of the winds above U.S. coastal waters is enough to provide over 4,000 gigawatts of electricity, or approximately four times the generating capacity of the current U.S. electric power system. Although not all of these resources will be developed, this represents a major opportunity to provide power to highly-populated coastal cities. See what the Energy Department is doing to develop offshore wind in the United States.

4. The United States generates more wind energy than any other country except China, and wind accounts for 35 percent of all newly installed U.S. electricity generation capacity over the last four years.

3. The United States’ wind power capacity reached 47,000 megawatts by the end of 2011 and has since grown to 50,000 megawatts. That’s enough electricity to power over 12 million homes annually — as many homes as in the entire state of California — and represents an 18-fold increase in capacity since 2000.

2. Wind energy is affordable. Wind prices for power contracts signed in 2011 are 50 percent lower than those signed in 2009, and levelized wind prices (the price the utility pays to buy power from a wind farm) are as low as 3 cents per kilowatt-hour in some areas of the country.

1. As much as 20 percent of our nation’s electricity could come from wind energy by 2030but continued support for clean energy tax credits is critical to achieving this target. That’s why President Obama is calling for an extension on the Production Tax Credit — to support wind producers in the U.S. and continue to help drive the wind industry’s growth.

Liz Hartman is the Communications Team Lead of Wind and Water Power at the U.S. Energy Department

Filed under Business, Construction, Economy, Energy, Global Warming Climate Change, Government, Industry, Made in USA, Manufacturing Tagged with Aeronautica wind power, Energy, Green energ, Made in America, Made in USA, Manufacturing, Wind, Wind Energy, Wind Turbines

Leg-Baring Auto Mechanics Chose Made-in-America Kilts

August 15, 2012 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

Image credit: KOTV – CBS affiliate

If you wander into a certain auto shop in Oklahoma, you may be a little taken aback by the view: two men working on cars in kilts.

“It was mainly that we were looking for an alternative for the heat,” said David O’Brien, the owner of O’Brien Auto Performance in Tulsa, Okla. “And since I have Irish and Scottish heritage, it was just a fun thing to do.”

With no air conditioning in the shop, O’Brien decided to invest in an airier alternative — and he wanted it to be Made in America.

So he turned to Kommando Kilts.

“We chose a company that’s right here in Oklahoma City,” O’Brien said. “Their whole pattern and the fact that they’re an Oklahoma company just worked perfectly for us.”

But they’re not cheap — the kilts come in at $130 a pop.

“That’s actually inexpensive for kilts,” O’Brien said. “But, you know, for work clothes, that’s really expensive.”

O’Brien and technician David Denney, who goes by Dinkums, are the only two who wear the kilts. The other technician, Ryan Henry, isn’t quite as comfortable showing a little leg around the office.

“He doesn’t even wear shorts, so he’s definitely not going to wear a kilt,” O’Brien said.

But he also pointed out you can’t get too comfortable.

“You have to be really careful when you’re laying on the ground — knees down, legs crossed,” O’Brien said. “Plus you can really burn your bum on the seat of a hot car.”

But for these leg-baring men, it’s about more than just the breeze.

“You know, it’s a hard business,” O’Brien said. “You’ve got to have a little fun with it.”

Source http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/08/leg-baring-auto-mechanics-chose-made-in-america-kilts/

Filed under Apparel, Business, Labor, Made in USA, Supply Chain Tagged with cars, David Denney, David O’Brien, fashion, Irish and Scottish heritage, kilt, Kommando Kilts., Made in America, O’Brien Auto Performance in Tulsa, Okla, Oklahoma, style, transportation

U.S. Mill Re-Opens To Meet China’s Rising Demand For Diapers

August 14, 2012 by Adam Reiser Leave a comment

by JACOB GOLDSTEIN

Southern U.S. Loblolly Pine Picture:Beth J. Harpaz/AP

A Virginia paper mill that shut down a few years back is reopening to meet rising demand from China and India.

The mill is “gearing up to begin producing fluff pulp—the soft, white absorbent used in diapers, tampons, and some medical bandages,” this morning’s WSJ reports.

Fluff pulp is apparently made from the fibers of a type of pine tree that grows well in the Southern U.S., so it makes sense to make it in U.S. factories and ship it to Asia.

U.S. workers selling stuff to the rising middle class in China and India is, of course, good news. And it’s the sort of thing we’re likely to hear more of, for several reasons.

* China’s leaders want to shift the economy away from an over-reliance on construction projects and toward more middle-class consumption.

* Millions of Chinese people are moving into the middle class.

* Made-in-America is a mark of quality in China.

* China’s currency has been getting stronger relative to the dollar, which makes U.S. products are cheaper for Chinese consumers.

One exporter we visited in Shanghai last year said she saw a big future in selling U.S. imports in China.

“We would love to buy products from the U.S.,” she said. “We have seen what is happening in China, so we believe the market needs to turn.”

Source:http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/08/13/158698126/a-u-s-mill-re-opens-to-meet-chinas-rising-demand-for-diapers

Filed under Certifications, Children, China, Export, Family, Jobs, Supply Chain Tagged with China, Export, Fluff pulp, India, loblolly pine, Made in America, Middle Class, paper mill, transportation

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