PBS NewsHour reported on June 19, 2025, on a four-year effort in Huntsville, Alabama, to make a grill scrubber with every part made in the USA. It showed how hard the task is.
What the team found
- Destin Sandlin, an engineer who hosts the YouTube series “Smarter Every Day,” teamed up with John Youngblood of JJGeorge in 2021. They wanted to make a chain mail grill scrubber in place of wire bristles.
- They could make molds only because a local toolmaker, Chris Robson, then nearly 70, had not yet retired.
- A USA-made stainless bolt costs 38 cents, against about a nickel overseas. T&C Stamping in Athens, Alabama, said overseas suppliers quote about 25 cents for every dollar it quotes.
- One knob they believed came from Mississippi arrived marked made in Costa Rica.
- The scrubber sells online for $75. A local grill store sells it for $60, against $21 for a competing brush.
“The only things we can verify are made in America are the things that we 100 percent control the supply chain of.”
Destin Sandlin
Why it matters for Made in USA
An unqualified Made in USA claim requires all or virtually all of a product’s parts to be USA-made. This story shows that even small parts can come from somewhere unexpected, so makers have to check their supply chain closely. It also shows the shortage of tool and die makers, which limits how fast USA production can return.
FAQ
What product was it?
A chain mail grill scrubber made by Alabama company JJGeorge with Destin Sandlin of “Smarter Every Day.”
Why was it hard?
Tooling, parts and materials were scarce or costly in the USA, and one part turned out to be made in Costa Rica.
How much does it cost?
$75 online and $60 at one Alabama grill store.
Source & credit
Source: PBS NewsHour, June 19, 2025: “Alabama business faces hurdles creating American-made product”, reported by Paul Solman.