This Holiday Season…

I don’t care if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or no holiday whatsoever, we all have a chance to make a difference this holiday season.

SHOP LOCAL AND BUY AMERICAN!

I have long said that politicians are not “leaders” they are elected officials. The “leaders” in society are the everyday citizens who take action and do the right thing regardless of the consequences. This holiday season we all have a chance to be local leaders. As Scott Paul, of the Alliance for American Manufacturing recently pointed out:

That’s why it is time to take matters into your own hands… and your wallets. This holiday shopping season: Buy American. It’s your own personal stimulus plan for our economy.

Buying American is easier than you might think. Localization is in. And, products from golf balls to pool noodles are still made in America. There are plenty of domestically manufactured toys, clothes, and sporting goods to satisfy even the most discriminating of shoppers. American-made goods offer a proven safety record, compared to the frequent incidents of tainted products imported from China.

Before you buy those holiday gifts, look at the label and consider the options. We have dozens of gift ideas on our ManufactureThis blog, and we’ll be offering new options for you to consider every day.

When you buy an American-made toy, you’re not only helping to employ a U.S. factory worker, but you’re also choosing a safe option. There are many, many instances of toxic and lead-painted goods from China. Our children’s health isn’t worth the risk.

More than one in five consumer products sold in the U.S. in 2006 were made (or partly made) in China, representing a 400% increase since 1997 (when Chinese production accounted for only 5 percent). In some product classes, Chinese goods command almost half of the American market. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that China is the number three supplier of food to the United States.

You know your own local stores(hint: they are not named WALMART) and here is a good resource for finding American made products

http://www.americansworking.com/

http://americanmanufacturing.org/blog

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~ William James

Happy Holidays!

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5 thoughts on “This Holiday Season…

  1. for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $64 remain in the local economy, compared to only $43 of the dollars spent at a chain.

    In real economic terms, items you get overseas cant compete price wise with made in America goods!

  2. I’m shopping locally, I made sure to go shopping in the downtown area of Green Bay where many local businesses were at during Black Friday. 🙂 They had a lot of awesome deals. (Even if it was dangerous to go alone. Except not really, it was pretty calm! Which is say better than what my sister had to deal with in Appleton.)

  3. I was so happy when I got a slow cooker from Fleet Farm that was made here. West Bend is the name brand. It was only 29.99 and I think it went on sale for 14.99 on black Friday. It works good and it’s a 7 quart-er. I made boneless skinless turkey breasts in it on Thanksgiving…and the turkey was delish!

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