Despite the advantages of building on U.S. soil, over 40% of flooring that is sold in the U.S. market is imported. There will most likely always be factories overseas, but it does seem like there is a push for factories to come back to America. This movement might be slow at first, but it has the potential to pick up momentum as time goes on.
It seems that every item we purchase is made in another country. How many times have you grabbed a pair of sneakers or a baseball hat and have seen “Made in China” on the tag? It seems that nothing is actually made in America. The United States was once the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, but in recent decades, we have relied heavily on international suppliers for their cheap labor costs and speedy production. This begs the question, Are the manufacturing movements coming to an end in this country?
The answer may surprise you. In recent years, domestic flooring manufacturers onshore and foreign manufacturers have taken root on U.S. soil. The manufacturing movement in America is not dead yet, in fact; it seems like it’s being revived. In the past five years, we’ve seen companies become successful in planting their foundation in the United States. Such as LVT production facilities in 2013 and ceramic production facilities in 2014. It’s proof that the manufacturing industry in America has not come to a screeching halt.
Why does it seem like manufacturing is coming back to America? Well, it’s not just the idea of patriotism. It’s a long-standing mindset that people encourage someone to “buy American”. Other than this drive to build jobs on our own soil, there are a few other reasons why companies are choosing not to go overseas for their manufacturing needs.
Low Shipping Costs
When you are having supplies made overseas, you have to factor the shipping costs along with the cost of materials. When you are building within the United States, the shipping costs are much lower. This could help your budget forecast per year, as your costs will go down, but your profit can go up.
Quicker Response Times
Let’s say your company is in America, but your manufacturing company is in China. Those are two different time zones. To get a response would usually take a day or so, depending on the volume of work being done, the gravity of the request, and the time of the day it is. With a manufacturer here, you are reducing the wait time that you’d normally have to factor in when needing to hear back from the supplier.
Better Quality Control
If your factory is within the state that you live in, you have the ability to be on the floor, checking the state of your operations. This will add to better quality control, which is what buyers are looking for. You will gain a better reputation and can swear by your product.
