American Made

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ARF

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Can anyone suggest the name of an American Made door chime or a web page that lists American made products. We are increasingly being asked to design projects with these domestic products.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
Can anyone suggest the name of an American Made door chime or a web page that lists American made products. We are increasingly being asked to design projects with these domestic products.

Good luck... there is very little of anything being made in the USA. Even our cars are either being manufactured there or the parts are from all over.
 

ARF

Member
Good luck... there is very little of anything being made in the USA. Even our cars are either being manufactured there or the parts are from all over.

Ain't that the truth ! It all sounds great in theory, but virtually an impossibility !
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
We have a few current projects that require all parts to be made in the USA.

Our purchaser is going nuts trying to make it happen.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
While it doesn't look like it when you are looking to buy made in the USA, the USA still out produces every other nation. The closest to us is China and our GDP is almost 3 times theirs.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
While it doesn't look like it when you are looking to buy made in the USA, the USA still out produces every other nation. The closest to us is China and our GDP is almost 3 times theirs.


GDP is just an illusion used to trick the rubes ( the american public). GDP is all goods and services.

Call an electrician here and it may cost $300 ( taxable ) and a Chinese electrician may only be $10. Here a hamburger cost $5 and there a bowl of rice cost 50 cents. We look good on paper and that's about it.

If you want to look at what we really produce then look at exports. We import everything and our biggest exports are scrap metal and cardboard. :happyno:
 

don_resqcapt19

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Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
GDP is just an illusion used to trick the rubes ( the american public). GDP is all goods and services.

Call an electrician here and it may cost $300 ( taxable ) and a Chinese electrician may only be $10. Here a hamburger cost $5 and there a bowl of rice cost 50 cents. We look good on paper and that's about it.

If you want to look at what we really produce then look at exports. We import everything and our biggest exports are scrap metal and cardboard. :happyno:
Even if you look at just "industrial output" we still out produce all other nations. China is right behind us at about 15% less total industrial output.
 

eric9822

Senior Member
Location
Camarillo, CA
Occupation
Electrical and Instrumentation Tech
We have a few current projects that require all parts to be made in the USA.

Our purchaser is going nuts trying to make it happen.

I wish I saw more requirements like that. I am not sure who the corporations think will be able to buy their products or services if they keep seeking them offshore.
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
We have a few current projects that require all parts to be made in the USA.

Our purchaser is going nuts trying to make it happen.

iwire,

Keep us posted on what percentage you were able to find that was made in the USA. My bet is less than 25% and I don't a clue on what the project needs.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
You also have to watch out for what the manurfacturers tell you. A friend of mine is a HVAC contractor and they had a contract to replace furnaces and controls in some government supported housing. The contract specified made in USA. They had a letter from the manufacture saying that the thermostats were made in the US, but when the inspector took a cover off, there was a Made in China sticker. He had to remove and replace all of the stats with ones that were actually made in the US. He is still fighting with the manufacture to recover his costs, but has not had much luck.
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
You also have to watch out for what the manurfacturers tell you. A friend of mine is a HVAC contractor and they had a contract to replace furnaces and controls in some government supported housing. The contract specified made in USA. They had a letter from the manufacture saying that the thermostats were made in the US, but when the inspector took a cover off, there was a Made in China sticker. He had to remove and replace all of the stats with ones that were actually made in the US. He is still fighting with the manufacture to recover his costs, but has not had much luck.

Caveat emptor - Buyer Beware

I have seen the small printing on the back of a few packages that were:
Made in China
Assembled in Mexico
Packaged in USA
 

cowboyjwc

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Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
It's like when Toyota was coming into NASCAR and everyone was up in arms about NASCAR being an American sport, with American made products. Turns out that the only car running in NASCAR at this time that is fully made and assembled in America is the....Toyota.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Caveat emptor - Buyer Beware

I have seen the small printing on the back of a few packages that were:
Made in China
Assembled in Mexico
Packaged in USA
But the issue was he had a letter from the manufacturer, before he bought and installed the stats, that said the product was made in the USA.
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
But the issue was he had a letter from the manufacturer, before he bought and installed the stats, that said the product was made in the USA.

Now days it is hard to get a clear definition on what the word "Made " means. It is like what is "Organic" or "All Natural". Would you consider GM, Ford and Dodge vehicles "Made in America"? Parts for these vehicles are assembled in the USA from parts made from all over the world. The harder you look at it, the muddier the water gets.
 

ARF

Member
Now days it is hard to get a clear definition on what the word "Made " means. It is like what is "Organic" or "All Natural". Would you consider GM, Ford and Dodge vehicles "Made in America"? Parts for these vehicles are assembled in the USA from parts made from all over the world. The harder you look at it, the muddier the water gets.

When I originally asked the question I never realized the depth of discussion a simple door chime was going to cause.

Thanks to everyone of you learned gentlemen.
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
When I originally asked the question I never realized the depth of discussion a simple door chime was going to cause.

Thanks to everyone of you learned gentlemen.

Well even with it's "we only sell american made" chant, even Walmart can't back that up. I don't believe that any light bulbs are still manufactured in the U.S., but Walmarts a place you could try for your door chime.
 

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
I have one but will need to take it off my wall; it is about 57 years old. Let me know!
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
iwire,

Keep us posted on what percentage you were able to find that was made in the USA. My bet is less than 25% and I don't a clue on what the project needs.

I took the time to talk to the purchaser about this and he says more than 95% he is able to get, and this is for very large commercial type projects.

One of the harder items is standard hardware, yes you can get USA made but the shelf stock quantities are very low and the pricing high.
 
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