Made in the USA

Competing in a global market has its challenges, but one thing remains, “Made in the USA” is a powerful thing.

In a previous blog post, Benefits of Working with a USA Based Manufacturer, we listed how companies benefit from working with domestic suppliers. This topic becomes even more important since global events such as tariffs and the tragic outbreak of the Coronavirus have dramatically impacted electronic manufacturing supply chains.

With an unforeseen end to the production and shipping delays in China, companies cannot afford to have a long-term shut down of their manufacturing operations. This has led some to diversify their supply chain away from any one country and even qualify a USA based supplier to mitigate the stress of an interrupted global supply chain.

We asked a few of our customers why they choose to work with USA based suppliers & manufacturers. These were their responses:

Customer 1:

“Ease of doing business – especially with highly customized products

Jobs – to help save or create jobs in the United States…A Stronger Economy.”

Customer 2:

“It’s very important. Our programs are typically on much shorter timelines than those I’ve experienced at high-volume companies; we have little time to react to issues, so the real-time communication and faster turnaround associated with a domestic supplier is a great benefit. I’ve worked with many Asian and Mexican suppliers throughout my career, some pretty good, some not so much. Obviously, communication barriers can be a huge stumbling block causing setbacks; I’m sure you know that sometimes clear communication even between two well-spoken native tongues is difficult enough. I will tell you that I spend at least 2–3 times the amount of time to prepare an email to a foreign supplier than I do to a domestic one. My words are extra-carefully chosen, trying to keep them very simple and basic, followed by several proofreads before finally clicking SEND. This consumes a lot of time!

I understand the importance for high-volume companies to utilize foreign suppliers for the cost savings; however, a lower-volume company like ours can afford to spend an extra buck or two on a part without a major hit to profit.”

Customer 3:

“I think it’s mainly driven by Procurement to allow them more flexibility in where they can source suppliers. If I had it my way, everything would be designed, manufactured and serviced in the USA. Unfortunately, with today’s new globalized economy, businesses are under constant pricing pressure to drive down costs in order to remain competitive. At least that’s the excuse our leaders are telling us.”

As you can see, there are many reasons why buying from USA based manufacturers is important and often times preferred!

Why do you choose to buy from USA based companies?

Looking to incorporate a membrane switch or capacitive touch sensor into your application?