For most people “Made in America” is just a slogan. Something you are supposed to do because it is the “right thing to do”. It is the right thing to do when possible, and for many more reasons that you might think. The impact of sourcing locally, or at the very least nationally, is profound and can affect not only our economy, but also the environment too.
At BuildASofa, we make 100% of our custom sofas and sectionals here in the United States and our workshop in Southern California employees about 100 people. But it doesn’t stop there…
Because we source our raw materials in the US, we are also giving that business to other US producers of foam, raw lumber, springs, feathers and down, wood legs, and fabrics who employ even more people. Further, we provide business to the trucking companies that move the raw materials between our supplies and our workshop. Plus all the support staff that work for both the suppliers and the transportation companies, like secretaries, accountants, logistics people, etc. So it’s not just the guy making the sofa, it is a whole group of people that benefit.
So what are the other problems with buying goods that are sourced overseas?
The money leaves the country and doesn’t come back, until they loan it back to us by buying our debt, so we can buy more goods from overseas. Repeat cycle until you’re broke…
The goods can have tainted components, like off gassing from the foam, strange chemicals on the fabric, formaldehyde in the wood and more. US products are made with much stricter standards. Our furniture is made to comply with California Technical Bulletin 117, the toughest in the country and the standard for most states in the US, which use the California standards. Furniture from China and other countries use dangerous chemicals and components, and they can get away with it because the US Customs Department can’t afford to check everything that comes in.
Foreign producers are ruining the world’s eco system. Just try driving through Southern China with the windows down. The air is so polluted it burns your eyes. This is what you are supporting by buying cheaply made foreign furniture.
Most importantly, goods here are in general better made. If you want a sofa that lasts for a year, buy the cheapest thing you can find if you are not worried about quality or style. Or buy a sofa that you can keep as long as you wish at BuildASofa.
For more on BuildASofa’s stance on the eco system, click here.
