UK looking for outside production facilities

[Monkey@Arms]

Interesting article in this month's Utilikiltarian:

Utilikilts is in a bit of a dilemma, and we are turning to you - our customers - for some help! You see, we need to find a way to make more kilts!

Steven, Production Manager Amy, and CJ sat down to discuss the options. It takes about 3 months to get a new factory trained and making Utilikilts-quality kilts. So we need a new factory NOW to start serving our sales in 2008! One option that came to us is a fantastic factory in Vancouver, Canada that really wants the work. They do quality stuff, and can handle our volume.

While this offer is nice, it would require us to abandon the “Made In America” principle that Utilikilts was founded on. And - to put it simply - we are not ready to abandon that principle!

We know there are a few other sewing factories still left in the USA, but we are having a difficult time finding one that does truly high quality work.

Do you know of a quality sewing factory in the USA? TELL US! We need more capacity!! We need to make more kilts!!

Best regards,

Jake

[Rex_Tremende]

Well... This may be splitting hairs, but made in America and made in the USA are not quite the same thing. Last time I checked, Vancouver was still (North) American.

Made in the USA? Surely there are people in the southeastern US who used to have decent jobs in textile and furniture mills would love to help out in a growing industry.

Regards,
Rex.

[pipesndrumsnun]

Come to Flint, Michigan! While we don't have a sewing factory already set up, there are plenty of buildings, workers, and tax incentives!! We have a number of great seamstresses and tailors (my aunt included!) who would, I'm sure, love steady work.

Flint is rebuilding, and, I believe, is just on the edge of an amazing come back. We used to be "Buick City"...we could easily and happily transition into "Utilikilts City"!!

[kilted in seattle]

I've bought kilts from you guys in the past and will buy kilts from you in the future. Seeing "Made in Canada" on one of my future kilts won't cause me to think you have abandoned any of your principles as long as your employees earn an decent wage.

[Ian.MacAllan]

Well... This may be splitting hairs, but made in America and made in the USA are not quite the same thing. . . .

I think Rex has the right idea. "America" is not just one nation, it's two continents. The idea that only the USA is America is a bit of chauvinism that it's time we outgrew.

.

[James MacMillan]

I think Rex has the right idea. "America" is not just one nation, it's two continents. The idea that only the USA is America is a bit of chauvinism that it's time we outgrew.

.

Total agreement.

A Canadian is an American! A Mexican is an American!

You can't even change to the term United States either, because several countries are also that - - like the official title of Mexico is the United States of Mexico.....

So what are we? We could always just say borish yankee gringo..... nobody would mis-understand that one....

[canawler]

The "What is America" argument reminds of a fight almost 10 years ago between Yuengling and Molson over who could use the slogan "America's oldest brewery." Although Molson is actually older than Yuengling, "the patent office held that the term "America" for most beer buyers means the United States - not Canada." Also, "Molson failed to prove that U.S. consumers would equate "America" to "North America."

So I guess, according to the US government, "America" is only the United States. No Canada. No Mexico.

[sharpdressedscot]

Total agreement.

A Canadian is an American! A Mexican is an American!

You can't even change to the term United States either, because several countries are also that - - like the official title of Mexico is the United States of Mexico.....

So what are we? We could always just say borish yankee gringo..... nobody would mis-understand that one....

I don't some would agree with that. I certainly do.

So what would we "Americans" really call ourselves, besides yank and such.

[Makeitstop]

Total agreement.

A Canadian is an American! A Mexican is an American!

You can't even change to the term United States either, because several countries are also that - - like the official title of Mexico is the United States of Mexico.....

So what are we? We could always just say borish yankee gringo..... nobody would mis-understand that one....

I'm gonna disagree here. Mostly. Sort of.

I think it is entirely acceptable to use the word "American" to refer to people from the USA. I don't see how shortening North America to America is any better than shortening United States of America to America.

And let's be honest, if you go to the other side of the world and say "I'm an American" unless you have a thick Canadian accent, people will think you are from the USA.

And not all of America is states. Puerto Rico for example. That's also why the "Made in America" label doesn't always mean it was made in the states.

When I hear people complaining about this, I always wonder why they don't apply these same ideas to other countries. I don't hear them complaining about Germany, even though all the people in that region are German, not just the ones in that country. And are we going to refer to the Chinese as people's republicans? Not likely.

The worst is when I have heard "but you're robbing them of their identity" to which I can't help but reply "And what the hell do you think you're doing?!"


Anyway. I think it's a bit silly to refuse just because the factory is in Canada. But then again, keeping money pumping into the American economy may be as important to them as avoiding sweatshop labor.

Personally I would have just gone with the Canadian factory. Then again, I also wouldn't have a problem with them setting up factories in 3rd world countries, as long as they had competent employees with decent working conditions and wages. Cambodians need jobs too.

[James MacMillan]

I don't think we are in disagreement. We are talking arbitrary names as used by others.

I have traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas. Names are something used by a person to identify another. It used to be not thought as insulting to call a person by their description. Fatty, Skinny, and Shorty jump to mind; also Blackey and Whitey could to be used without malice.

If I am in Latin America, I accept, without a problem the term Gringo – Although supposedly it’s roots go back to the meaning – enemy. When in the U.K. I’m a Yank. When in Europe I’m an American.

When strangers see me here, I suddenly must be Scottish.

The entire trend, as I have mentioned before, towards the “politically correct” is a trend to falseness. Why are we afraid to call a spade a spade? If it’s a shovel, then call it a shovel. Things, and people have names that everyone understands and should be able to use.

Me, I really don’t care what you call me, except Late for dinner.