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.

[clowcards]

How did you get the site to work?

I've been unable to view the website, and I've heard other people have the same problem. Every page on the UK site turns into this: http://utilikilts.com/store/customizer.php

I've been dieing to see the results of the MuM contest, because I have an entry in it. Are other people having this problem, or can other people see the newsletter?

[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.

[sputnik]

sorry for the hijack, but i can't even get to the news letter. it appears UK is having web issues. (at least with safari & firefox)

[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.

[Bugbear]

I remember back in highschool an algebra teacher spent a whole class showing the class that if you track down every part of a product it can very easily come from all over the world. Guess it all depends on how uptight you want to get.