It’s no secret. Everything’s made in China. Well, just about everything.
To find something made in the USA these days is rare, so rare in fact that ABC World News With Diane Sawyer devoted a special series on its show devoted featuring made in America products.
The national news outlet has also created a supplementary web page devoted to showcasing additional products made in the USA.
Nunda-based Seating Inc. is one of those companies.
When asked how they attracted the attention of the national media, Seating Inc.’s co-owners Doug and Judy Hart said they didn’t know. They just got a call from ABC News one day out of the blue.
“It could have been from website search probably,” Doug Hart surmised.
About American made seating products, Judy Hart said, “The Chinese competition really, really hit furniture hard. There’s very few people that are supplying the product we make that have as much American content as we do. It’s all imported.”
It wasn’t until Betsy Blackard, a sales representative for Seating Inc. who works from Georgia-based Midsouth Associates, happened to come across the site and inform the Harts that their business was online.
While a few assembly pieces that cannot be found in the U.S. are made in Canada, the company is looking at potentially making some products that are fully made in America such as lounge-style seating for various waiting rooms.
“We’re pretty passionate about the whole idea,” Judy said. “We made a decision quite a few years ago to try and keep as much as we could American made.”
Judy added that Chinese products have made an impact on the furniture industry because of its competitiveness.
“You can’t compete on price with China. You can’t win.”
She added that their niche has been finding customers who care about investing in the American economy.
“Thanks to Diane Sawyer, I think that people are becoming a little more receptive to that idea, but it’s tough in a tough economy because people only have so much money to spend, so they’re very driven by price. So it’s a balance.”
Doug said that while the recognition is wonderful, more importantly, he hopes consumers will consider that when they buy American made products, they’re helping support a way of life for their own neighbors.
Seating Inc. has operated in Nunda since 1989, and currently employs about 20 people. A Lima business, Bears Playgrounds, is also featured on the ABC News website.
To view the site, go to abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/
It’s no secret. Everything’s made in China. Well, just about everything.
To find something made in the USA these days is rare, so rare in fact that ABC World News With Diane Sawyer devoted a special series on its show devoted featuring made in America products.
The national news outlet has also created a supplementary web page devoted to showcasing additional products made in the USA.
Nunda-based Seating Inc. is one of those companies.
When asked how they attracted the attention of the national media, Seating Inc.’s co-owners Doug and Judy Hart said they didn’t know. They just got a call from ABC News one day out of the blue.
“It could have been from website search probably,” Doug Hart surmised.
About American made seating products, Judy Hart said, “The Chinese competition really, really hit furniture hard. There’s very few people that are supplying the product we make that have as much American content as we do. It’s all imported.”
It wasn’t until Betsy Blackard, a sales representative for Seating Inc. who works from Georgia-based Midsouth Associates, happened to come across the site and inform the Harts that their business was online.
While a few assembly pieces that cannot be found in the U.S. are made in Canada, the company is looking at potentially making some products that are fully made in America such as lounge-style seating for various waiting rooms.
“We’re pretty passionate about the whole idea,” Judy said. “We made a decision quite a few years ago to try and keep as much as we could American made.”
Judy added that Chinese products have made an impact on the furniture industry because of its competitiveness.
“You can’t compete on price with China. You can’t win.”
She added that their niche has been finding customers who care about investing in the American economy.
“Thanks to Diane Sawyer, I think that people are becoming a little more receptive to that idea, but it’s tough in a tough economy because people only have so much money to spend, so they’re very driven by price. So it’s a balance.”
Doug said that while the recognition is wonderful, more importantly, he hopes consumers will consider that when they buy American made products, they’re helping support a way of life for their own neighbors.
Seating Inc. has operated in Nunda since 1989, and currently employs about 20 people. A Lima business, Bears Playgrounds, is also featured on the ABC News website.
To view the site, go to abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/
