One of our biggest dissapointments when we began creating Ojamas was the lack of textile manufacturing in the US. We obviously would have dearly loved to proudly put "Made in America" on our Ojamas labels, and we tried very hard to find a vendor here at home, but ultimately we were only able to find textilers in Asia that could meet our production needs. While most of our customers have not mentioned the issue, a few have expressed their concerns which we truly share.
The reality of textile manufacturing is that the industry has all but completely left our shores due in large part to the reduced costs of foreign labor. Most of the clothing found in the US with a "Made in America" label, sadly, is actually made in China or Southeast Asia. How can that be? Frankly, it's a matter of encomics. The textile companies recognize two groups of consumers. The first group is comprised of those consumers who place a higher priority on value and price. The second is a group which places at least some importance on buying American-made products. Without so much as a wink to ethics, some companies are sticking "Made in America" on items made elsewhere simply to "trick" consumers into buying their products.
This was never a consideration for Ojamas Sleepwear. We're a true American company trying to find a way to breathe life into an industry at home and restore American jobs and quality in our own market place. We will not accomplish that by fraudulently labeling our products, as much as we'd love to sell more. No gain is worth sacrificing the trust we're trying to build with our customers. Currently over 97% of all apparel is made outside of the USA. With your help, we're going to try to take some of that back.
You haven't seen new products rom us since our original Ojamas because we've been working hard to find American partners that share our vision. We have, however, made tremendous improvements in the products we're importing. If you'll continue to support us as we delivery higher quality products, you'll also be enabling us to build greater manufacturing capacity (and jobs) here in the US. We're not there yet, but when you see a "Made in America" label on Ojamas Sleepwear, you'll know it's the real deal - a name you can trust. Thanks for your continued support. For more information please see this article by Terri Gruca of WCCO.
I skimmed through the blogs and something about Chinese unrest & American products caught my eye. To anyone looking for American made products - they are terribly hard to find locally, but here are a few web sites that list great USA made products:http://www.americansworking.com/http://www.madeinusa.org/http://www.buyamerican.com/Hope this helps!
Obama Bingo! is a game designed to challenge experienced Bingo players, capture the imaginations of beginners, and give answers to just about any question about democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, a player could think to ask.
“Outstanding! It was a lot of fun, said James Bradford, a coordinator of Illinois Victory 2008. “I was educational about Obama and it was good at getting people fire up.” He enjoyed Obama Bingo!’s unique boards featuring a patriotic romp through some 2008 presidential campaign and American history.
For fun you can believe in choose Obama Bingo!
www.obamabingogame.com
obamabingo@sbcglobal.net
Senator Obama,
I would like to invite you to stump in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. We watched Bill Clinton stump for Hillary in Ripley at the local fire station. He is one fine speaker. And so are you! If this invitation is accepted I would like to recommend Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It is on the Ohio River and is close to Charleston, Hunnington, and is adjacent to Southern Ohio. In addition, it would really help the economy and history of the town of Point Pleasant. Everyone is quite friendly.
See Map
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=point+pleasant+west+virginia&ie=UTF8&oe=utf8&ll=38.85789,-82.132416&spn=0.062158,0.175095&t=h&z=13
Before the September 11, 2001 tragedy, December 15, 1967 was a day to remember. 45 people met their death when the Silver Bridge collapsed into a bitterly cold Ohio river. Legends say the town is cursed, but I say our infrastructure is cursed. I believe that you will bring change. Your success will not only heal depressed region, your success will heal the seperation between all People in our Nation. Your success will inspire us to believe that Made in America really means something.
Over the past few months I have been speaking with manufacturers of consumer goods. They tell me how the department stores that we all shop at want to purchase goods at a cheaper rate. This leaves manufacturers with little choice to either get goods made abroad or go out of business. The ones that try to stick it out have a problem finding skilled workers that will do work at competitive prices. This means American made products have to be created with less people that have to work overtime. All we have are Walmart and Kmart to shop at, so how can we really stop buying goods from them? They put the local stores out of business some time ago. I wish you would really talk about this.
Heck, you can stay at our farm if you have a problem finding a place. If you do come I will let your family select a Christmas tree from Santa's Forest and I will deliver it to your house. My wife Jenna is real good cook.
May God Bless You and Our Great Country.
First, let me state that I love the way my company has been growing and expanding over the past 5 or so years. I can't say I feel easy about everything, what with the economy tanking in so many areas. Last time we had this type of economy (2001) my company got knocked to the floor - and it took us several years just to start getting back up. We had to let go 20% of our staff (OK - that's one person.) We ran up an obscene amount of debt, and my business partner and I went without a salary for 14 of 24 months to make sure our employees would get paid.
People say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That's absolutely true. Our business focus is much sharper and decisive. Pretty much every dollar we spend is based on short/long term investments: people, gear, marketing. If it'll help grow or sustain the company, we invest in it. If not, then we don't Sounds like real basic business management, and it is, but in the heady days of the dot.com economy, these basics got overlooked... ignored outright. And we payed the price.
Today, we have 6 employees (a 50% growth!) and we're considering at least one, maybe two more positions. We provide family health insurance for every employee, retirement benefits and cell phones for employee and their spouses. We've had our busiest 18 months ever, and this Fall looks to be possibly more business than we can manage, again. The oddest feeling - I'm completely paranoid about the economy while facing our largest jump in business ever. I'm trying to manage growth beyond our ability to contend with while waiting for that 'shoe' to drop.
One other oddity - up until last summer, I had never been out of the country for work. I had 4 trips overseas last year, and I am looking at traveling to Zurich Switzerland next week. It's seems amazing that we might have built up enough trust and satisfaction with our clients for them to cover international travel expenses without much concern. I know with my exceptionally talented and driven co-workers, and our almost obsessive focus on client satisfaction and success, we are providing real value for their dollars. However, I still pause at the worth of my traveling overseas for what sometimes seems like pretty basic work. Of course, there's a catch.
Here's the catch: we are the cheapest option. Even when considering all travel expenses, added management and time required of me and my team, we're still more affordable than our European counterparts. Ever since 2001, we have always tried to walk that narrow balance between getting paid as much per job as possible while staying within our market price range. We're actually towards the top of the 'price per' in our local market, and except for Boston and New York work, we are within the range of the national market. We have become the cheap labor pool. Made in America now takes on the connotations of Made In China.
People wonder when our status in the world markets will start declining... when we will become a second rate economic state. I have no idea if we are there yet, but being the cheapest guys on the block has never been our intention, but it's simply the product of other countries over taking the US in so many ways.
When I start getting work overseas solely for use overseas, then I know we will have fully dropped to that second class level. Until then, I'll watch all this with a lot of interest. It's an odd view of what other cheap labor countries must feel. Who can complain about the success of so much work? We're making good money (here) and our business is growing, but that comfort seems extremely shallow when I know why that success is at our door. China might very well be our main competitor in the global market, but not just because they are moving upwards.
For more information on converting cars to Flex Fuel go to http://www.jonnyenergy.com
By Mike Payne
Earlier this month, Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama outlined an ambitious energy plan to drive the United States toward a self-sufficient green economy. From fuel rebates to carbon cap-and-trade to vehicle fuel efficiency, the Obama plan has been widely accepted as the most comprehensive energy package released by a Presidential candidate to date. There is one specific section of the Obama energy plan which has the biofuel community abuzz: a flex fuel mandate for all new vehicles in the United States.
“Sustainably‐produced biofuels can create jobs, protect the environment and help end oil addiction – but only if Americans drive cars that will take such fuels. Obama will work with Congress and auto companies to ensure that all new vehicles have FFV capability – the capability by the end of his first term in office.”
Obama’s mandate would require that every new vehicle sold in the United States would be capable of running on gasoline, ethanol, methanol and other alcohol-based fuels. While this is exciting news to the biofuel world, Obama’s plan only effects new vehicles– leaving only a tiny portion of the 250,851,833 cars on the road in the US ready for Biofuels. This mandate would only stimulate biofuel production as new cars are sold, ignoring the opportunity of converting the existing fleet to flex fuel ready vehicles.
A Flex Fuel Stimulus, Not Just a Mandate
In his energy plan, Obama calls for an emergency energy rebate providing $500+ per tax payer for “relief at the pump”. While gasoline prices remain fixed near the $4.00 mark throughout the U.S., this rebate would provide temporary relief before gas prices continue their skyward climb. An alternative investment of that rebate by the US government could provide long-term fuel price relief to the US– as well as a major step toward energy independence and a shot in the arm for a failing, petroleum-based economy.
Senator Obama should amend his plan to provide a $500 rebate to tax payers who install flex fuel conversion kits in their vehicles, allowing them to run on gasoline and biofuels alike. At cost, these conversion kits start at $250 for 4-cylinder engines and increase from there. Installation is as easy as replacing an air filter, but can be done by certified mechanics for a small fee. In short, flex fuel installation is cheap, easy, and can provide immediate benefit for both consumers and the US economy at large. Here are just a few of the benefits:
The Obama flex fuel mandate could be a magic bullet for the biofuel industry, but it misses the greatest opportunity to develop the biofuel economy. Our existing fleet can be converted to flex fuel on the cheap, and a government stimulus could manage this conversion on its own. Senator Obama’s flex fuel mandate is a strong step in the right direction, one that he should be applauded for. In the next President of the United States, we need not only a flex fuel mandate– we need a flex fuel stimulus to help us achieve all the promise of a smart, clean biofuel economy.
http://gas2.org/2008/08/11/beyond-obama-a-biofuel-stimulus-for-president/
For e85 Flex Fuel conversion kits and more visit http://www.jonnyenergy.com
There is some progress as the seriousness of this issue is taking hold. See the article at http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=5373967
