Saturday, November 10, 2012

manufacturing companies in us

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Manufacturing Companies in us

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Wheeling native Mark Reasbeck remembers trying to get a porch swing for his and his brother's cabin in southern Utah. "We went to Kohl's, Home Depot, Ace and a local lumberyard, said Reasbeck, ...

Manufacturing Companies in us

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Wheeling native Mark Reasbeck remembers trying to get a porch swing for his and his brother's cabin in southern Utah

"We went to Kohl's, Home Depot, Ace and a local lumberyard, said Reasbeck, who has become a major advocate for "made in America" products. "All of them had Chinese swings, in different packages. I got tired of all these big-box stores telling us our only choice was to buy something made in China.

"I ended up paying $40 more for my porch swing. But it is a work of art," he said. "We bought it from a local shop that builds swings and yard furniture."

"I ordered it from them, because I knew where it came from. My money went to the little business owned by Alice Brooks," Reasbeck said.

Born in Wheeling in 1952, Reasbeck lived in Las Vegas for 50 years before recently moving back east to Fall Branch, Tenn., a little town between Kingsport and Johnson City.

Most businesses on the USAonly website sell products to individual consumers, including furniture, jewelry, glassware, clothing, sporting goods, pets, household tools, cars, fruits and vegetables.

During a telephone interview Friday, Reasbeck said he launched the site July 2, 2010, and spent the first year finding stores that sell goods made in America.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Wheeling native Mark Reasbeck remembers trying to get a porch swing for his and his brother's cabin in southern Utah.

"We went to Kohl's, Home Depot, Ace and a local lumberyard, said Reasbeck, who has become a major advocate for "made in America" products. "All of them had Chinese swings, in different packages. I got tired of all these big-box stores telling us our only choice was to buy something made in China.

"I ended up paying $40 more for my porch swing. But it is a work of art," he said. "We bought it from a local shop that builds swings and yard furniture."

"I ordered it from them, because I knew where it came from. My money went to the little business owned by Alice Brooks," Reasbeck said.

Born in Wheeling in 1952, Reasbeck lived in Las Vegas for 50 years before recently moving back east to Fall Branch, Tenn., a little town between Kingsport and Johnson City.

Most businesses on the USAonly website sell products to individual consumers, including furniture, jewelry, glassware, clothing, sporting goods, pets, household tools, cars, fruits and vegetables.

During a telephone interview Friday, Reasbeck said he launched the site July 2, 2010, and spent the first year finding stores that sell goods made in America.

Interest in his website increased, he said, when ABC News began its "Made In America" series and compiled a list of websites of companies manufacturing products with local workers.

"Mine was the first website on ABC News," Reasbeck said. "It has been fun to do this. And I don't charge companies to list their products on our website.

"Their views have been so diverse and so powerful that we created a little movie theater on our site. For the most part, they are not political, but patriotic.

"These businesses are our neighbors. They are people who need our support. We need to get past the idea of buying 'the cheapest thing out there.

Earlier this year, the West Virginia Legislature passed the West Virginia Buy American Act. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed it in March.

The new legislation created the "Buy American Task Force" to review the new law's detailed provisions and requirements, before they can take effect. Task force members will report to the Legislature early next year.

"If we take your tax money, we want to buy products made in America,"said Delegate Larry Barker, D-Boone, a sponsor of the legislation.

"Back in 1955, the Fortune 500's top companies included: General Motors, U.S. Steel, Bethlehem Steel, food companies like Kraft and major appliance companies.

"Today the top 20 Fortune 500 companies are mostly banks and companies like Verizon. The top company is Walmart, which doesn't produce anything and imports almost everything from China."

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Wheeling native Mark Reasbeck remembers trying to get a porch swing for his and his brother's cabin in southern Utah.

"We went to Kohl's, Home Depot, Ace and a local lumberyard, said Reasbeck, who has become a major advocate for "made in America" products. "All of them had Chinese swings, in different packages. I got tired of all these big-box stores telling us our only choice was to buy something made in China.

"I ended up paying $40 more for my porch swing. But it is a work of art," he said. "We bought it from a local shop that builds swings and yard furniture."

"I ordered it from them, because I knew where it came from. My money went to the little business owned by Alice Brooks," Reasbeck said.

Born in Wheeling in 1952, Reasbeck lived in Las Vegas for 50 years before recently moving back east to Fall Branch, Tenn., a little town between Kingsport and Johnson City.

Most businesses on the USAonly website sell products to individual consumers, including furniture, jewelry, glassware, clothing, sporting goods, pets, household tools, cars, fruits and vegetables.

During a telephone interview Friday, Reasbeck said he launched the site July 2, 2010, and spent the first year finding stores that sell goods made in America.

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