They're 100 percent American-made, every dang product.
A hardworking upstate welder got so fed up with losing work to overseas competition and being forced to lay off his own relatives that he decided to forge a new business -- a sprawling, Walmart-style store that peddles products entirely made in America.
Store owner Mark Andol says his proudly named Made in America business is defying hard economic times and thriving in Elma, near Buffalo. It's become a must-see for the tour-bus hordes heading to and from Niagara Falls.
"I always supported America. So I wanted to try something a little crazy," said Andol, 47, a married father of four. "People told me it would never work. No one wanted to buy American anymore."
But at the grand opening of his store last year, 800 people stormed through the doors.
"Everyone was shaking my hand and crying," Andol said. "People lost trust in the system. This gives them hope."
His patriotic store's shelves are crammed with products such as old-fashioned maple syrup tapped from US trees and bottled in jars made in America. There are wood-crafted educational toys from Pennsylvania, shrink-wrapped in American-made plastic.
A pair of Texas-brand jeans made in North Carolina goes for $30. US-made toilet paper is 50 cents a roll.
Sales have doubled since the store opened, Andol says, although he keeps the exact numbers close to his vest -- which is American-made, of course.
"When we opened the store, we had 50 products, some manufactured by ourselves, like a campfire ring," Andol said. "Now, we have 3,000 items, and I'm looking to expand it to 6,000.
"When you go through my doors, I've done the homework. I have done the research for you," said Andol, noting that he and his staff thoroughly check that nothing "is foreign-made."
Unlike some manufacturers, who can legally claim that their product is "made in America," even if some of the parts are imported, Andol said such items won't be sold in his store. Every stitch or screw or raw material has to be from here, he said.
Andol said he hopes to eventually open stores in Nashville, Tampa and somewhere in Texas.
"I think I could open a small [store] in New York City, too," he added.
yep.Augh! Websites with music!
I also dislike the URL of the store, save our country first? It makes it sound like a charity. I don't want to contribute to a charity, I want to find good quality products that are made places that actually have things like labor laws and environmental standards. There are good things made here that can be sold on their own merits.
i think the idea is good; unfortunately most of the people i've met who try to explicitly 'buy american' are racist jackasses.
outside of the bigger cities in TN, you'll see 'american owned' signs at convenience stores and stuff...when i went to college in one such smaller town i tended to avoid those and go to the foreigners because they were nicer.
again, though: idea = good. it's just that we need actual socioeconomic change that encourages us to make and buy products within our own country, not just a few 'patriots' opening general stores. i commend the guy in the article assuming his heart's in the right place (i.e. motivated by something other than xenophobia), but it's kind of like closing the barn door after the horse got out and also the barn door is made of toothpicks.
I want to find good quality products that are made places that actually have things like labor laws and environmental standards. There are good things made here that can be sold on their own merits.
You go to college in Cookeville?
If there were a "made in a country with decent labor laws and civil/human rights" store, I think I'd buy there.
Personally if it's made in the US, canada, various european countries, japan, s.korea(I guess?) etc. , then it is okay. China is doing better but still... it would be nice to push them towards at LEAST more humane hours and working conditions.
I agree.
Honestly, I'd like to see people start to buy less stuff but better made stuff.
Is "better" in China really still anything but crap?If there were a "made in a country with decent labor laws and civil/human rights" store, I think I'd buy there.
Personally if it's made in the US, canada, various european countries, japan, s.korea(I guess?) etc. , then it is okay. China is doing better but still... it would be nice to push them towards at LEAST more humane hours and working conditions.
Is "better" in China really still anything but crap?
We buy all this stuff as a way to skirt labor laws, it's just legal and on an international level.
Who would visit an empty store? what will the sell? "nothing"? It has to be a hoax, I dont believe anything can be 100% made in US of Fail
Is "better" in China really still anything but crap?
We buy all this stuff as a way to skirt labor laws, it's just legal and on an international level.
but the real reason chinese goods will always be cheaper is, to paraphrase the situation, governmental economic shen[anigans]s.