Why Made in the USA is Important

In today's global economy, consumers have more purchasing and product options than they have ever had in human history. In the compactor and baler marketplace, there are "turnkey" products available that have been imported from other countries, and other products that have sourced major components from overseas. I'd like to explain why it's important for American consumers and businesses to buy American made products. The most obvious reason is that buying American products creates jobs for US factories. But these manufacturing jobs also create other jobs in our US economy. For example, steel sourced from American suppliers requires freight, logistics, sales, accounting, and all other functions associated with running a business to deliver steel every week. For every Cram-A-Lot employee, there are another 4 "support" employees hired elsewhere (Source: National Association for Manufacturers). For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.81 is added to the economy. This is the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector. These American workers are also American consumers, who use their income to purchase locally. In fact for every 1 full time job in manufacturing, there are 3.4 equivalent jobs in non-manufacturing (Source: Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation). The data shows that buying American products creates more jobs in our US economy.


Buying American products is not just good for our economy, it's better for people. US manufacturers are expected to hold higher standards in the areas of safety, education, and employee benefits. Of course, safety and working conditions are highly regulated in the United States. Most US manufacturers surpass the minimum safety regulations and make efforts to excel at safety. At Cram-A-Lot we take the safety of our employees very seriously. Our employees are our friends and neighbors in our local communities, and they have families that need them. Their #1 priority is to return home safely every day. One of our proudest moments in company history was achieving 2,000,000 man hours without a lost time accident in February of 2016. We achieved this safety milestone largely by educating our employees and co-workers about safe behavior and practices. Manufacturers have one of the highest percentages of workers who are eligible for health benefits provided by their employer. Around 90 percent of manufacturing employees were eligible for health insurance benefits in 2015 and about 84% participated in their employers plans, indicating that US manufacturers are providing valuable benefits to their employees. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation).


US Manufacturers pay US taxes, which benefits every US citizen through government re-investment in education, national defense, social security, Medicare & Medicaid, transportation, and research in science & healthcare. In 2014, the US marginal corporate tax rate was the 3rd highest in the world at 39%, exceeded only by the countries of Chad and Saudi Arabi. As a result US manufacturers pay billions of dollars in taxes each year which contribute to the continuation of the great American dream.


If you'd like to learn more about the role of US manufacturers in our country, we recommend this article on the National Association of Manufacturers website: Top 20 Facts About Manufacturing



Chris Weiser
President / CEO
Cram-A-Lot