Manufacturing is a special industry. Its roots are in craftsmen. Individuals with a skill set to making something that the community needs. The blacksmith, clothing, baker, and candlestick maker. Eventually, a few innovative people innovated what the company looked like. Sam Slater brought the first factories to the USA with a textile mill, powered by water, in Rhode Island. It spurred the industrial revolution in the USA in the 1800s. During the 1800’s immigrants came from around the world seeking work in these factories, as well as other opportunities for work in the USA. The 1800’s and 1900’s saw a dominance by the USA in coming up with ideas on how to make things better and then actually doing it. This created new products, changed the world in many ways, and improved the quality of life for people who were making the products and those using them.  

A new trend occurred in the USA, however, and that was where USA businesses saw an opportunity to make products in countries where the working wages were super low, human rights laws were not very strong, and the locals there were hungry to grow their manufacturing. China, Mexico, Korea, etc.. were common places that you could take your products to and find a solution for making them. 

Factories started to shut down in the USA. It became almost vogue to be an international manufacturer, versus a shame. The realities are very easy to see in towns and cities around the  country. Vacant factories everywhere that are falling apart. Small vibrant towns are going downhill with stores going out of business,  houses falling apart, all due to the local factory that closed down and fired 100% of their staff in order to have a foreign country make their goods for cheaper. 

The USA lost 27% of its manufacturing jobs from 2000-2016 with 78,000 factories closed. Where I live, I see it every day. A big one was the Carrier factory in McMinnville, TN. 1,300 jobs were lost in a town of 13,000. Jackson Kayak purchased 2 factories in Sparta, TN, both from companies that closed their factories to move somewhere else. Red Cap workwear shut down and 300 people lost their jobs to a factory in Honduras.  

Replacing the jobs that are so quickly destroyed is not easy, and it only happens when somebody else has the idea of building something new. It takes a long time to build a new company from scratch.     

Here is what I believe is the right thing to do as a consumer and manufacturer.

  1. You can buy products made from any country that makes what you want. Each country makes something there that you can’t find in the USA, or in your town. It is not cool, however, to buy stuff that was designed by an American but shipped that job overseas to avoid paying the local workers a fair wage. It is a crime, I think, in line with stealing, to intentionally move products from your country to another one to save money on the finished goods.
  2. When you send products to another country to make it, you eliminate income for your own community which lowers their ability to buy your products.      
  3. I believe it is OK to make stuff in other countries if you can’t make it here, and can’t figure out how to empower somebody else to make it here.     

Here is how I am approaching manufacturing for Apex Watercraft.

The boats and components: We are buying the materials from USA Suppliers/manufacturers and building the boats in McMinnville, TN. We are sourcing as many parts as possible that we are not making ourselves, from individual craftsmen, with a special skill set to create a piece of art.

Our apparel is all 100% USA Made and we are bringing the idea that your clothes can be made here in the USA Back to the light.      

“Import nothing, export everything” is our motto when it comes to the boats and supportive gear.

Remember that I believe it is OK to buy non-USA made stuff. If the USA automakers don’t make a vehicle that is worth your investment of cash and you can buy a better one elsewhere, I think that is OK. Competition creates innovation and people have to step up and earn your business. This is what happened in the 70’s with cars in the USA. The automakers didn’t think the Japanese and Germans were going to make better cars, but they did. This is how we improve by being pushed.

Apex Watercraft has launched our first kayak. Instead of trying to compete against China-made kayaks, or USA made kayaks that use a lot of generic China parts in them to lower costs, we are using better materials and unique design ideas that created something the world hasn’t seen yet. It will fill a small niche that will allow people who want the best possible boat to have something that can’t be duplicated easily while supporting the local craftsman who helped us make this kayak special.    

We are going to employ those people with a vision to make things different, better, and locally. Even the Apex Tyr Logo will be found on an artisan-made pendant.   

I am into mass production and believe in facilitating it. However, I also believe you need to innovate in small batches, with new designs. That is what we are doing today at Apex. Locally made in the USA, designed here.

Posted in EJ's Blog