5 Reasons to Buy Made In the USA Kettlebells
Buying American-Made Fitness Equipment Supports U.S. Jobs and More
When you buy a kettlebell that is Made in the USA, the ripple effects of your purchase go beyond providing manufacturing jobs for Americans. Keeping U.S. jobs is critical, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s look at 5 other key reasons we should prioritize buying fitness equipment from U.S. manufacturers like Blue Lake Iron.
- Made In USA Kettlebells Are Better for the Environment
Unlike many overseas manufacturers, Blue Lakes Iron and other U.S. fitness equipment companies are held to rigorous standards set forth by environmental protection initiatives such as the Clean Air and Water Acts, Toxic Substance Control Act, EPA inspections and evaluations, and more.
These environmental standards and regulations have made a significant positive impact over the years. For example, during the 17 years from 1992 to 2009, toxic air emissions from U.S. manufacturing dropped by half!
Each item you buy from an American manufacturer like Blue Lakes Iron helps support one of the thousands of U.S. companies working hard to reduce their environmental footprint.
Plus, fewer transportation-related emissions are released into the atmosphere when your kettlebells don’t have to cross an ocean to get to you.
- Supporting U.S. Manufacturers Promotes American Independence
In the past 25 years, U.S. manufactured goods have quadrupled. If U.S. manufacturing was its own country, it would make up the ninth largest economy in the world. In 2016 alone, manufacturers contributed $2.25 trillion to the United States economy.
How much is a trillion dollars? Picture this. In your hand, you hold a $100 bill.
A packet of one hundred of those $100 bills is about half an inch thick, meaning $10,000 can fit in a pocket pretty easily. Ten of those packets equals $100,000, which fits nicely into a small bag.
Now consider $100 million. Stacked up, one million $100 bills would fill a pallet about 4 feet wide by 3.5 feet long and 6 feet tall. A billion dollars would fill 10 of those pallets.
A trillion dollars would fill a whopping 10,000 pallets!
U.S. manufacturing pushes $2.25 trillion dollars into the American economy each year. The impact to our country is enormous.
Throughout the pandemic, shipping delays and supply chain issues with overseas fitness equipment manufacturers have made it clear that the United States needs to increase manufacturing independence to avoid product shortages. By buying from American manufacturers, shoppers help promote that independence.
- Stop Supporting Child Labor and Unfair Working Conditions
In the United States, we have strict laws to prevent child labor. These laws make sure children receive a strong education without the push to go to work at a young age. The Unites States government has also created strict labor laws that prevent worker mistreatment. Not all countries have these types of protections for their workforce.
When you buy from a company that makes kettlebells and other fitness products in the U.S., you know those goods were made ethically.
- You’re Supporting the Businesses That Support Local Communities
When you buy a USA-made product, dozens of hardworking American hands have touched that item before you. From the assembly line to the distribution center to the retail clerk, each person involved in getting that product into your hands lives and works in a community.
Across the country, U.S.-based companies big and small play important roles in the cities they call home. They employee citizens, pay taxes, build infrastructure, support local schools, sponsor sports teams, fund charitable campaigns, and much more. Without large-scale community involvement by local businesses, quality of life in many American towns would suffer.
When you buy exercise equipment and other products that are made in the USA, you’re helping create more opportunities for companies like Blue Lakes Iron to support local communities nationwide.
- Made In the USA = Higher Quality Item
Domestic manufacturers in the United States are highly regulated by both the federal and state governments, so the quality of USA-made fitness equipment is often better than imported goods.
When you buy from Blue Lakes Iron, your equipment has higher integrity, better durability and increased longevity. Recent data shows these quality benefits are speaking to more and more Americans.
A 2018 Small Business Trends article cites Standard Textile data that 60% of Americans are willing to pay 10% more for high quality products made in the United States. They’re willing to pay more because they feel they’ll get more from the U.S.-made product.
Buy American
From considering our impact on the environment to supporting local communities, every purchase we make is a “vote” with our dollars. Each time we make a buying decision, whether it’s kettlebells, clothes or other consumer goods, we’re choosing where we want our money to go and who we want to support.
The more we choose to purchase things that are made in the USA, the more we lift the American economy and support manufacturing cities from coast to coast.
What do you think? Do you plan to increase the amount of American-made fitness gear and other products you buy? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Sources:
https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/progress-cleaning-air-and-improving-peoples-health