Buy Local - A Call To Action

Why Companies Manufacture Overseas
Companies have nearly $500 billion stashed abroad that can be taxed here at home. There are several reasons why companies choose to manufacture overseas;  I am sure that the financial benefits take precedence. To read what I have to say about the cost of manufacturing overseas click here.

My work wife, Melissa, and I chose to keep our products made locally for several reason. If you have interest; here is the back story. 


What YOU can do
>Contact lawmakers<
If our lawmakers revoke the tax breaks for overseas manufacturing and bring the big companies back to the USA, I believe that our economic future would look brighter. I humble suggest contacting our lawmakers and demanding that they stop giving companies incentives to manufacture overseas.

Here is a link with all the Congressmen and Congresswomen's contact information and here is a link that lists the Senators.

>Buy Made in the USA<
I am no economist but I am fairly certain that if Americans buy products made in the USA and support our mom and pop shops, it would make a difference.
 
Why Buy Local
Buying products made in the USA supports our local economy by providing jobs, which support families and generate domestic spending. Buying domestic also reduces the environmental impact by eliminating energy to ship goods internationally. Refusing to buy anything made outside of America will be a challenge for sure. While clothing and food are easier to find locally; I could not find any cell phones that are made in the USA nor could I find televisions. I did find this site that lists made in the USA products. *Note to self; get LolliDoo® listed*

Melissa and I manufacture in the USA using domestic components because we strongly feel that WE can make a difference, and SO CAN YOU! Next time you go shopping, instead of hitting Target or WalMart; try checking out a local mom and pop shop.

Read labels; I cannot reiterate this enough. Oftentimes folks believe that they are purchasing something made in the USA because the company is based out of the US when in actuality the goods are manufactured overseas. Additionally your items may be manufactured in the USA but the components are from overseas. It's not easy to find 100% American made goods.

I'm sure that this is a simple answer to a complex problem but I am confident that small changes make a big difference.

The Cost of Manufacturing Overseas

When my father was a kid growing up in Cleveland - everything was made in the USA. In fact, Ohio had a large thriving garment industry. Unfortunately that's not the case anymore and that includes just about every marketable good.

Ohio Knitting Mill

It's not just limited to the textile industry; analysts predict as many as two million U.S. white-collar jobs such as programmers, software engineers and applications designers will shift to low cost centers by 2014.

I know why.

American computer programmers earn about $60,000, while their Indian counterparts only make $6,000.

Take that and apply it to just about every industry.

Overseas locations receive preference because of the low wages they are able to pay for labor. In China they are able to pay .30 cents an hour! The U.S. cannot require foreign governments to impose a minimum wage or safety regulations. Additionally, U.S. companies have no employee benefits to pay - more money in their pockets. Lastly and most concerning is that they are exempt from environmental as well as safety regulations.


Of course in these economic times consumers want to get the highest quality goods at foreign prices. I hate to tell you but that really isn't happening folks. While you may be able to purchase goods at low prices - what is the real cost? Was a child working in a sweatshop for pennies a day to sew your jeans? Are your baby toys full of lead? How about your beauty products - if they are foreign made they aren't subjected to the same health regulations that are required in the USA and Canada.

Sweatshop in India using child labor

I'm not saying all foreign products are suspect - I'm sure there are some fine quality items out there. However, generally speaking, if you go into a Target or WalMart and purchase say a cashmere sweater that you know should cost upwards of $100 for $25-chances are it wasn't made under the best conditions.

Personally, I’ve never had the “buy cheap stuff made overseas” mindset but I know a lot of people have become accustomed to it. I respectfully request that we all boycott foreign made goods. Our jobs, our health and our environment is at stake. I realize that American made products are more costly and there is a very good reason why. Products that are made in the USA and Canada not only follow the health and safety guidelines but adult American citizens who are paid American wages.

*Disclaimer: This is my opinion, please take it for what it's worth.

For That Price Those Diapers Must Be Made of Gold!

I have heard this a few times and as a former cloth diaper consumer I can relate. In my opinion LolliDoo™ diapers ARE MADE OF GOLD!

Firstly we use as few virgin resources as humanly possible with the technology we have available. Each diaper has a minimum of 8 recycled beverage bottles in them. Saving them from the landfill, re-using our trash and furthermore protecting the virgin resources needed to create brand new fleece. Our cotton is organic and even our stainless steel snaps are made from recycled steel.

See - GOLD!

Moreover - everything we manufacture is domestic. We are paying Americans to work which not only strengthens our economy but we have the peace of mind that all of our suppliers have ethical working conditions. The downside some might say to manufacturing in the States with domestic components is the expense. Yes our textiles cost more then something made in China - yes we are paying our seamstresses a living wage and yes our Overnight diapers are a bit more expensive BUT you get what you pay for.

With LolliDoo™ diapers you not only get a bulletproof overnight solution but when you buy a LolliDoo™ diaper:

~ You are supporting the economy
~ You are advocating for small businesses
~ You are honoring WAHMs (our seamstresses) who are able to make their own schedules to put their families first and therefore also supporting families
~ You are endorsing organic farmers
~ You are getting behind recycling
~ You are sending a message to the disposable diaper companies that they need to step up their game and offer a more sustainable solution
~You are helping to establish a relatively new industry that is almost completely run by moms
~ You are choosing your baby's health over so-called convenience
~ You are saving over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine that are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.
~ YOU are BUYING GOLD!

When people insinuate that LolliDoo™ Overnight eco-pockets™ are too costly I like to remind them that not only are you purchasing a diaper that will prevent night time leaks BUT you are supporting, women, the environment, the economy and your child's future.

For more information on LolliDoo™ eco-pockets™ please click here.