It’s not often you see a sticker on a product reading, “Made in USA.” But if you did, would that change your personal trust of the product? The New York Times asked Titus Hayes, a watch repair supervisor for the American company, Shinola, about the successes and realities of a U.S. based factory. Shinola is a manufacturer that makes boutique timepieces, bicycle and leather goods in Detroit. Sales for this company have reached to $100 million annually, employing 400 people. It’s motto surrounds the idea to “buy American, hire American.”
Shinola founder, Tom Kartsotis views factory business in a very logistical way. Of the success of his company he explained, “Can we make a difference like G.M. could make a difference? No, we can’t. One giant factory that employs 100,000 people? That’s not gonna happen. But what about 20 factories that employ 200 or 300 people?” The idea to create a span of smaller factories appears more cost efficient all around. It also benefits employees who will land significant jobs that require skill and organization.
Mr. Hayes supplied relevant advice to young people for their career opportunities. Speaking of his own career path to the New York Times he shared, “I never knew anything about this type of manufacturing,” He tells friends still hoping for a Big Three job to “look to the future,” in quiet, clean boutique plants where the starting salary might be lower, but the training is intense and “there are more jobs and opportunities.” What do you think the future would look like for us millennials if working for start-up companies led to our dream careers?
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I think he makes a great point that real change can be driven by making 20 to 30 factories that each hire a couple hundred people. Not only will that increase the number of factory jobs in the US, it will also spread the risk of technological/economic changes that lead to reductions in manufacturing. By having many smaller factories, it is more likely that they can be diversified, which protects a greater amount of people from these negative pressures. Young people do need to set themselves for long-term success. Our culture pushes the idea of instant gratification and impatience for results. However, long-term success comes by learning valuable skills and attributes, and sometimes that doesn’t come in a high-paying situation.
I also agree that working for smaller start-up companies can have great benefits. Not only do people learn intensive training and important skills, I also feel that employees of smaller companies tend to value their customers more since they know they have to compete with larger, more well-established corporations. Because people working for smaller companies have a more personable connection to their customers, this leads the employees to strive for better quality. Let’s face it, how often have we bought something online that was made in China and somewhere else foreign and that didn’t meet our expectations for quality and/or consistency? America has a great opportunity to put quality above quantity while also providing thousands of more jobs to people in diverse areas of the country.