Just this week I had a conversation with a new customer on why our command center furniture and LCD video walls were selected over our competitors’ and the reasons understandably went to the typical criteria e.g. track-record, quality, pricing, value, etc. However, I wasn’t surprised when he said that being a US company worked in our favor. The “world is getting smaller” as they say, and the competition continues to grow both in and outside the US. It seems that the Made in America banner still applies in many cases, at least when all things are considered equal. Still, judging by what I’ve learned, US companies are making a conscious effort to buy American even at a higher price. That’s not to say that US products are overpriced, because they are not, and they certainly aren’t inferior to foreign products. According to a recent survey, given a choice between a product made in the US and an identical product made abroad, almost 80% of Americans would rather buy the US product and are willing to pay extra. That’s no surprise. Although this was a consumer survey, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that many US companies would agree because it’s good business even if it costs more initially.

So why does this matter to US command center furniture and video wall systems manufacturer-integrators ? It matters because it’s important that we continue to set the standards that ensure our industry leadership. Competition from our Canadian neighbors has in my opinion proved healthy because it’s driven innovation and to a degree stabilized pricing. But, we have yet to compete with foreign companies who mass produce a mediocre product while seriously undercutting pricing because of much lower labor costs. I don’t want to come across as one who doesn’t appreciate the benefits of international trade because it goes both ways. However, more competition is on the way and the key to our success will be our ability to innovate and bring the highest quality product to market even at a higher price. It’s simply all about value and the Made in America tag that’s respected all over the world. So, let’s keep up the good work.