FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning A & E Manufacturing Company--P894219
August 5, 1997 Donald Clark Dear Mr. Clark: I have been contacted by a number of my constituents regarding the Federal Trade Commission's proposal to change "Made in USA" standards. Many Wisconsin business owners have expressed concern that this proposed change could have a detrimental effect on their companies. I have enclosed copies of several of my constituents' letters for your review during the public comment period on this issue. I hope you will have them full and fair consideration as you prepare to make a final recommendation on this subject. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. Sincerely Russell D. Feingold Enclosures Kenosha Leatherette & Display
Company The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: I am the president of Kenosha Leatherette & Display Co. located at 5001 Sheridan Rd., Kenosha, WI 53140. We employ 45 people full time at this location and have been here since 1953. Our business does contract sewing and R. F. Frequency sealing primarily for the hand tool industry. We have provided tool kit bags, automotive mechanics fender and seat covers, and nylon covers for tool storage units and automotive testing equipment for over forty years to domestic hand tool companies. Our products are made in the USA from materials that are made in the USA. Our customers are primarily the leading manufacturers of name brand tools for the professional mechanics market. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the Made in USA label and we think this is unfair to American workers and misleading to American consumers. The "Made in USA" label is second only to price in a consumer 's decision to purchase a hand tool. It is well known that a hand tool marked "Made in USA" a quality product. That is why some hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools Made in USA, even though their products are not wholly American Made. Some of these companies have convinced the FTC to change the definition from all or virtually all made in the USA to one that would allow products with 25% or more foreign content to be labeled "Made in the USA". We oppose that and want you to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would urge the FTC to back off implementing this new definition. We need your help. Thank you for your attention to this problem. Please let me know if you do cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this important issue, please let me know, since I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you further. This is important to our business, our city, and our state. American jobs will be in jeopardy if we don't stop this FTC rule, and U. S. consumers will be mislead. The United States government should not support any action undermining the meaning of the Made in USA label. Sincerely, Kenosha Leatherette & Display Co. Charles E. Amelotte Herker Industries, Inc July 22, 1997 Mailing Address Shipping Address The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: I am President at Herker Industries located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. We employ approximately, 150 people at this facility and have been located here since 1952. Herker Industries is a manufacturer of precision machined products and assemblies. We are suppliers of precision machined components to the domestic hand tool industry which makes hand tools from scratch in the United States. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the Made in USA label and we think this is unfair to American workers and misleading to American consumers. The "Made in USA" label is second only to price in a consumer's decision to purchase a hand tool. It is well known that a hand tool marked "Made in USA" is a quality product. And that is why some hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools Made in USA, even though their products are not wholly American made. Some of these companies have convinced the FTC to change the definition from all or virtually all made in the USA to one that would allow products with 25% or more foreign content to be labeled "Made in the USA". We oppose that and want you to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would urge the FTC to back off implementing this new definition. We need your help. Thank you for your attention to this problem. Please let me know if you do cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this important issue, please let me know, since I would like to discuss this with you further. This is important to our business, our city, and our state. American jobs will be in jeopardy if we don't stop this FTC rule, and U.S. consumers will be misled. The United States government should not support any action undermining the meaning of the Made in USA label. Sincerely, HERKER INDUSTRIES, INC. Robert M. Fancher Snap-on Tools Gary Jeffers Date: July 24, 1997 The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator, I am a Field Manager at Snap-on Inc. At present I work with 10 franchised Snap-on tools dealers in Central Wisconsin. I have been with Snap-on Tools for 28 years now. Snap-on is a manufacturer and distributor of hand tools which are made in the Untied States. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the “Made in USA” label and we think is unfair to American workers and misleading to American workers and misleading to American consumers. The “Made in USA” label is second only to price in a consumer’s decision to purchase a hand tool. It is well known that a hand tool marked “Made in USA” is a quality product. And this is why some hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools Made in USA. even though their products are not wholly American made. Some of these companies have convinced the FTC to change the definition from all or virtually all made in the USA to one that would allow products with 25% or more foreign content to be labeled “MADE in USA”. We oppose that and want you to cosponsor H. Con. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would urge the FTC to back off implementing this new definition. We need your help. Thank you for your attention to this problem. Please let me know if you do cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this important issue, please let me know, since I would like to discuss this with you further. This is important to our business, our city, and our State. American jobs will be in jeopardy if we don’t stop this FTC rule, and U.S. consumers will be misled. The United States government should not support any action undermining of the meaning of the Made in USA label. Sincerely, Gary Jeffers 2395 DAKOTA DRIVE GRAFTON, Calibre Inc. The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: I am the president of Calibre, Inc., a manufacturing company, located in Grafton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1982, we provide high quality metal and plastic finishing to customers such as Harley-Davidson, Snap-on, John Deere, TREK and Simplicity. We currently employ 105 people at our two facilities. We have been made aware that the FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the criteria for designating a product as "Made in USA". We believe this change is misleading to American consumers and unfair to American workers. People have come to trust that the “Made in USA" label means what it says - that the product with this label was actually made in the USA. The “Made in USA” label, a time-honored symbol of American pride and craftsmanship, is an extremely valuable asset to manufacturers. In fact, to many consumers, this is a very important factor in the decision process of which product to purchase. Allowing the “Made in USA” label to be placed on products with significant amounts of foreign labor and materials would ruin the meaning and integrity of the label. The argument in support of this change is that in today's global economy the current guidelines are unreasonable and that few American companies can continue to meet the rigid standards. Some companies in support of this have convinced the FTC to change the definition from all or virtually all made in the USA to one that would allow products with 25% or more foreign content to be labeled “Made in USA”. This we oppose and encourage you to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would urge the FTC to back off implementing this new definition. We need your help. This is an important issue to our business as well as our customers, community, and state. If this FTC rule is not stopped, consumers will be misled and American workers will lose another competitive advantage. Thank you for your attention on this matter. Please let me know if you will cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this issue, could you please let me know why. It is our opinion that the United States government should not be supportive of any action undermining the meaning of the “Made in USA label. Sincerely, Todd Roberts WIS _____________ WISconsin’s Tool Crib July 21, 1997 The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: I am the president at Waukesha Industrial Supply Inc located in Waukesha WI. We employ 28 people at this facility and have been located here since 1988, We are suppliers of industrial supplies to the domestic hand tool industry which makes hand tools from scratch in the United States. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the Made in USA label and we think this is unfair to American workers and misleading to American consumers. The "Made in USA" label is second only to price in a consumers decision to purchase a hand tool. It is well known that a hand tool marked "Made in USA" is a quality product. And that is why some hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools Made in USA, even though their products are not wholly American made. Some of these companies have convinced the FTC to change the definition from all or virtually all made in the USA to one that would allow products with 25% or more foreign content to be labeled 'Made in the USA". We oppose that and want you to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would urge the FTC to back off implementing this new definition. We need your help. Thank you for your attention to this problem. Please let me know if you do cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this important issue, please let me know, since I would like to discuss this with you further. This is important to our business, our city, and our state, American jobs will be in jeopardy if we don't stop this FTC rule, and U.S. consumers will be misted. The United States government should not support any action undermining of the meaning of the "Made in the USA" label. Sincerely, Dean Meier W227 N678 Westmound Dr. · P.O. Box 216
· Waukesha, WI 53187-0216
TOOL GROUP INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS Thomas J. Caffrey Dear Russ Feingold, I am a National Account Manager for Danaher Tool Group in Milwaukee, WI. I have been working for Danaher for over three years. I currently handle W. W. Grainger for our company as well as all of the Industrial Distribution in the state of Wisconsin. Danaher has afforded me a life style where my wife can stay home with our two young daughters and we still are able to afford a house in West Allis. Here at Danaher we make hand tools from start to finish. We use American steel and American packaging. Our products are completely made in the United States, using American materials and American workers. Everyday, we earn the privilege of stamping our tools “Made in American”. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the Made In USA label so that companies that use foreign parts or labor could advertise their products as "Made in USA" and not disclose that foreign content. This is unfair to American workers and misleading to American consumers. The "Made is USA" label is second only to price in a consumer's decision to purchase a hand tool. Everyone knows that American-made hand tools are the best available. That is why hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools “Made in USA", even though their products are not wholly American made. We need your help. Please cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion which opposes the new FTC guidelines. Otherwise Made in USA won't mean what it should, and sooner or later, the American hand tool Industry will disappear. The federal government should not mislead the American consumer. The definition of Made in USA should not be changed. Please let me know if you do cosponsor this resolution. If you have any reason for not supporting us on this important issue, please let me know that, too. Sincerely, Tom Caffrey A & E M a n u f a c
t u r i n g C o m p a n yA&E® July 11, 1997 The Honorable Russell D. Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: I’m the Vice President of Manufacturing at A & E Manufacturing Company in Racine, Wisconsin. Our employees numbering 191, include both permanent and supplementary personnel. Most employees are their families' primary wage carrier. Our supplementary employees, typically from Racine's inner city, work hard to survive and better their financial position. A & E Manufacturing company supplies specialty non-powered hand tools to the domestic hand tool industry which manufactures hand tools from scratch in the United States. The FTC has proposed guidelines which would change the definition of the "Made in USA” label. Our company's employees believe this to be unfair to all of us and to all other American workers. This borders on being misleading to all American consumers. The "Made in USA" label weighs heavily on the minds of most American consumers. as well as price. N hen a decision to purchase quality made American hand tools arises. Hand tools marked "Made in USA" represents a quality product! This is why some undesirable hand tool manufacturers want to stamp their tools "Made in USA" even though their hand tool products are not wholly American made. Some of the undesirable hand tool manufacturers have convinced the FTC to modify the definition from virtually all "Made in USA" to a definition that would allow for hand tool products containing 25% or greater content to be labeled "Made in USA." Our company and its employees oppose this modification of definition and demand you cosponsor H. Con. Res. 80 or its Senate companion. This bill would argue that the FTC back off implementing this new definition. A & E Manufacturing is committed to our employees and community. We want jobs to stay in Racine and are asking for your help. Thank you for your attention to this problem. Please respond back in kind to me so I can share with our employees the value of your support to cosponsor this resolution This is a critical issue to many people, to our business, our city, and to the state of Wisconsin. American jobs will be jeopardized if the FTC's rule is changed or stopped. We, as U.S. consumers, will not be misled. And, our government should not support any action which might undermine the meaning of our "Made in USA" label. Sincerely, A & E Manufacturing Company Terry Matthews TMM/v
Wisconsin’s Public-Interest Watchdog July 18, 1997 US Senator Russell Feingold Dear Senator Feingold: Wisconsin Citizen Action, representing 53,000 members, asks you to serve as a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 80. This bipartisan-backed proposal opposes efforts by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to lower the standard for the "Made in the USA" label. Under the FTC's proposal only 75% of a product has to be manufactured in the United States to be labeled "Made in USA". This would allow companies to produce goods outside of the U.S. but still receive the "Made USA" label assembled here. Weakening the guidelines will mislead consumers who believe products bearing the "Made in USA" label meet the current standard: that "all or virtually all" of the product was made and assembled in the United States. Watering- down the standard also will encourage manufacturers to send U.S. jobs overseas where they can enjoy cheap foreign labor while maintaining the marketing advantage of the "Made in USA" label. American consumers deserve and expect truth in advertising. They have relied on the clear and consistent meaning of the "Made in USA" label for 50 years. If the FTC has its way, however, this symbol of American pride and quality workmanship will become a government-sanctioned license to mislead consumers. We hope you will support HCR 80 to protect consumers and U.S. jobs. Please contact either Represent Bob Franks (R-NJ) at 225-5961 or Representative John Dingell (D-MI) at 225-4071 to express your support. We would appreciate a response to this letter at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Larry Max Executive Director
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