It used to be that "Made in the USA" was a claim of superior manufacturing. It was also a plea to support American families. Has that changed? Unions are in the decline. American manufacturing has been in serious trouble for many years. China manufactures so many of our products that "Made in China" is no longer unusual. Does Chinese exercise equipment still mean "inferior quality?"
Americans seem to have become accustomed to the idea that they can get good quality and save money by buying foreign-made products. Foreign car manufacturers have led the way in this change in attitude. Part of the reason for this shift is the realization that many large companies are truly multi-national. With Toyota and Nissan being made in America with American parts by American workers, it's tough to hold a grudge. Foreign exercise equipment manufacturers do virtually no manufacturing in the U.S., but at least one major American brand was recently bought by a Chinese company. This also makes it tough to determine just what country your equipment is "from."
Typically, exercise equipment sold by an American company has much of its manufacturing done in China. This is a different proposition that buying a Chinese company's products in the U.S. because the American company can have its products made in China to its U.S. specifications and standards. In this way, the company ensures at least as much quality as a U.S.-made product, but a substantially lower cost. Some of the best exercise equipment is now being produced in Asia.
It is still admirable to try to support American families by buying American-made exercise equipment, but it is difficult to find equipment without at least some foreign-made parts. There may be foreign brands that are made overseas that are of inferior quality, but those are typically not name brands seen in stores and on popular websites. In any case, those foreign brands are not significantly less expensive than the recognized brands, since they share similar labor costs. What they don't offer is the same strongly-backed warranties that the U.S. companies do. In this way, any concerns about quality can be addressed by the warranty of the American company.
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Robert Braun is Vice President of Sales for Treadmill-World.com. For more information on treadmills and home gyms, see Treadmill-World.com.
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