Article of Cascade Mtn Tech in months Costco magazine.

[saltysack]

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[nsherry61]

Nice article. COSTCO (the China Off Shore Trading Company) does a great job of sourcing quality products at great prices and marketing to the price-first American market. To achieve their goal, in the past at least, they have done ethically questionable sourcing (at least in computer and electronics where I have first-hand experience and knowledge). I'm sure Cascade Mountain Tech are great people trying to do good work. But, if I can pay a bit more and support companies that place a higher priority on sourcing their product ethically (and domestically where possible), I'm happy buy a little less and not go into COSTCO.

[saltysack]

I assume most all carbon poles come from China...I agree I’d gladly pay more for Quality domestic product. I own two sets of BF carbon corks. With that said ain’t nothing better than a Toyota truck!


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[nsherry61]

Years ago the US had a pretty large import tax in bikes coming in from Asia (this was around 1984-85). But, if at least one of the welds on the frame was done in the US, the bikes avoided the tariffs. We were selling Nishiki bikes at the time and several of their lower end models were being "made in the USA". It was embarrassing!! The made in USA bikes had the most poorly installed components and the poorest paint jobs of any of the bikes we sold and the two welds that was done in the USA were total crap compared to all the other welds on the frames that were done in Asia and were really decent.

FWIW, I also have a friend, about 8 or 10 years ago now, that developed a new and novel mountain bike water system. He was bound and determined to get it manufactured in the US regardless of any added price. He absolutely couldn't do it. There was not a plastic molding/machining production company in the US that was able to achieve the quality control he needed to keep the wide-mouth plastic threads and valving system from leaking. So, now it's made in Asia.

PPE anyone?

Luckily, we do have some really good outdoor gear manufactures in the US, and, we also have overseas alternatives that follow many or all of the ethical manufacturing guidelines put forth by some of the more activist oriented outdoor industry companies.

[TNhiker]

The made in USA bikes had the most poorly installed components and the poorest paint jobs of any of the bikes we sold and the two welds that was done in the USA were total crap compared to all the other welds on the frames that were done in Asia and were really decent.

i think that could be said for most major manufacturing that happens here in the states...

I had a friend who's father was a high level VP at one of the auto factories up in Detroit, who told his son not to buy a car that
was built on a Monday or a Friday......Workers are still hung over/dont wanna be there/etc on a Monday and on Friday, they just wanna
get the hell outta there and get on with the weekend...

[saltysack]

Years ago the US had a pretty large import tax in bikes coming in from Asia (this was around 1984-85). But, if at least one of the welds on the frame was done in the US, the bikes avoided the tariffs. We were selling Nishiki bikes at the time and several of their lower end models were being "made in the USA". It was embarrassing!! The made in USA bikes had the most poorly installed components and the poorest paint jobs of any of the bikes we sold and the two welds that was done in the USA were total crap compared to all the other welds on the frames that were done in Asia and were really decent.

FWIW, I also have a friend, about 8 or 10 years ago now, that developed a new and novel mountain bike water system. He was bound and determined to get it manufactured in the US regardless of any added price. He absolutely couldn't do it. There was not a plastic molding/machining production company in the US that was able to achieve the quality control he needed to keep the wide-mouth plastic threads and valving system from leaking. So, now it's made in Asia.

PPE anyone?

Luckily, we do have some really good outdoor gear manufactures in the US, and, we also have overseas alternatives that follow many or all of the ethical manufacturing guidelines put forth by some of the more activist oriented outdoor industry companies.

Good point! Yvon from patagoochie is a prime example of this!


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