White House spotlights USA products
Wheel barrows, shovels and engineered wood floors were among the Made-in-USA products on display at the White House for the Made in America Product Showcase.
Fifty companies – one from each state – were hosted by President Donald Trump as part of the July 17 Made in America Day event. (The week July 16-July 22 was proclaimed “Made in America Week.”)
Hardware and building supply companies were well-represented in the mix, which featured:
• Wheel barrows from Ames (Pennsylvania)
• Engineered wood floors from Boise Cascade Co. (Idaho)
• Brooms from Broomcorn Johnnys (Indiana)
• Heavy equipment from Caterpillar (Illinois)
• Door hinges from Beehler Corp. (Missouri)
• Shovels, rakes and hoes from Bully Tools (Ohio)
• Trenchers from DitchWitch (Oklahoma)
The product list was selected by White House staff, and the 50 companies selected included makers of golf clubs, cowboy hats and doughnuts.
The founder of Bully Tools, makers of shovels, rakes and hoes in Steubenville, Ohio; said the White House event sent a positive message.
“It was exciting to be part of it,” said Gracy. “The president appeared sincerely interested in putting American workers back to work. He was asking for our advice, as opposed to preaching to us.”
Gracy says he expects Bully Tools to double in size in the next 18 months, and expects to announce the location of a second U.S. factory by the end of the year. He also credited the quality of the workers in the company for its success.
During the gathering, the president pointed to his “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, and hammered on the benefits of domestic manufacturing.
“We want to build, create, and grow more products in our country using American labor, American goods, and American grit,” said the president. “When we purchase products made in the USA, the profits stay here, the revenue stays here, and the jobs -- maybe most importantly of all -- they stay right here in the USA.”
The president’s practices as a businessman whose Trump brand clothing line is produced overseas were defended by a spokesman who said "in some cases, there are certain supply chains or scalability that may not be available in this country."
