18:38 | 29.07.2010
Fighting for American Jobs- Why Spending More Makes Sense
ICON
International, a commercial lighting design company is committed to
supporting other American businesses by selecting manufacturers in the
states rather than abroad… even if it means paying more money. Why?
According to President Michael Goeller, the reasons are three-fold.
To support businesses and job growth at home.
It’s easier to do business in America.
American made products are, quite simply, better.
“Partnering with American companies at the onset of projects- allows us
to work together on competitive pricing,” said Goeller. “I’ve told
manufacturers; get me within 20% of what Asian companies charge and we
can go forward.”
The 20% margin is worth it based on ICON’s experience with importing
including instances of parts made wrong, returns and delays.
“Everything isn’t always about the cheapest price – it’s about value,”
said Goeller. “Doing business with American companies is just smarter
for us, and our customers are also looking for products that are made in
the USA. It represents a higher quality product- to our customers and to
consumers.”
By working with American companies, ICON can offer more flexibility in
the design of custom
lighting systems. For example ICON is partnering with Sound
Manufacturing in Connecticut as it works on a new lighting project
for a major national
department store chain.
“We’ve developed a strategic partnership with ICON to share our
expertise resulting in a higher quality product at a more competitive
price,” said Kelli Vallieres, Sound Manufacturing President/ CEO. “Our
engineers meet with ICON engineers at the beginning of a project and
make recommendations based on material price and ease of manufacturing.”
Both Goeller and Vallieres said that while it may initially seem less
expensive to out-source manufacturing, the final cost is much higher
when freight, duty, mandatory lot size, and quality issues are
considered.
About ICON: ICON International is
a privately held full service commercial lighting company. A platinum
member of the U.S. Green Energy Council, ICON has embedded
sustainability ideals in its products and actions. For more than 60
years, ICON has delivered unique, high-quality lighting for its
customers. The company’s tradition of quality, innovation and customer
service coupled with an experienced and creative Research and Design
team have consistently set the standard for industry lighting solutions.
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