FITNESS EXERCISE Bosu, YogaHands, Hula Hoop, Rope Trainer, Powerblock, and Weight Vest

Want to workout and support American manufacturing at the same time?  These fitness items are all Made in the USA! 

BOSU Balance Trainer: Whether you are looking to tone and strengthen, improve core strength, lose weight, or simply get healthy and fit; the BOSU® Balance Trainer is easy to use, fun, and effective. Any exercise performed on the ground may be moved onto the BOSU® Balance Trainer to amplify the challenge and increase results. Use the BOSU® Balance Trainer, dome or platform side down...the options and exercise progressions are endless, and help to enhance mobility, strength, balance, and overall fitness levels. Anybody can use it, regardless of age or fitness level.  A Made in the USA logo is on the BOSU.

Expand-Your-Hand Bands to Kiss Elbow Pains Goodbye: 
Prevent, eliminate or reduce the pain associated with tennis elbow, golf elbow and related overuse and muscle imbalance injuries - authentic IronMind Expand-Your-Hand Bands are fun to use and amazingly effective. From the world leader in grip strength and hand health, this 10-pack includes two complete sets of five latex-free bands - each band is a different strength and is color coded for quick identification. Keep one set at home and one at work, ready to use. Besides their physical benefits, IronMind Expand-Your-Hand Bands are terrific stress reducers too, so keep one in your pocket or purse - instead of grinding your teeth and raising your blood pressure, do a few relaxing reps and make something good come from an otherwise unpleasant situation.



YogaHands - Hand Exerciser & Stretcher: 
Helps to Alleviate and Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, Hand Pain and Arthritis
YogaHands is the natural solution for hand and wrist pain. Its patented design provides hand therapy

in just minutes. Lightweight and compact, you can bring YogaHands anywhere you go. Use them whenever you have a spare moment or as soon as you feel your hands cramping up. We developed YogaHands with the same genius design and know-how that made its companion product, YogaToes, a global success. Our hands fight a wholly different battle than our feet and we developed YogaHands around that. Yes, construction workers and builders are tough on their hands. But, the repeated hand motions of office workers and musicians can bring about as much injury and pain. In fact, according to the Department of Labor, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the cause of nearly HALF of all missed work time - across the board. Frequent, repetitive use of the hands (texting, gardening, typing, etc.) produces tension, fatigue, cramps, and swelling. Stretching and conditioning the hands releases tension in fingers, the palm and wrists.

With articulating wedges, YogaHands provide custom stretching and exercise. From athletic trainers to artists, from dentists to deejays, they all love our product. YogaHands are made in the U.S.A. of sturdy yet lightweight material. Each pair comes with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee and a Lifetime Warranty. *Place the pointed ends of the wedges between your fingers (leaving the thumb out). *Push each of the wedges towards the palm until the desired stretch is felt. *Start with several minutes each day and work up to longer as you feel comfortable.

Weighted Hula Hoop for Exercise and Fitness - 1.5 and 2.0 lbs: 

Canyon Hoops are made in the USA and we have shipped over 70000 of our hoops worldwide. Canyon Weighted Exercise Hoops have been designed to combine the ideal size and weight to help you lose weight, trim your waist line, build stamina, and improve your overall fitness level while being easy and fun to use. The larger size and weight make these hoops easy to initiate and maintain the hooping rotation. but are not so heavy that they cause bruising or are harmful. One piece construction, no frustration or broken nails putting 6 to eight hoop pieces together only to fall apart or pinch during use. No amount of normal use will cause the hoop to kink, crack, bend, or crush. To get an idea of the size of the hoop, use a tape measure and measure from the floor up 38 or 42 inches. As a general rule your hoop should fit from your belly button to the middle of your chest. Want this same great hoop as a collapsible hoop visit



WOSS ROPE Trainer: Most versatile ROPE Trainer on the market, 

The Rope and Webbing are USA made products of the highest quality. This trainer works a little like TRX® suspension cables. No Cam buckles sliding over your arms! This system is fully adjustable through the handles on the rope. No shiny boxes here. No DVDs to collect dust.

This Trainer is perfect for the action-outdoor type (can easily be used indoors as well). No Cam Buckle to jam should you drop the Trainer in the mud or the sand on a beach. This WOSS ROPE Trainer System comes with 17ft of Rope and a separate Door Anchor. 

This fully adjustable Trainer has two workout Handles with built-in 1-1/2" wide Foot Loops, and a separate Door Anchor. Use it indoors or outdoors, at home or on the road.  Thanks to the ingenious (and simple) Prusik knot, length adjustments are as simple as sliding the knot up and down the rope. Once one loads the knot (perform an exercise) the knot locks onto the Rope without slipping.
No cam buckles sliding over your arms! To attach the Handles simply loop them around the rope twice as shown in the illustration and the accompanying instructions - attached in seconds!

WOSS Trainer ELITE Suspension Trainer: The four main components, top-adjustable center strap, split anywhere-anchor, length-adjustable door anchor and double-loop strap make this WOSS ELITE 1-Inch suspension trainer a platinum suspension trainer using US military webbing of the highest quality–made in USA. Having the cam buckles at the top of the trainer allows the user to easily set up the trainer's length by just looking at the handles while lengthening/shortening the straps. No need to raise the handles to adjust the trainer by the cam buckles and guess the height. This frees up the lower part of the cam buckles which results in no rubbing over ones arm. Using cords to attach the handles rotates the center strap 90 degree and lays the strap flat over one's upper arms when doing push-ups and not on its knife edge as with that of competition. 

The anchors that come standard with the ELITE allow this trainer to be practically attached anywhere. Anchors included: One 8-Feet split anywhere-anchor cam buckle strap, a 2-Feet double-loop strap and our length-adjustable padded 2.5-Feet door anchor–the only of it's kind on the market. All utilize D-rings for easy attachment-doors, branches, rafters, bars (at the gym), even smooth posts in the park are no problem for this system. Having a strap (Equalizing loop) between the cam buckles allows for an equalization of the height of the handles if they are not adjusted evenly. No shiny boxes here. No DVDs to collect dust. Just what you need-First Class Equipment-Made in USA.

PowerBlock Dumbell Sets: Powerblock is an innovative dumbell solution manufactured in America. These modern weightlifting tools allow you to fit a wide variety of weights into one dumbell. This is the only dumbbell system that can expand to meet your strength needs, PowerBlock dumbbells are the most versatile and effective exercise tool ever developed for strength training. PowerBlocks work intuitively. Rather than requiring you to buy a room full of dumbbells, PowerBlocks act just like a weight stack at the gym, with a weight handle that fits inside the first

weight, which fits inside the second, which fits inside the third, etc. When you want to change weights, you simply move the weight selector pin into the appropriate slot and you're set. As you lift the core, all the weights above the selector pin are lifted at the same time, turning your dumbbell from one weight to another. Not only is the system remarkably easy to use, but it's also cost- and space-efficient, as a single pair of dumbbells can do the work of dozens.



Weight Vest: 

An extremely high quality line of weight vests.  If you need a weight vest for Crossfit®, or training for football, basketball, soccer or running, V-Force, V-Max, and BOX weight vests have a solution custom-made just for you. You can be 100% certain your weight vest will last a lifetime, that's why they give you a true Lifetime Warranty.

Plus, you never have to worry about fit or function. There is a 30-Day money-back guarantee from the manufacturer!  If you want to support American workers these weight vests are made in Idaho, USA and are designed and constructed with over 25 years of experience. You want a weight vest that will last, one that is not moldy or dusty or has insect nests inside like imported vests. Weightvest.com uses only the best materials available so your vest is secure and durable for a lifetime of use.

K'Nex Toys are Made in America

K’Nex manufactures their awesome toys in Hatfield, PA.  They received a visit from President Barack Obama so he could highlight American manufacturing.  As he says in the speech, they manufacture over 3,000 pieces per minute and every box around the world is stamped "Made in America." 

K’Nex toys are a little bit like Lego’s.  K’Nex toys encourage building and creativity and provide hours of fun and endless combinations from toddlers to adults.

Bring manufacturing jobs back to the US, try some K’Nex!

Squatty Potty solves your poopy problem!

Do you even know that you have a pooping problem?  Millions of people around the world squat while using the bathroom instead of sitting on the toilet seat with your feet on the ground.  Squatting "can help with straining issues such as hemorrhoids, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, bloating and IBS." The current market leader in bathroom squatting solutions is an American manufactured product featured on Shark Tank called "Squatty Potty." 

Purchase the Made in USA Squatty Potty on Amazon.com

INVIS-A-RACK Truck Rack from Shark Tank

Invis-A- Rack was featured on Shark Tank a few years ago and it's owner/inventor Donny McCall walked out without a deal.  He could've had a deal however he stuck to one basic principle: Manufacture in America.  Invis-A-Rack is a patented truck cargo system that adds storage racks to a pickup truck with a transformer like method.

It was proposed in the Shark Tank by Kevin O'Leary that if Donny moved manufacturing overseas he would earn more and need to hire more people in America on the sales and marketing end.  Apple was used as an example of a company that makes product overseas to support a very large American staff.

Donny, a principled bible believing man stuck rested on his laurels.  He refused the Chinese production suggested by the sharks.  When the show aired, he sold through his inventory.  To help keep inventory levels in the correct territory
Invis-A-Rack is now manufactured by DeeZee.  It is of course, Made in the USA!

Thanks Donny for your dedication to American manufacturing.

Deep River Snacks are Made in America

Deep River Snacks are more than just a bag of chips.  Their snacks are all natural with tons of flavor. The entire Deep River Snack line is made from all natural ingredients, there are no dyes, no preservatives, no trans-fat, but still have amazing flavor.

Deep River is committed to only making snacks that are "certified" gluten-free. They recently went through the certification process to ensure that their snacks meet the government standards of being gluten free. Not only did they meet, but instead exceeded the standards and all of their products are 10 parts per million. This means that even people with very sensitive gluten intolerance can enjoy Deep River Snacks.

Deep River believes in keeping the American economy growing and that's why they make sure that everything they purchase is "Made in the USA". They've avoided the opportunity to save thousands of dollars by purchasing snack racks overseas. Everything from ingredients & packaging to the t-shirts that they give away are always Made in the USA.

h/t

The Little Giant Ladder

The Little Giant Ladder is the best ladder to use on stairs.  There are several versions of this ladder but the Revolution or Ultimate versions are all American.  There are inexpensive Chinese made versions of the Little Giant Ladder, but the 16 x 20 Ultimate available at Costco are Made in the USA.  You can purchase the USA made version right here on Amazon.

Little Giant is committed to creating American jobs.  All of the field reps for Little Giant must spend time in the manufacturing plant creating the ladders.  The Little Giant Ladder is made in Idaho or Indiana.

Putting Green, NCAA Golf Towels, and Practice Golf Mats made in USA!

Visit your local Golfsmith store or purchase from their website and you can grab some awesome golf items Made in America.  Looking for an American Putting Matt with ball return?  How about a golf towel or a practice mat?


SKLZ Accelerator Pro Ball Return Putting Mat (Made in USA)
The SKLZ Accelerator Pro 9' X 1' Ball Return Putting Mat lets you practice three key putting lengths with perfect strokes on a high-quality, true-roll, putting surface. The back and through-stroke alignment guides ensure perfect acceleration and distance control while maintaining a square face to the target.

Team Effort Towels  (Made in USA)
Team Effort Golf towels allow you to support your favorite professional or NCAA team while supporting the American economy as they're made in America!

Hank Haney Practice Mats
Plan to practice that golf swing from home?  Use a Hank Haney practice mat to get one that is Made in the US.

Golf Tees, Ball Retriever, Golf Grips Made in USA

Zero Friction Tees Made in USA

 There aren't many products at your local Golf shop that are made in America.  We've written about American made Titleist balls and PING clubs, in this article we'll show you a few more golf items made in the USA.

We've searched every item in our local golf stores and have found almost nothing!  But here are some tees and a ball retriever that you can purchase to support American manufacturing.  

If you spot others please give us a link to the photo and we'll add it to our American Made Golf Equipment archive.

 Purchase any of the three American Made Golf Tees via Amazon on this handy list I made that displays all of them at once for you.  

Professional Tee System Made in the USA

These Epoch golf tees from evolvegolf are amazing!  This is our favorite pick by far, there is no good reason for you to not be using this tee.  Buy it for friends, give it as a gift, you must buy this tee!  Buy American golf tees right now on Amazon!

• MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC
• EXTREMELY DURABLE
• MADE IN AMERICA

No trees were hurt in the making of this tee.  Me and my buddies have a joke about the Epoch tee, we think it's a flawed business plan.  The problem is that the tees are too durable.  You'll only need about 1 tee per round, a single box of 50 could last years.  A friend of mine went 28 rounds of golf on a single Epoch evolve golf tee!  Instead of cracking, the tee is likely to fly, so losing it 20 yards away from your teeing location might require a replacement tee.  I can't remember ever seeing one actually break.  They do no damage to driver heads under extreme swing speeds, we've got plenty of proof for that.  Buy the Epoch tee from Golfsmith here.

Aside from finding three American golf tees, we found one other item in the shop that was made in America.  The iGotcha ball retriever comes in a few sizes ranging from 6 to 18 feet.  They all have the "Proudly made in U.S.A." label.  

Purchase an iGotcha ball retriever at Golfsmith right now.

Purchase an iGotcha ball retriever at Amazon.

GOLF GRIPS

Pure Golf Grips are made in the USA.  There are several PURE grips to choose from (soft wrap, smooth wrap, pure wrap, pure midsize wrap, and a pro grip).  PURE makes great feeling grips ranging from a soft to firm feel grip.  The grips are made in Tempe, AZ.  PURE makes a very tacky grip and feels like it will hold up really well, the price is fair. h/t ttgolf

Buy PURE grips now at Golfsmith.  Or buy your PURE American grips at Amazon.

Star Grips are Made in the USA, Tacki-mac grips are Made in the USA, and Mint Grips are made in the US by Gibbs Plastic and Rubber.

Sadly, Golf Pride no longer makes grips in the USA.  

Golf Clubs Made in the USA (info about PING)

 Over the last 25 years almost all production of golf clubs has been moved to China, Japan, and other locations overseas.  Most of the production was moved overseas to cut costs, but some was necessitated by EPA law which makes certain powder coatings, and titanium construction golf equipment impossible to make in America.

Informed consumers will find that PING (Karsten Manufacturing Corporation) is heavily American and manufactures more golf clubs in America than any other manufacturer.

Not only does PING make golf equipment in the USA but they also are the only family owned company of any well known manufacturer.  The other companies are all traded on stock exchanges and function with the primary goal of returning value to shareholders.  The company was started out of a garage in Redwood City, CA by Karsten Solheim.

you might like: Made in USA Golf Balls  --- Made in USA Tees, Grips, & More

1990 PING ad

Karsten was a GE Engineer, and he's responsible for revolutionizing the game more than any golf club maker in history.  He is the only club engineer in the Golf Hall of Fame. No matter which clubs you purchase, there is a technology/system being used that was initially created by Karsten Solheim, his son John, or the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation in general.

In the late 50's Karsten created the first perimeter weighted iron and heel-toe weighted putter.  In the 1970's and 1980's while the patent was in it's first 20 years it was very common for people to order PING equipment after seeing a PING ad and using the fitting chart that PING patented in 1966 to be measured at home.  Today 98% of the clubs on the market are perimeter weighted, but in the 70's if you wanted forgiveness in a golf club you could only buy it in PING Eye irons.  Karsten was the first "rocket scientist" to work on golf clubs, today if you aren't one you're probably not designing golf clubs.  I'm just getting started, and won't bore you with the long version but socially responsible consumers will find that buying PING isn't just an American thing, it's the right thing.  Sure, patents only last 20 years, but doesn't it make sense to purchase from the manufacturer that created the technology?  But lets get back on the main topic, which golf clubs are made in the US.  

Anser Milled Label

Today the only golf club foundry in America is in Dolphin, Arizona.  Karsten bought the foundry in the 1970's.  Watch this video tour of the foundry.  At that point the foundry could make all the golf clubs the American market needed.  As the other manufacturers lowered pricing by moving overseas, EPA laws changed, and production at Dolphin exceeded factory capacity PING started producing clubs overseas.  Today the Dolphin foundry employs tons of Americans who make PING equipment in Arizona at full capacity at all times.  This predominantly includes, replacement irons for loss, and overflow need of specific irons on an as needed basis.  Milled PING putters are all American made, and the grooves on the 2013 Tour Gorge wedges are milled in America.  

Anser Milled 100% American

There is a differentiation between the overseas production of PING and their counterparts.  PING owns their own plants in Japan and Vietnam.  The plants are run by a Solheim, and the employees are PING employees.  Some of those employees are American citizens, and have worked at the Arizona locations at some point in their career.  PING has extreme loyalty from both their consumers and their employees.  And yes, of course I play all PING.  

PING has more club components produced in America than any other brand.  There are quite a few people with G10, G15, G20, or G25 irons out there completely made in America.  

PING Nome with USA and China made heads

Current made in America PING club list:

• Milled Putters like Nome, Sydney, Anser (check individual labels)
• Grooves for Gorge wedges are machined in America
• Some G10, G15, G20, G25 sets of heads were made in America
• ALL replacement iron heads of any style of any year is made in Arizona.
• All steel shafts from PING are made in the USA.
• PURE golf grips are available from PING and they are made in America.  

I want all American golf clubs (irons)

You could purchase a set of PING Eye 2 irons.  If you buy them online, get the serial number and confirm authenticity with PING by calling 1-800-4-PING-FIT.  Eye 2 and prior are all American, and you'll be supporting an American when you buy them second hand.

Take your irons to a PING fitter and ask to be fit.  Ask the fitter to recommend a new shaft, the old ones are too old but the heads are not!  Get fit for length, lie angle, flex, and grip.  You might have to pay for the fitting.  Then have your clubs sent to PING, to return them to new.  You can get the heads retumbled and they will look new when they come home.  PING Eye 2 irons from 80's-90's can only be adjusted 1-2 color codes so have someone help determine your wrist to floor measurement (don't do it yourself!!!!!!!!).  Once you know your measurement, buy your irons as close to that color code as possible.  Don't worry about which shaft is in there, you're going to have PING reshaft them.  Make sure to pick an American grip (not Golf Pride anymore).  Use PURE Grips, Tacki Mac, Star, or Mint grips for American made grips!

You should pay $40-175 for a set of PING Eye 2 irons.  Go to Golfsmith for a free 5 minute fitting and have them send the clubs back.  Reshafting with a new grip will cost $20-$50 per club depending on shaft.  Lie angle change will cost about $4 per club.  All of the work will be done at the Phoenix, AZ office.  You could be playing an all American club that is of extreme historical importance to golf for about $300.

With all that said, if playing good golf is your primary goal you really should not be playing irons from before the year 2000.  You can make any comment you want about how you play good with your dads old clubs, PING Man scientifically verifies that every club made is better than it's predecessors.  We are many years more advanced scientifically than we were 20, 30, 40 years ago.  Todays PING irons are better than any they've ever made.  Are you reading this on a 30 year old computer right now?  Would it even be possible?

Some other great major differences between PING and other brands:

• A very large manufacturing/repair/warranty division in Phoenix cares for your clubs many years past year 1. 
• Warranted against manufacturer defects for a very long time, in some cases... lifetime.
• Only cast iron that can have a lie angle adjustment after purchase.
• They are the industry leader in tolerances and quality control.
• If you lose an iron you can order an exact replica of the missing iron, forever.  That replacement head will be hand poured by an American citizen in Dolphin, Arizona!
• All PING carry bags are assembled in America at the Phoenix plant.  The bag itself is made in Canada or Mexico.
• PING stock shafts are used as a means to improve quality of golf. No expense is spared.

Scotty Cameron Heads are made in the USA (shaft and grip are Chinese).

Scotty Cameron makes his popular putter heads in America!  Sure Scotty copies PING designs, but you can't take away the beauty that he brings to putters.  These are gorgeous putters that resemble artwork.  They even have a custom shop to focus on paint colors, and other personalizations that make your putter unique to you.  The grip and shaft to a Cameron come out of China.  The parent company for Titleist is FILA of South Korea.    

Some Steel Shafts are made in the USA

• True Temper makes all their steel shafts in America from American steel. 
• The NS line of shafts is made in Japan.  NS stands for Nippon Steel, a Japanese company.  
• KBS/FST is made in Taiwan.  
• The Rocketfuel shaft from Taylormade is made with American Carpenter Steel in America.

That can't be all the clubs made in the USA can it?

No, it's not.  There are more.  There are a few small companies with some all American golf clubs.  TaylorMade, Callaway, Nike, Cleveland, Adams, and Mizuno assemble many of their clubs in America, from foreign parts.

Scratch Golf makes heads with our English friends over the pond and completes the work in Detroit.  "Housed in a secret location in metro Detroit MI, The Armory houses the most talented group of craftsmen in the game of golf and each one is tasked with making golf clubs specifically for YOU."  The President of Scratch Golf wrote about where his equipment is produced on GolfWRX in April 2010.

Sassy Malassy putters are machined in the Philadelphia area. The approximately $200 putters will come with a "Made in the U.S.A." headcover.

Dandy Putters are CNC milled out of a metal bar and include a True Temper American shaft with an American grip from Gripo's of Nevada.  Gripo's also makes grips in America for AME, known as Percise.

Prairie Golf says they mill some CNC putter heads in Omaha, Nebraska but they don't make each specific head clear.  I suggest asking them before purchasing if you are in doubt.

Louisville Golf will make you an all American hickory shafted persimmon wood head driver if you have a sense of adventure.

Please let us know about all the other great American small golf manufacturers out there!  Check out our article about American golf balls.  We also have an article for American golf tees and grips.

Golf Balls Made in the USA - Titleist & Bridgestone

2013 Titleist All American

For the 2014 season look to Callaway, Bridgestone, and Titleist to get golf balls made in the USA.  

• All Callaway balls except some Supersoft
• All Bridgestone Balls over $30
• Many Titleist balls (check box)
• Taylormade assembles some balls with foreign parts in America.  

For the first time in it's storied history Titleist has started producing a large portion of their balls overseas, Thailand to be exact.  This move comes a few years after Titleist was purchased by Fila of South Korea.

Bridgestone has a commitment to produce balls at it's plant in Covington, Georgia. Bridgestone is headquartered in Japan.  Both companies are publicly owned.  

Buy Titleist balls 

on Amazon

Please read the side of the box to ensure you are buying American. Titleist balls sold in America are mostly manufactured at their 3 Massachusetts ball plants in Fairhaven, North Darthmouth, and New Bedford.

Bridgestone Golf 

B330-RX made in USA and Japan

In April 2012 Bridgestone Golf announced that it would increase its golf ball production at its Covington, Georgia facility by 40% in 2012. As part of the plan for increased United States-based production, Bridgestone Golf will manufacture its popular TOUR B330-RX family of Urethane-covered golf balls in Georgia, beginning in June 2012. The production increase will necessitate the hiring of 20 additional full-time workers at the facility, 40 miles east of Atlanta.

At left: two boxes of the same ball, one of which was "Made in USA" the other of which was "Made in Japan." 2013

More made in USA/Japan confusion.

In 2014 Bridgestone started an ad campaign promoting their increase in American production.  A commercial with David Feherty shows off the Covington, Georgia facility.  Bridgestone has produced balls in Georgia under the Precept and Bridgestone brands since the 1990s.

As of 2014, expansion at the plant in Georgia is complete.  This has allowed Bridgestone to move production of all of their premium models (13 models: B Series, e Series, & Lady Precept) to the states for 2014.  Prior generation models or product made prior to this transition might be foreign made.  Check the side of the box to ensure you're purchasing American!


The increase in production at the Covington plant comes as they celebrate an important milestone. In 2013, Bridgestone Golf completed manufacturing of the company’s 50 millionth dozen of golf balls. Since 1990, when Bridgestone began production of its golf balls in the United States under the Precept brand name, the company has produced more than 600 million golf balls at its Covington facility. If one were to line up 600 million golf balls side-by-side, the line of balls would cover 15,782 miles, stretching from Covington, Georgia to Tokyo, Japan and back.

BUY BRIDGESTONE BALLS AT AMAZON

Taylor Made Penta TP5 Cover and assembly in US
The 2013 version of Penta is "Lethal"

Callaway and Taylor Made both produce some of their lineup in America.  Again it's important that you read the box carefully to determine if you are supporting American manufacturing and keeping more tax dollars and spending in the states! 

As you can see in these pictures we have the Taylormade Penta TP5 which has a urethane cover made in America and the ball is assembled in America.  4 of the 5 layers of the ball are made in South Korea.

Also pictured are two Hex balls from the 2013 Callaway lineup.  The Hex Chrome ball is a pure American ball, a good ball for all skill levels as well. As stated on the box The Hex Black Tour is "assembled in the USA from US and/or Chinese components."

That's it!  It's as simple as that for 2013 if you want to buy American, it's Titleist, some Bridgestone, and the Hex Chrome ball from Callaway as well.

There are websites claiming to be selling other brands of golf balls made in the USA. I have heavily researched every box, site, and golf product in the industry and find no reason to believe the following balls are manufactured in the USA:
Nike Power Distance, Callaway Hex Solaire, Callaway Hex Hot Pro, Nike 20XI, Nike Vapor Black.

Check out our article about golf clubs made in America.

See our article about golf balls made in America in 2013.

Walmart adds Veterans jobs and Made in America products (not)

Yesterday I wrote a post accusing Wal-Mart of being anti-American.  As America's largest retailer and employer we must insist that they act socially responsible.  Yesterday we learned that Wal-Mart has created a PR stunt designed to make consientious consumers like myself happy.  Wal-Mart claims that they are willing to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years within 12 months of the service person being honorably discharged.  They also claim they will increase the dollar amount of American-made products they purchase by $50 billion over the next ten years.  Don't get excited, these aren't changes.  In fact, Americans should be insulted.  I stand by what I said that Walmart is anti-American.

Allow me to explain why the Walmart initiatives aren't worth applauding.  The following quotes and data come from an article by Christopher Matthews in Time. 

Walmart employs 1.3 millions sales associates in the U.S., and because of their horrible pay and treatment of employees they have an astonishingly high turnover rate of 37%.  Therefore Walmart needs to hire 480,000 people per year to replace the outgoing workers.  They are boasting that they will hire 100,000 veterans over 5 years, or 20,000 workers per year, this represents 4.16% of their inbound workforce.  But veterans make up a much larger portion of the population than 4%.  In fact the civilian veteran workforce is over double that number at 9% of the working population.  If Walmart wants to impact the unemployment problem amongst veterans they would need to hire a larger percentage of veterans than 9% of new hires, they're not.  Even if we give Walmart the benefit of the doubt, let's pretend for a moment that Walmart is a good place to work (far fetched I know but work with me), and we assume that all of the veterans who are hired stay at the company, they will still make up only 7% of the associates.  Shame on Walmart for releasing this as if they were helping, they're actually acting socially irresponsible again, but this time they're preying on people who pride themselves on being patriotic.  Walmart is not patriotic, Walmart is anti-American.

Walmart also claimed they will buy $5 billion more in American products per year over the next 10 years.  They want us to believe they are doing Americans a favor when they mention that they already spend 66% of their money on products made stateside.  However, a huge portion of Walmart's business is grocery and if you ever notice, it is very easy to find American produced products in the grocery store.  It is not as easy to find American made products in a clothing store.  Walk the aisles of apparel, sneakers, slippers, electronics, sporting goods, housewares and note that those products made in America represent far below the 66% number Walmart is boasting.  Last year grocery and consumables (the almost all American department) comprised 55% of Walmarts net sales.  

"According to Walmart’s 2012 annual report, the firm increased its cost of sales (an accounting term that basically tells you what it pays its suppliers for products) by more than $21 billion from 2011 to 2012. This figure is more or less in line with annual increases in Walmart’s recent history. In other words, in a typical year of late, Walmart buys $21 billion more products than it did the previous year. Walmart doesn’t break out what percentage of these incremental costs are attributed to Walmart U.S., Walmart International, or Sam’s Club, but if we assume that the proportions mirror those of the firm’s operating profits, that would mean Walmart U.S. spends about $15 billion more each year on products than it did the year before.

So by promising to buy $5 billion more each year in U.S. sourced products, Walmart is promising to spend one-third of its annual new spending on U.S.-sourced products. Not bad, right? But Simon claimed in his speech yesterday that “items that are made here, sourced here, or grown here account for about two-thirds of what we spend to buy products at Walmart U.S.” If this is true, then shouldn’t Walmart promise — at the very least — to maintain that two-thirds proportion in its new spending?" - Time
 

Don't believe the hype, it's only hype.  Walmart isn't doing us any favors.  They are still a driving force behind outsourcing, the income disparity between rich/poor, dwindling benefits, the increase of part time workers over full time workers, and the destruction of the American small business.

“No other company has played as pivotal a role as Walmart has in the demise of U.S. manufacturing over the last 30 years,” senior researcher Stacy Mitchell said in a statement. “Its relentless insistence that suppliers provide ever lower prices has forced countless companies to shift production overseas, eliminating jobs and undermining America’s industrial capacity.” - ABC News

Americans should want better out of our largest employers, we are turning into a nation of have nots, and we are doing it to ourselves. 

Made in America Movement Growing

Since 1979, 19.6 million manufacturing jobs have been lost to outsourcing. The amount of Americans now living below the poverty line is the highest in over 40 years. About 16% of Americans are impoverished, or about 47 million people.  As the number of people who rely on government assistance grows, and those people fall into the lowest tax bracket, the middle class and wealthy are relied on more heavily to help cover the large debt that America has accumulated.  The American landscape is much different today than before outsourcing.  Small business has disappeared and been replaced by mega-corporations that often have one business principle and one alone: massive profits.  And if poorly compensating employees and finding ways to avoid providing benefits helps add to the bottom line, then you can bet that big business is doing it.  The wealthy stock holders are getting wealthier, the poor employees are getting poorer.  In the last 5 years America has lost 6.9 million full time jobs while part time jobs increased by 3.1 million.

Companies like Wal-Mart have become an extreme detriment to American society.  Forget for a minute that they've made profiting at a small business nearly impossible, Wal-Mart is America's largest employer and it's least patriotic.  By the numbers it is clear that Wal-Mart leadership is Anti-American.  The average Wal-Mart employee is so poorly compensated that they require about $2,000 in government assistance for healthcare, foodstamps, and susbsidized housing.  They have a higher percentage of people on government assistance than any other American company.  Clearly Wal-Mart illustrates a total lack of social responsibility.

Not only does the Wal-Mart CEO make more in an hour than his average employee makes in a year, but try finding American products in a Wal-Mart.  I can not name a business that has contributed to sending American manufacturing jobs overseas more than the "high cost of low prices" business model advocated by the anti-American Wal-Mart Corporation.  Even the American flags at Wal-Mart are made in China. 

While companies like Wal-Mart destroy your way of life, Americans have been searching for answers.  A movement is gaining steam, one that is not unknown but has been forgotten for quite a few years.  The "Made in America movement" is slowly forcing business to rethink how it makes it's profit.  Albeit slowly, people all around this beautiful country realize that their collective purchasing power is strong, and we can make an impact simply by diverting some of our purchases of foreign products to American products.  Why buy Chinese clothing when we can buy American clothing?  Why buy foreign import beer when craft breweries here at home will pay taxes here at home?  Why buy foreign TV's when Element Electronics makes TV's here in the United States?  The list goes on and on.

At a time when the American economy needs a boost more than ever before, many incredible American citizens are spending more money on made in America products.  This movement is growing!  Alex Smith and Aaron Lorell are part of the movement.  They are currently on a cross country journey in a firetruck to advertise the need to buy American.  They call it the "Made in America" tour.  AS they travel the country they are advocating for business to make it easier for us to buy American by creating "Patriot Zones" or aisles that sell nothing but products that are made in America. 

I don't think any of us expect the anti-American Wal-Mart to add a "Patriot Zone" but maybe you can play a role in encouraging small businesses near you to help segregate the items made in America.  Tell your local business owners that you want them to purchase more products made in America.  Sign my petition to ask Amazon to make a "Made in USA" search option.

Save the American economy, buy American!

Amazon needs to add a search option for "Made in America"

Amazon.com is America's largest online retailer, but they don't make it easy for you to buy American.  I think they should.  If you agree, please sign these petitions and spread the word.

 

AMERICAN PATRIOTS SIGN THESE 2 PETITIONS:

 

PETITION AMAZON TO ADD MADE IN USA SEARCH

 

PETITION OBAMA TO GET INVOLVED

Made in USA stuff is sponsoring the first petition, every signature sends an email to the CEO and VP of Amazon. The Made in America store is sponsoring the petition to get Obama involved.

There is a growing number of Americans willing to help solve our economic woes by purchasing American made goods.  It would be easy enough for Amazon to add a search option for "Made in America" and allow retailers to mark their items as such.  If they don't want to alienate international business they could offer a search option for other "made in X" as well.

Adding the "Made in America" designation is not just patriotic, it's a smart business decision.  Chinese consumers have recently shown they are willing to pay a premium for products made in America.  Much of the world likely feels the same way.  And if the old rumor that American made goods are more expensive, this is a chance for Amazon to generate more revenue, since people are willing to spend more for the USA label.  I don't believe the rumor is true, in fact I posted an example last week of kitchen spoons, that you save a ton of money buying American.

Do your part, sign and spread the link to this page so others can easily find both of these important petitions.

THE LINK TO THIS PAGE: http://madeinusastuff.blogspot.com/2013/01/petitions.html

REDDIT LINK TO THIS PAGE: http://www.reddit.com/user/PhiladelphiaPatriot/saved

Manufacturing in China keeps American companies afloat

In an article by Michael Ruhlman about the "Made in America" segments that ran throughout the month of December on ABC News arguments are made that Chinese manufacturing is vital to American companies.  The article posits that the cooking tool company in which the author is proud to be part of, relies on inexpensive Chinese manufacturing to stay afloat.  He argues the business is positive for America because it uses American shipping materials and shipping from UPS.  They also pay a lawyer and accountant, and reinvest all their profit.

There are certainly arguments for Chinese manufacturing but we should also keep in mind the arguments for American manufacturing.  The biggest reason to restore American manufacturing is that it creates American jobs.  It's that simple.

Could you imagine the economic impact of the cooking tool company in which it seems Ruhlman and his partner have no employees?  That company might as well be Rada Cutlery producing their cutlery in the USA.

There are some situations in which I am compelled, dare I say forced to buy foreign made products.  Take my Samsung Galaxy or Apple Ipod, I have no American manufactured option.  But instead of buying Michael Ruhlman serving spoons, this one for $33 and this one for $29 I would choose to buy a $14 package of spoons from Rada Cutlery that includes both styles.  Why now would I buy 2 spoons that are made in China for $62 when I could buy better ones made in America for $14? 

It pays to be a smart consumer... pays America.  I'm happy to be a customer.

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans Made in America

I have been eating jelly beans as long as I can remember. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans are the #1 gourmet jelly bean in the world! And guess what? They are made in America! Based in Fairfield, Ca, Jelly Belly was the first company to make jelly beans with all naturals flavors. They have half the sugar than other jelly beans, and are made with real fruit juice. You can purchase the entire line up of Jelly Belly products from Amazon.

The demand for non-chocolate treats became popular by patriotic Americans after a chocolate shortage during World War 2. In 1960, fourth generation candy maker Herman Goelitz Rowland took over his family’s Oakland California’s candy corn business and expanded it with gummi bears and jelly beans. In 1976, the first eight flavors of Jelly bellys were born.

These delicious treats soon caught the attention of president Reagan and jelly belly jelly beans became a staple in the oval office. They were the first jelly beans in space, given as a surprise to the crew of the Challenger space shuttle in 1983.

They offer a wide variety of flavors including blueberry, buttered popcorn, and strawberry cheesecake. Jelly Belly’s are fat free, gluten free, and kosher. Jelly Belly makes sugar free jelly beans, and sport jelly beans that contain electrolytes and vitamins for athletes. This company does not let any of their product go to waste. The jelly beans that don’t meet quality standards are repackaged and sold as Belly Flops. Jelly Belly also makes Chocolate Dips, which are jelly beans covered in chocolate. Jelly Belly hires union workers and has over 700 employees. Jelly Belly and The Made in America Store teamed up to bring consumers the world’s most famous jelly bean.

We will have an article soon about Russell Stover candies also made in America.

Crayola Crayons are Made in America

Who hasn't used a Crayola Crayon? Crayola's wax crayons are a part of American culture, and every child's art during their pre-school and elementary years. Crayola initially started as Binney and Smith and in the early 1900s they really got in the swing of manufacturing wax crayons.  The first Crayola crayon was made in 1903.  Before that point Binney & Smith was known for pigments and carbon black pencils. Crayola products are a great gift to give to children around the time of the holidays and as a birthday present. The items available from Crayola are also great back to school gifts that every kid will love.  Today, Crayola estimates that 99% of Americans are familiar with the Crayola name.

Headquartered in Northampton County, Pennsylvania with manufacturing in Bethlehem, PA as well Crayola employs over 1,000 people.  While they do have production in Mexico and International sales offices, they are now owned by American mega-corp Hallmark.  Hallmark is based out of Kansas City and generates over 4 billion dollars a year in revenue which in turn sends a nice chunk to the American government in tax dollars.  Between the cards and the crayons, this is one American company that warrants our purchasing power, and no doubt at some point in your life you already have.

By 1998 they had 120 colors available to consumers.

Crayola also produces silly putty, modeling clay, Liquitex products and many other products that are focused around allowing children to have fun with art.

Microbrews made in the USA and guide to American beers

I love good beer!  Great beers are made all around the world.  Certain styles of beer from Germany, Belgium, Ireland are world renowned for being the original of it's class.  Whether it's an English ale, Guinness, Belgian Dubbel, Hacker-Pschoor, Heineken, or another great imported beer you can bet there is a craft brewery in America making a comparable beer. Sure the imports taste great, and maybe they originated the style, but decrease your carbon footprint and keep your money at home!

Here in Philadelphia I've found some great microbreweries near me, and no matter where you are in the US you can find a great craft brewer producing excellent beer near you.  My favorite breweries within 100 miles of Philadelphia are Dogfish Head, Flying Fish, Yards, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Weyerbacher, and Flying Dog.  These breweries combine to employ hundreds of Americans, and with the millions of dollars in sales, they also generate a nice chunk of tax revenue for the American government.  Of course, you'll have your own favorites based on where you live, and maybe my local beers don't reach you.  Please seek out the American Microbrewed beers that are made in your area.  By reducing the transportation distance of your beer you'll be helping the environment while helping to employ Americans!

Challenge yourself to find craft beers that include all American hops and grains as well! Common American hops include Cascade, Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Nugget, Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus, Simcoe, Crystal, Willamette, and Warrior.  Drink your beer out of an American made Pint Glass!

Below is a list of some great import beers and a similar American microbrew you should purchase instead.  If you click the import beer name you will be directed to a list on Beer Advocate of the best beers in that class in order, make sure you choose American!

Guiness Irish Dry Stout made in the USA substitutions:

1. Cadillac Mountain Stout, Bay Harbor Brewing, Maine
2. Great Lakes Wolfhound Stout, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Ohio
3. Black Sun Stout, Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana

Belgian Tripel made in the USA substitutions:
1. Damnation Batch 23, Russian River Brewing, California
2. Allagash Tripel Ale, Allagash Brewing, Maine
3. The Tide And It's Takers, Anchorage Brewing, Alaska
4. Sawyer's Triple, Stone Brewing, California

Bass or Boddingtons English Ale made in the USA substitutions:
1. Scallywag Extra Pale Ale, Skull Coast Brewing, South Carolina
2. Ipswich Original Pale Ale, Ipswich Ale Brewery, Massachusetts
3. Urban Wilderness Pale Ale, Sleeping Lade Brewing, Alaska
4. Axes of Evil, Gigantic Brewing, Oregon
5. 5 Parrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing, Colorado

Franziskaner or Ayinger Hefeweizen made in the USA substitutions:
(many of these beers are rated higher than the German beers!)
1. Live Oak Hefweizen, Live Oak, Texas
2. Dancing Man Wheat, New Glarus Brewing, Wisconsin
3. Dry Dock Hefeweizen, Dry Dock Brewing, Colorado
4. Drunk Monk Hefeweizen, Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana
5. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Sierra Nevade, California

India Pale Ale made in the USA substitutions:
1. Blackheart, Three Floyds Brewing, Indiana
2. 1800 Old English IPA, Minneapolis Town Hall, Minnesota
3. At Her Majesty's Pleasure, Pipeworks Brewing, Illinois
4. Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA, Great Lakes Brewing, Ohio

Amstel Light made in the USA substitutions:
Try Sam Adams Light, Sankaty Light, Zion Canyon Jamaican Style Lager, Yuengling light.

Did you know? While very well known "American" breweries like Miller, Coors, and Bud are produced in the USA it is important to note that they are now all owned by foreign companies.  Coors is Canadian, Miller is UK owned, Anheuser-Busch is Belgian.  Drinking these beers helps keeps Americans manufacturing beer, but some of the tax revenue leaves America.

The following is a list of the largest microbreweries (also support the small ones!) in America from Sloshspot.

1. Boston Brewing Company, Boston MA
2. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico CA
3. New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins CO
4. Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner TX
5. Pyramid Brewries, Inc., Seattle, WA
6. Matt Brewing Company, Utica NY
7. Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend OR
8. Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City MO
9. Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River OR
10. Harpoon Brewery, Boston MA
11. Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Company, Juneau AL
12. Magic Hat Brewing Company and Performing Arts Center, South Burlington VT
13. Anchor Brewing Company, San Fransisco CA
14. Bell's Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo MI
15. Shipyard Brewing Company, Portland ME
16. Summit Brewing Company, St. Paul MN
17. Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs LA
18. Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, San Jose CA
19. Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn NY
20. Stone Brewing Company, Escondido CA
21. Rogue Ales, Newport OR
22. Long Trail Brewing Company, Bridgewater Corners VT
23. New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus WI
24. Kona Brewing Company, Kahlua-Kona HI
25. Dogfish Head Brewing Company, Milton DE
26. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles CA
27. Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland OH
28. The Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma CA
29. Flying Dog Brewery, Denver CO
30. Sweetwater Brewery, Atlanta GA
31. Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland OR
32. Rock Bottom Brewery, Louisville CO
33. Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins CO
34. BJ's Restaurant and Brewery, Huntington Beach CA
35. Victory Brewing Company, Downington PA
36. Mac and Jack's Brewery, Redmond WA
37. Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe, Eureka CA
38. Big Sky Brewing Company, Missoula MT
39. Pete's Brewing Company, San Antonio TX
40. Otter Creek Brewing Company, Middlebury VT
41. Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego CA
42. Breckenridge Brewing Company, Denver CO
43. Gordon Biersch Brewery, Chattanooga TN
44. Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville CA
45. Boulder Beer Company, Boulder CO
46. North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg CA
47. McMenamins, Portland OR
48. Utah Brewer's Cooperative, Salt Lake City UT
49. Capital Brewing Company, Middleton WI
50. Blue Point Brewing Company, Patchogue NY

Top 50 Craft Brewers in America Map (full size)