Buying American-made is a labor of love

The sign on the front counter of our store in Hershey.

When I was in journalism school, a professor said, with obvious irony, that it was terrible what the faculty was doing to us students.

He was referring to the editing standards to which we were held: spelling, grammar, writing style, accuracy.

With Labor Day upon us, and with thoughts of American workers and communities in my mind, I harken back to that long ago comment by the professor.

He was right. It was terrible what they did to us because I’ve never looked at copy the same way. It’s my lot in life never to read anything without the regular interruption of those editing skills.

But those skills have served me well, whether as a newspaper reporter or public relations professional or even as an apparel retailer who relies heavily on communication to build a brand.

Ultimately, editing is the imposition of standards and the discipline to implement them. And it’s not unlike the rigor of committing to Made in the USA.

A more purposeful consumer

I can’t buy anything without looking at country of origin. I’ve pretty much always paid attention to where products are made but certainly more so as imports became more common and especially since I started Stay.

When Made in the USA is the hallmark of your business, as it is with Stay, it seeps into every aspect of your life. We created a Made in USA Shopping Directory on our website.

This philosophy also governs what we buy for the business and in our personal lives.

That’s why in our store the barn lights and the switch plates, the hooks and the rugs, the “open” flag and the welcome mat, are all Made in the USA.

Oh, to think how many online searches and phone calls went into finding an American-made replacement filter for one of the window air-conditioners in our store (I ultimately opted for cut-to-fit cloth).

It’s a challenging way to live: for me but also those around me. I’m sometimes a scold at home; for example, the new dish rack we returned recently when we realized it was imported.

But committing to Made in USA is a fundamental way of becoming a more purposeful consumer. It instills discipline: You realize how many things you can live without. It empowers: You can make a statement about how you spend your hard-earned dollars.

Buying American, like editing, takes some work.

But knowing that it benefits American workers and American communities, it becomes a labor of love.