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The Tip is 'Don't procrastinate' For years I've been buying ink jet cartridges from a big box office supply store. These cartridges were made overseas and labeled with the well-known brand of a large American printer company. One I remembered a local store that advertised quality cartridges. I had traveled by this local store hundreds of times but never stopped. This time I stopped at the local store. To my surprise I discovered that they carried the cartridge I needed and it was a Made in USA cartridge. Made in Chicago, to be precise, and it was half the price of the imported ones I had been buying for years. The quality is exceptional and they last longer too. Who knew? After that experience, I make a point to stop at every store I can. By doing so, I've been finding more and more Made in America products. Occasionally the clerks don't know the country of origin; this can be discouraging but finding the origin information yourself isn't difficult I've come to realize. Believe it not, there are actually a number of computers made in the US including laptops made in the USA. When the label is not visibly displayed I use the other Made in America buying tips to help me find Made in US. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. If enough people are asking for Made in America products stores will begin to carry them. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by G Alexander his section is the most challenging to write as the story of G. Alexander is evolving each and every day. Let me introduce myself, my name is Michael Priest and together with my wife Dede, I founded G. Alexander in the late summer of 2010. For most of my adult life I have been involved in the formalwear business, first as a store owner, opening Top Hats & Tuxedos in Athens, TN 1998, then expanding into Art Thrift Reweavers, a garment repair business, focusing on tuxedo repairs for the formalwear industry in 1991. This unique perspective on the formalwear business played a key roll in deciding to enter the tuxedo manufacturing business with G. Alexander. As the last domestic manufacturer closed it's doors a void in the industry existed that needed to be filled. Tuxedo rentals became consolidated by big box stores and hundreds of small and mid-size tuxedo specialists found it more and more difficult to separate themselves. The renting of formalwear has changed for the consumer from a search for fashion to the search for the cheapest price. Tuxedos have been reduced to commodities. G. Alexander was founded to offer a choice to those who are looking for something more. Deciding to manufacture in the USA puts G. Alexander at a huge disadvantage to the imports from a price perspective while at the same time giving us the advantage of shorter lead times, greater control over production and the ability to bring service back to a service business. To compete G. Alexander has to be a leader in styling, service and quality. As you browse our collections you will see exactly that. From the first collection we released in the summer of 2011 the industry was put on notice that G. Alexander was not going to be your average tuxedo manufacturer. With the introduction of the Rock-A-Tux and Redefining Romance collections in the summer of 2012 any questions of G. Alexanders' ability to be a leader in style, service and quality put to rest. Still it was difficult for tuxedo specialists to step out of the box and see the only way to survive against the big box stores was to offer styles that lead rather then follow. The game changer for G. Alexander was placement by national wholesaler and industry leader Paul Morrell Formalwear of the Midnight Blue Maxwell to their 2013 offerings. Now specialists from coast to coast have the necessary backup and support from a trusted partner. From this platform G. Alexander is making inroads with formalwear specialists across the country. As our products are seen by customers in showrooms and catalogs response has been overwhelming. Made in the USA matters to customers, delivery and service matters to specialists and returning jobs to America matters to everyone. As I said this section is the most difficult to write, our story has just begun. I am excited for the future and look forward to building on the foundations that have been laid over the last few years. Each and everyone who reads this can help in making G. Alexander a success story. Tell your friends, your family and anyone you come in contact with, when renting a tuxedo, look for the Made in the USA and G. Alexander Tuxedo Collection label. If the store you are in does not offer it tell them about us. Together we can and will make a difference?. One tuxedo at a time! |
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