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The Tip is 'Ask Before You Buy' I went to a department store for a pair of dress shoes recently. The clerk helped me with three different pairs that I tried on. 'The Big Secret' was on the forefront of my mind so I asked, "Are these shoes imports?" The salesman responded that they were in fact imported. "Do you have any Made In America shoes like these?" I asked. To my surprise he said, "We have a whole line of Made In USA shoes." I was able to purchase the same color and style with the Made In USA label. These Made in America shoes were less expensive, came with a better warranty and were more comfortable. It's amazing how often this simple Made in US question yields unexpected and often times pleasant results. I now ask this question regularly, whereas before I would not have thought to ask for a Made in America alternative. More often than not, I can find a Made in America product of higher quality and at the same, or slightly higher price. Asking the question is so simple and can make a positive impact, in both the short and long term. Try it sometime. If you are like me, you may be surprised with how many Made in US products are out there. You will love it when you realize you are making a difference that benefits many. With your help America will be ours again and that is a good thing. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Charlies Soap Charlie Sutherland Sr. rarely did anything without a purpose in mind. But even he couldn't foresee what would come to pass when he stood in front of our North First Avenue building all those many years ago. In the photo at right, as he stares at the old Mayodan, N.C., fireman's dance hall that he had plans to turn into an oil manufacturing facility, you can just about see his wheels turning. And turn they did. From 1976 until his passing in 1994, Charlie Sr. left his mark on this company: a legacy of dedication to excellence with a personal touch. Charlie JrCharlie Sutherland Jr. Charlie Sr. is most certainly the Charlie of Charlie's Soap, but his son, Charlie Jr., actually created first the oils and then the cleaner that would come to be known as Charlie's Soap. While you may not be able to see the wheels turning in this photo (some prefer to think of it as a screw loose), you cannot deny the gumption of a man who, on his wife Jane's birthday in 1983, quit his day job and took over the small company that had little chance for success. Through scrimping and saving, a little blood and a whole lot of luck, people were finding out about us and starting to ask where they could pick up some of Charlie's soap. It had grown beyond an industrial cleaner for machines and textile quality control, people were taking it home and using for literally everything from false teeth to diesel engines. By 2002, Charlie Jr.'s boys joined the cause and started the long-overdue process of officially branding the product as Charlie's Soap. They took their grandparents' ideals, their father's guts, their own dreams and experiences and turned a small-town shop into a world-class business with product sold to 50 states and 50 countries. So, we must be doing something right! If our grandparents could see what we've become, I'd like to think they would be proud. H.C. Amick Sr. (grandfather on our mother's side and financial guru) would certainly remind us of his motto, With patience and perseverance, you will prevail. Charlie Sr. would probably shout his infamous rhetorical question, What difference does it make?! - See more at: http://www.charliesoap.com/companyinfo.html#sthash.Hz6Js9nv.dpuf |
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