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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 Cedar Mountain Banjos For most of his life, woodworking has been a passion for CMB founder Lo Gordon. In 1993 Lo and his wife Mary sold their custom wooden garage door business and moved to Brevard, NC to pursue their dream of opening a music store and starting a business making open-back banjos. At the time of the move, Lo had been playing banjo for a number of years and had made several banjos for himself. Having moved to North Carolina, Lo and Mary opened their music store Celestial Mountain Music in downtown Brevard, and started Cedar Mountain Banjos in 1996. In the midst of this transition, they continued to perform in their family band with sons Tim and Matt Gardner. Over the years, the music store became a central hub for the vibrant local music scene. In 2013 Celestial Mountain Music changed ownership and is now Southern Comfort Records, and continues to offer top-notch instruction and instrument repairs in the same historic downtown location. Meanwhile, open-back banjo players and aficianados around the globe began to take notice of the fine artisanship and design of Cedar Mountain's offerings. Today notable players such as Sheila Kay Adams, David Holt, Mary Z. Cox, Hilary Dirlam, Darin Gentry, Diane Jones, Ernie Williams, Al Petteway and Linda Williams play Cedar Mountain banjos. In 2005 Lo's son Tim Gardner, a graduate of NC State's School of Forestry, started with Cedar Mountain Banjos after working several years as a timber framer and house carpenter. Having built over 300 banjos since 2005, he continues to manage the company, focus on new concepts, and maintain CMB as an industry leader for fine design, craftsmanship, and customer service. In September 2013, Tim took over ownership of CMB and moved the workshop to the new Mills River location just outside of Brevard. Tim is an in-demand acoustic musician, producer, teacher and recording artist around the Asheville-Brevard area. For more information about Tim's musical projects please visit coyoteridgeaudio.com. |
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