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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 Kettle Pizza KettlePizza founder, Al Contarino is an inventor who had a passion for grilling. His main frustration was that whenever grill lids were opened or removed, all the stored heat would be lost stalling the cooking process. In 2005, he started developing a new type of gas grill that maintained the heat when the lid was opened. Countless hours and a substantial amount of money went into the patented design with the hopes of licensing to a major grill manufacturer. Five years later, Al was completely frustrated with the challenges of licensing his ideas and he decided to focus his efforts on developing a product that he could design, manufacture and market completely on his own. This new product was KettlePizza. Al Contarino, Inventor of the KettlePizza, with one of the first prototypes In May of 2010 Al built his first prototype of the KettlePizza. He called his friend and fellow inventor, George Peters, to check out the design of a crude pizza oven insert made to fit on top of common charcoal kettle grills. The prototype seemed to solve the problem of maintaining high temperatures throughout the cooking process and so they decided to invite some friends over for a pizza party. Everyone loved the pizza and the concept. That was all that Al and George needed to hear, they knew they had a winner. In the upcoming months, Al and George took on the challenge to design, manufacture and sell the KettlePizza right out of Al's barn in Massachusetts. They made the challenge even harder by pledging to source as many of the KettlePizza components as possible from American suppliers. The goal was not just to build a product and a company, but to create US jobs. Their first employee was Lynne Graziosi who continues to be an invaluable member of the KettlePizza team. KettlePizza Team The Original KettlePizza Members Listed L-R: Al Contarino, Lynne Graziosi, George Peters at the National Hardware Show 2013 Sales started on Ebay, then the KettlePizza website and soon after that Amazon.com. Customers continued to respond and the company had to move to a new manufacturing and distribution center in Groveland, MA. Now, KettlePizza has numerous selling partners, has multiple patents pending and has exported their products to over 50 countries. We feel that our story portrays one of true American ingenuity and success. |
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