Although there has been international trade for thousands of years, it has only been around 150 years since the face of product design, teamwork, and mass manufacturing was fundamentally altered by the rapid speeds of automation and industrialization. Having said that, it’s possible that “made in the USA” products could soon become obsolete. Even some of the more venerable and recognizable American companies—companies you might assume to be wholly American—are no longer so. High-speed internet, low-cost overseas labor, low-cost commodities, and programmatic automation have temporarily relocated several once “American” brands to other countries. Are you genuinely supporting the American company you believed to be American? Find out now by just a moment!
Converse
Converse, a renowned streetwear and professional skater clothing company, was founded in 1908. The renowned shoe manufacturer was acquired by the clothing multinational Nike in 2003, almost a century after it was founded. Production was then moved overseas at the time of the purchase. The “All-American” Converse are now produced at facilities in China and Indonesia.
Forbes
It is believed that 75 million readers and viewers every month are reached by Forbes Media, the prestigious digital media and television powerhouse. Although Steve Forbes is still the editor-in-chief and the company is still based in New York, the brand was actually sold to Hong Kong Investment Group in 2014.
New Balance
The headquarters of the sports wear company New Balance are in Oregon. As a result of their original American design and use of American-sourced materials, it is sometimes said that their items are produced in the USA, although this is just untrue. For instance, a variety of different elements are purchased from elsewhere, yet the outside souls of their shoes are made in China.
Dirt Devil
The Dirt Devil brand, which was created in 1984 by Royal Appliance Manufacturing, has been terrifying dogs and keeping floors clean for decades. The Dirt Devil and Hoover vacuum cleaner brands were acquired by TTI, a Chinese manufacturer, in 2013, despite the fact that the company is still headquartered in North Carolina.