My wife bought me a ford racing jacket for christmas. I loved the jacket but was looking one day at the tag and it said made in singapore I think. She got it from walmart because the ford racing site was on backorder for them. The guy told her that walmart had the same jacket minus a few decals. Also my ford truck hat is made somewhere in aisa also. Why can't they have their stuff made in the USA? Is the profit worth it? I hardly think so. I would have been glad to pay a little extra to have a jacket made in the USA. I'm going to be sending an email to ford here pretty soon. If I wanted clothing made in singapore I would move there and not call myself an american.

 

Here is a pic of the jacket.

http://store2.yimg.com/I/fordracingstore-usa_1719_2660605.jpg

 

And I was just getting ready to order some hats/t-shirts from them also... I agree with you - I wouldn't mind paying a dollar or so more to see a USA tag on the clothing...

 

I just sent them an email. I told them that it was kind of like putting a ford logo on a honda accord. No matter how you look at it its still a honda. I'm not the guy who will only buy stuff with the "Made in America" logo on it as it is pretty hard to look at every single thing you buy but I didn't even think looking would be necessary on a jacket from ford racing. I doubt I will ever see a reply.

 

I have a new ford racing t-shirt, components made in usa,assembled in mexico

 

That's a little better but still infuriates me. I understand some things just can't be profitable being made in the US but we are talking about a freakin T-shirt and jacket here.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-Dec-02 AT 10:40 PM (EST)]NAFTA?

 

Yes thats exactly it. It's a T-shirt and jacket...

 

NAFTA??? Don't get me started on how Slick ***** screwed the country with that one...

 

Welcome to 21st-century Corporate America! No sense in having it made here when we got slave labor in Asia.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 30-Dec-02 AT 09:55 AM (EST)]Guys,
I DO agree in principle with what you are saying. However, Ford is in business for one reason and one reason only: to make money. Like any other company (and especially large company) the guiding factor is the bottom line. I think it would be really nice to look inside your new Ford Racing Jacket and see "Made In The USA". But, I doubt the "big companies" are willing to let that "intangible" benefit interfere with profit margin.
I might be wrong, but we, the American public, (and to some extent the larger world economy) are COLLECTIVELY the reason Ford and any other company would make the decision to have their material manufactured "overseas". One word (again) PROFIT. Ford is a publicly traded company and if they can make a decision that will improve their bottom line, then chances are they are going to make that decision. The stock market doesn't care about things like "made in the USA". WE do, but the financial world cares about one thing: $$$.
Do not misunderstand what I am saying. I would love to see, and be proud to see, "made in the USA" on everything Ford sells! But, those days are long gone. The engine in my truck was made in Canada (no gripe there - they're our neighbors and friends), the transmission is a Mazda, who knows about all the electronics, etc. Is it foreign or domestic steel in the frame? The jacket, while much closer to you, literally and figuratively, is just an extension of the corporate business climate. Make money, make more money, and then make even more money. Miss your corporate profit projections and the market (us, you know, stock owners, IRA folks, Mutual Fund buyers, 401K investors, etc) will punish you for it.
Sorry that it's that way, but that's the way I see it. Our's is now a "world economy" and there's no going back.

Brian A

 

I agree with BrianA, and in principle with Ratsmoker. I would like all my stuff to say "made in USA". But it goes even further than the cheap labor for making the apparel. Even the fibers which make up the material are probably produced in Asia also. I was the "victim" of a textiles plant which had to shut down due to foreign competition.

On the other hand, I do wear work boots around the house with "made in China" stamped on them. It's hard to pay $45- $60 for a pair of boots to get mud and grease on, when I can buy them for $20 with that foreign sticker in them.

I guess the Ford Racing jacket would probably cost 2 to 4 times as much if it were truly made in the USA.



Winford:-)

 

Ratsmoker

First , thats one NICE looking jacket . I have a NHRA jacket along the same lines . My question is this , is it a Officially Licensed Ford product ?


Jeff

 

This also reminds me why I don't hear "Thank you for shopping WALMART, KMART, SHOPKO, COSTCO, TARGET" and on and on and on. The best is the guy waving the union flag walking out of one of this palaces. Wants the big union money but is so cheap he squeeks when he walks. I believe it's to late in the garment industry but at the rate we're going about the only thing made in the USA will be Made for TV movie. Whoopie!

 

I'd imagine ford doesnt produce the jacket, they just sell the liscence to some american company that has a factory overseas. Somebody here in the U.S. still has a job because of it they way i figger. I know it sucks, but that's what happens in a 'PC' environment. Inflation inflation inflation.