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American Manufacturing

July 01, 2021

Heading into the July 4th holiday, many U.S. companies are preparing for shut-down - not, thankfully, of the pandemic variety, but of a Summer one. Our American Manufacturing sector, beleaguered for decades, was particularly stressed during this past year by the dramatic shifts in economic demand, labor availability, and safety concerns. News outlets report how supply chain strain continues to impact consumers wishing to purchase goods, while seeming to overlook the toll these delays take on companies actually producing the goods. In the near term, it may be hard to discern which companies are breaking for rest, and which are simply breaking.

 

The timing of “Independence Day” and the relaxing of (some) restrictions in (some) U.S. cities helps lift the collective mood of the country, though. For us at Befour, we are leaning into our Made in the USA distinction with renewed pride. When the Americana scenes unfold on main streets and backyards this weekend, the red-white-and-blue that flies reminds us of our place in the economy, and just how important that is.


American Made 


One of the lessons from the Pandemic experience is the true value of quality and safety. At Befour, there are no short-cuts taken anywhere in design or manufacturing of products. Our products are ‘quality-built’ to be used for decades. A rigorous QA inspection is completed on each scale that Befour manufactures, including pin-point calibration to ensure that it is +/-0.1lb accurate. It is this habitual attention to detail, formalized in a comprehensive Quality Management System, that allowed Befour to achieve a warranty claim rate of <0.01% last year and to have a line of Professional Healthcare Scales that are certified and listed. We are so confident in the workmanship and quality built into our products, that our scales are backed by an industry-leading 3-Year warranty.

 

Knowing that our products represent American Made and are in service all across our country, Befour focuses on the long view of our customers’ experience. “It’s not uncommon to receive a call from a Bio-med engineer, asking a question about a scale that is 10+ years old and still in use,” states Beth Zuraw, Customer Service Manager. Befour scales are found throughout the healthcare field in hospitals, physicians’ offices, veterinarian clinics, and nursing homes, but are also the chosen scales of commercial gyms, professional sports teams, police & fire departments, schools & universities, and the United States Armed Forces. The mindset of our sales and customer service teams is that the purchase of a Befour scale is just the beginning. It’s the ongoing support and responsiveness from our dedicated team that makes a relationship truly long-term. Being U.S.-based means that if and when service is needed, from trouble-shooting to actual repairs, our locality makes everything easier. 

 

The designation of American Made also entails relying on a local supply chain, which can lead to greater availability of parts and quicker turn times. Befour further reduces negative cost impact by mindfully sourcing each component locally to ensure consistent quality and timeliness by establishing a supply chain of local, small business vendors, and expanding to additional US vendors when needed. In fact, our on-time delivery rate during the tumultuous 2020, was 99.6%. Honoring ship dates to meet the stringent delivery schedules of our customers also translates to cost-savings.

 

It would be misleading to ignore the lure of foreign-made products from a price perspective. From wages to regulation, the U.S. has higher standards than many countries where manufacturing has boomed in the past few decades. Those standards can certainly affect price, but are just two of many factors in true cost. Our FDA registration and ISO 13485 certification are verification of our quality and craftsmanship, which gives valuable peace of mind to buyers. Tariffs and export complications became more visible hurdles in recent years. Overseas shipping also strains our infrastructure and adversely impacts the environment. As more companies look beyond “price-tag” comparisons, to the full context of their purchases, American Made will be increasingly in-demand.

 

There are those who would argue that social conscience has no place in business, but that uncompromising view feels outdated after the Covid-19 Experience. Similarly, an expectation of pure altruism would be naïve. There is honor in the manufacturing field, and pride in building products, companies and communities through that work. Much of what is “Made in the USA” comes from small businesses and small communities. Buying American Made doesn’t just support those jobs, but also the jobs of suppliers, retailers, service-providers. With wages from those jobs, employees support schools, the arts, restaurants, travel, and transportation. Our team at Befour commit their talent and hard-work to making quality, long-lasting products that can be relied upon. The Befour facility where product design, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and customer service are all based is located in Saukville, Wisconsin, a village of about 4,500 people in a state of about 5.9 million. American Made goods put money into our local economies, fueling growth, investment, and... independence. And that, we think, is worth some fireworks.

 

Happy 4th of July from everyone at Befour.


Befour is a privately-owned, ISO 13485-certified company, designing and manufacturing American-made, eco-friendly, precision digital scales since 1979. For more information about the full line of products, visit www.befour.com or contact Kariann Thon, kthon@befour.com.