American Manufacturing
July 01, 2021Heading
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.
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.