Made in _________

[moonshadow]

Just a fun informative thread for those of us proud of what our various communities produce.

The title is blank because I don't mean to restrict this thread to only American (U.S.) manufacturers, but to any member who lives in a nation with a first world economy (western economy) basically all of us competing with cheap Chinese, Mexican, etc imports.

Example, I recall quite a few items, not the least of which was a swingline stapler that I believe was made in Britain that I was proud to own. E.U. (including the U.K.), you guys in Austrialia, you're all welcome to participate!

No doom and gloom please and NO POLITICS!

First up, Sam Moore Furniture. I just googled the company that provided me with my first full time job out of high school, and I'm happy to report that they are among the few furniture plants still providing jobs and turning out a great product here in Bedford Virginia.

Check out this little video WDBJ 7 (CBS) put out last year:

https://www.wdbj7.com/video/?vid=488440501

The article brings back memories and I can still hear the sound of the hundreds of nail and staple guns pattering away all day the smell of the plastic wrap, the cool nights where I loaded trucks on second shift, having a 26 year old foreman and thinking "God he's old!"

Who else has one... come on Fred, I know you've got some stories...

[pelmut]

I thought almost all the industry had gone from Bath (England), the few remaining factories had been closed and replaced by "retail units" selling imported goods - until one hot day I was walking across a river footbridge and suddenly became aware of a long-forgotten smell wafting on the beeeze.  It was the smell of "suds", the soluble oil used to lubricate and cool the cutters of lathes and milling machines.  There was a large building, half hidden by trees, which formed the back half of a retail electrical goods outlet and a food outlet; the windows were open and I could hear the distinctive sound of production machinery going full tilt.

It turns out that this was "Polamco" who still actually design and make their high quality stuff in the U.K.  For once I was delighted to have been proved wrong!

[Dust]

Just checked their website, and yup, it said that Utilikilts are still made in the good old US of A.

[Ray]

I’m broadly sanguine on the source of my worldly possessions.

My car is Italian. The other one is Swedish.
My hifi (which I adore) is from the UK apart from the record arm which is Swiss.
My Star Wars Lego is from Denmark
My bikes are from France, the USA and Spain.
My wine is predominantly French, with a strong representation from Australia, Spain and Italy.

My kilts are Scottish

[Sinned]

York still has two confectionery plants, the main one being Willy Wonka's [0]. We have two Universities, not just one.

[0] Aka Nestle's and formerly Rowntrees.

[denimini]

The Brand of boots I have worn almost exclusively for decades is "Rossi", made in Australia. Rossiters is still a family owned business after 110 years.

[moonshadow]

Here's one from beachlions home turf:

Fri-Jado

Based in the Netherlands, Fri-Jado manufactures commercial rotisserie ovens and hot food cases. You will typically find their food equipment in stores like Walmart or other places that serve products like rotisserie chicken.

Based on my understanding of the equipment from working on it, it seems many of the components are sourced from other European nations, most notably, Germany, which produces many high end components for a wide range of food equipment, among other things.

Personal notes:

I find it peculiar that Fri-Jado uses a mix of standard and metric nuts and bolts. This is somewhat irritating when service is required. Choose one or the other man! Perhaps beachlion could enlighten us as to why that is. (is it a Dutch thing?)

I've been told (though never experienced) that should you need a part that isn't in stock either at the U.S. distributor, or anywhere else waiting "on the shelf", God help you if you need the part during the apparent 3 month industry shut down in the Netherlands. Apparently nothing leaves that country for a quarter year.

[beachlion]

Here's one from beachlions home turf:

Fri-Jado

Based in the Netherlands, Fri-Jado manufactures commercial rotisserie ovens and hot food cases. You will typically find their food equipment in stores like Walmart or other places that serve products like rotisserie chicken.

Based on my understanding of the equipment from working on it, it seems many of the components are sourced from other European nations, most notably, Germany, which produces many high end components for a wide range of food equipment, among other things.

Personal notes:

I find it peculiar that Fri-Jado uses a mix of standard and metric nuts and bolts. This is somewhat irritating when service is required. Choose one or the other man! Perhaps beachlion could enlighten us as to why that is. (is it a Dutch thing?)

I've been told (though never experienced) that should you need a part that isn't in stock either at the U.S. distributor, or anywhere else waiting "on the shelf", God help you if you need the part during the apparent 3 month industry shut down in the Netherlands. Apparently nothing leaves that country for a quarter year.

I did not know about this company because I worked in ship building. What you call standard is not standard for the rest of the world and certainly not for the Netherlands. The only reason I can think of is the use of American made equipment. It is useless to make electrical components for 120V/240V/60Hz with UL certificates in Europe where 230V/400V/50Hz is the standard. So I think the company bought American material to use it in the Netherlands or they installed it in the USA prior to ship it to their customers. Mixing standards in bolts and nuts is extremely unusual in Europe. Europe with Germany up front has been fighting for standards since the early 1900s.

There are only a few, mostly small, companies that close for the Summer. Normally there will be made up a schedule when somebody will take up leave. People with children have priority because they have to take up leave during the school closings. To spread out the holiday crowd, there are three regions in the Netherlands with different school closings. A leave can be of 2, 3 or 4 weeks, depending on how many days you have left.

My experience in shipbuilding is that goods, sometimes very heavy or bulky, will be transported to customers in at least two days to any place in the world. It is a matter of how urgently you need that part. Most goods from my company were stowed in sea containers and that might take about two to three weeks untill it reaches the customer.

[crfriend]

I find it peculiar that Fri-Jado uses a mix of standard and metric nuts and bolts. This is somewhat irritating when service is required. Choose one or the other man! Perhaps beachlion could enlighten us as to why that is. (is it a Dutch thing?)

Is this the condition "as delivered", or is this the condition after the equipment has been in service for a while and has had parts replaced with Imperial measurement parts? I can definitely foresee instances where a bolt or nut got stripped and the pair were replaced from whatever the service guy had in his "box-o-parts" (and we all have those) which in the US would be Imperial.

Manufacturing something with mixed-standards parts makes no sense whatsoever!

[Jetblasted]

I’ve ordered several items of feminine clothes online and practically anything made in China is too small.
My wife ordered a bunch of clothes the other day and everything she ordered was too small.

[weeladdie18]

So what is an American fastening ? Is it a yankee size or A/F or something else ?

We had whitworth , B. A . , B S F , U N F , U N C , A / F .

Does anyone remember the American Police helicopter T.V. series with the Bell Helicopter with the pilot sitting in a Perspex sphere ?

We had a set of the drawings from Italy where Augusta had been manufacturing the Augusta Bell helicopter. The drawings had been translated into
Italian and had metric fits and limits. The drawings had to be corrected for a British Production line with imperial dimensions.

[weeladdie18]

The Defence Industry has now become more complicated as they are trying to fit American Jets onto the deck of a British Aircraft carrier.

We had to change a thermostat to fit into a system in the old Vulcan Bomber. The new thermostat became part of an existing sub assembly so that the new
sub assembly was interchangeable in any aircraft under the new modification.

Probably much the same as Moon's catering equipment . Perhaps his bolt spec was changed when the equipment had various service upgrades.

Some of the Defence aircraft and vehicles are regularly rebuilt and upgraded for 50 years life.

[weeladdie18]

Getting back to the thread . Alan Cobham had flying display team before the war. Flight Refuelling came into being during the war . The business is still in existence
under the old family name as directors . The firm has now moved into space age technology . I remember seeing one of the transport aircraft converted
to a tanker with its hose drum at one of the Cornish Aviation Museums

[weeladdie18]

Clarks shoes still have shops in the U.K. If I require a style of shoe which is not in stock , the shop will order the shoe for the following day in my size
with no obligation to purchase.
When I was a boy my parents would take me to Clarks Shoe shop in Poole High Street in Dorset .
I could try a pair of shoes on and put my feet in the x ray machine and see how my feet fitted into my shoes .
A green screen with black toes and the shoe outline. If I remember correctly, three people could look at my feet at the same time.

[beachlion]

...... I could try a pair of shoes on and put my feet in the x ray machine and see how my feet fitted into my shoes .
A green screen with black toes and the shoe outline. If I remember correctly, three people could look at my feet at the same time.

Those were the days ...

I believe I have been once in a machine like that. It is not without danger because I believe I glow sometimes in the dark, especially after some Sambuca.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe-fitting_fluoroscope