Don't outsource the Maytag Man!

When I was growing up, you couldn't buy a washer, dryer, refrigerator, freezer, cooking range or dishwasher that wasn't made in America. Maytag manufactured in Newton, Iowa, Whirlpool in Benton Harbor, Michigan, GE and Hotpoint at their Appliance Park facility in Kentucky just to name a few. But in the past year or two, competition from Asia has made it to your local Home Depot, Lowe's and Best Buy stores in a big way. New models from two of Korea's largest manufacturing companies, LG and Samsung now compete side-by-side with domestic brands. The lonely Maytag man found himself unable to compete and was acquired by Whirlpool Corporation, which closed the Iowa headquarters and manufacturing facilities in 2006. GE has publicly announced it is seeking a buyer for its major home appliance business and Frigidaire became part of Swedish Electrolux group which manufacturers appliances for the U.S. market in Mexico. Last week, we purchased a new refrigerator and chose an excellent side-by-side model from Whirlpool, manufactured at its plant in Michigan. Not only do I feel good about supporting an American company and American workers, the fridge is very well made, boasts EnergyStar compliance and I'm sure it will serve us well. I'd encourage anyone in need of a new appliance to consider very carefully before opting to buy an Electrolux, LG, Samsung, Bosch or other brand that is imported from overseas. Consumer Reports, the magazine published by the non-profit organization Consumers Union, regularly conducts objective and independent testing of home appliances, and American made units often rank higher than the models from Asia. Let's all do our part to keep the men and women who design, build and sell American brands gainfully employed buy supporting them with our purchases.