Made in America Products are Increasingly Important to Consumers
MILWAUKEE (July 3, 2015) — A renaissance in American manufacturing has led to a growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector in the past half-decade with the U.S. Department of Commerce reporting that domestic manufacturing output has increased 45 percent since 2009 adding more than half a million jobs to the U.S. economy.
A return to domestic manufacturing has captured the attention of many, triggering a leading publication that provides credible and unbiased information to consumers to focus their July 2015 issue on the subject. The issue provides insight into their survey about preference for products Made in America. Their survey reveals that nearly 8 in 10 American consumers say that they’d rather buy a product that was made in the U.S.A. than an imported one. They seek these products for several reasons; to retain jobs here; to help the U.S. economy; to be patriotic and 88 percent say that they believe American-made products are more reliable than those made elsewhere. Additionally, sixty percent of respondents to the survey said that they’d actually be willing to pay more for a U.S.-made product.
But this desire for American-made products is not limited to just American citizens. Globally, U.S. made goods are increasing in demand. In a frequently cited study from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), 60 percent of Chinese consumers would be willing to pay more for a product labeled “Made in the U.S.A.” Almost 50 percent of Chinese consumers in the BCG survey reported that they preferred a U.S.-made product to a Chinese-made product of the same quality and price.
While many factors are playing into this resurgence in American-made goods, one key factor is consumer demand. Shoppers are increasingly looking for items made domestically. Briggs & Stratton’s (NYSE: BGG) annual PowerPulse survey of 4,000 power equipment owners indicates that 72 percent of outdoor power equipment shoppers prefer to buy products made in the U.S.A. and retailers are listening.
Briggs & Stratton began manufacturing in Milwaukee, WI, in 1908 and today more than 85 percent of Briggs & Stratton engines are made stateside at plants in Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and Missouri using U.S. and global parts. The Statesboro, Georgia plant just produced its 20 millionth engine, and the Murray, Kentucky plant alone has made more than 70 million engines. Briggs & Stratton is very proud of their made in the U.S.A. heritage and we believe that America’s best manufacturing years lie ahead.
Contact: Carissa Gingras
Briggs & Stratton Corporation
gingras.carissa@basco.com
414-259-5333
About Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiaries include North America's number one marketer of portable generators and pressure washers, and it is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lawn and garden, turf care and job site products through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Snapper Pro®, Ferris®, Murray®, Allmand™, Branco®, Billy Goat® and Victa® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents.For more information, visit www.basco.com or www.briggsandstratton.com.
