By now, everyone has heard of or experienced the “Supply Chain Dilemma!” But what is it really? How is it effecting you? Should you even care about it? All good questions, but what are the true answers and how will this problem be resolved?
First off, the problem is one that is truly effecting everyone. It is simply the inability to get merchandise from one country to another and once it arrives into that countries port of entry, getting it unloaded from the ships, separated in the receiving yards, and placed onto trains or trucks to send it off to its final destination. Sounds simple enough, right? It goes far beyond that.
The Covid Pandemic is being blamed as the main cause of this. I feel the main cause is that our country had decided years before to ship of the factories and manufacturing jobs off to countries with few or no regulation and extremely low labor cost. Soon American became a consumer nation rather than a manufacturing nation. The Covid just exasperated and problem.
But why are we still stuck in this “Supply Chain Madness?” Is this ever going to end? I think we need to look at what is driving this. The Pandemic excuse is not viable anymore. In the Home Theater Industry, and particularly the furniture or theater seating industry category, it is still dragging along. Why? Because about 95% of all furniture is now made off-shore. We gave up or manufacturing prowess and dominance years ago. Labor cost and inferior materials also contributed to the move. People like, “CHEAP!” But is it really cheap, or just cheaply made.
Ben Franklin has a great quote that I love; “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” I couldn’t say it any better. Or “Nobody was ever Sorry for Buying the BEST!” How about, “You get what you paid for!” “No Free Lunch,” and on and on, yet we think we are getting something for nothing!
At PremiereHTS, our mission statement was to always build the best product we could at the best affordable price possible! We have searched the world for supplies and have found that by staying with our long-term partner suppliers, supporting them through this time, we both have survived. Disposable products aren’t worth the hassle. Our landfills suffer because of our desire for cheap goods and services.
If we continue down this road, it will soon be the death of any American made products and service that we grew up with. Trying to reach the service department of any of these, so-called manufacturers only to find out there isn’t anyone there to help. There was a great old commercial that the tag line was, “Pay me now or pay me latter,” meaning the quality item worth paying for today will save you money later…
