If you could do one thing to change your community, help it grow and thrive, what would that be? If one choice you made every day meant supporting your community, your local businesses, and neighbors, providing gainful employment for this generation and the next, would you choose to make that decision, day after day after day? What if it meant spending more money, driving to a different store, or asking more questions? Would it be worth it?
There is a way to help the community you live in thrive, and, no, it doesn’t take trillion-dollar stimulus packages, but it does take some effort on all of our part. Spending the extra effort to make sure that you are buying American-made products should be something that we all aspire to do, and there are several reasons why it is worth the extra effort.
So what is it you get from making this commitment? Here are a few reasons that Aspen Engineering & Contracting made the decision 21 years ago when we opened our doors to spend our money locally. We invite you to do the same by:
- Keeping and providing jobs right here in the U.S.A!
- Making a real impact on global warming by reducing your impact on the environment!
- Putting the money you spend back into the economy, can you say $900,000,000,000 in debt? So what is the best way to combat that. Easy, by spending your hard-earned dollars right here at home, putting them right back into the economy!
- Fair labor practices. The USA has some of the best labor practices across the globe.
Join us in our commitment to buying American-made wherever and whenever we can!
Okay, we get it. It seems like a lofty goal. How do we do it, though; how do you make the real-life changes that can impact the entire planet?
- We know it seems overwhelming, but as a company that has spent the last 21 years sticking to our commitment, even when it costs us projects and ultimately money, we have some tips for you!
- Make the choice right here, right now. According to a 2013 Consumer Reports survey, almost 78% of American consumers would rather buy an American-made product than an imported one. 60% said they’re willing to pay 10% more for it.
- Turn it over! No, not a new leaf; okay, well, that too. When you put something in your shopping bag, take a look and see if you can find a label that says, ‘made in the USA.’ If you do and you buy it, pat yourself on that back. If it doesn’t, think about whether or not your need for that item is worth the distance it traveled to make it onto that shelf and into your hand. From China to the USA is about 7,000 miles! That is 350 gallons of gas? Now put that down and walk away, see if you can find a birthday present for your niece that doesn’t require burning through a barrel of fossil fuel to get it. Don’t worry; you can still be her “FUNcle.”
- When In doubt, blurt it out! Tell everyone you know of your newfound ideals. The chicks dig it, it looks great on your Facebook page, and there is even a great Springsteen song that can be your new soundtrack. (Yes, we know it’s born in the USA, but we permit you to sing it our way) “MADE in the USA.”
So, go forth, my friends, let’s change the world for the better, leave this planet better than we found it. We can all join in our promise to support this amazing country we live in.
