All states represented at annual Made in America event
BRIE JACKSON, WRIC
The White House held its 3rd annual Made in America Showcase on Monday. From heavy duty military equipment to small marbles, American made products from every state were on display.
“We are so proud to be made in America. America’s past time is baseball. Where else should ball gloves be made?” said Laura Baraznik, with the company Nokona.
Located in a small town in Texas, Nokona is one of the last remaining baseball glove manufacturers in the United States.”Most of our competitors are in Asia now and have been for a number of decades. We had a few tough years trying to compete,” said Rob Storey.
President Trump said the annual event is a way to highlight U.S. craftsmanship and economic growth under his administration. “We are up 600,000 manufacturing jobs since the election,” said President Trump.
Business owners at the event said they’ve benefited from the Trump Administration’s policies and are urging lawmakers to work together to support more American workers.
Colin Wayne founded Redline Steel in Alabama. He said steel tariffs have boosted his business, allowing him to invest more in the community. “We try to employ a lot of veterans, so veterans outreach is important,” said Wayne.
But Democrats, including Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger, raise concerns about the negative impact of the President’s trade war with China and stalled infrastructure negotiations. “We have to re-center our conversations on what are the needs of the American people,” said Spanberger.
By raising awareness about U.S. products, business owners said they hope to see federal leaders put political differences aside and put the interests of American workers first.