News, Starbucks Order Gives Ohio Mug Maker A Jolt. (Cleveland: to buy, wages)

[JD59]

For decades, when you slid into a booth at a diner or a local coffee shop, the waitress probably arrived with a standard-issue, off-white mug. More than likely that mug came from the Ohio River town of East Liverpool, which calls itself "The Pottery Capital of the Nation."

A lot of that city's pottery business is long gone. Now, one of the few remaining pottery factories in the battered town is pinning its survival on a major corporation.

Starbucks Order Gives Ohio Mug Maker A Jolt : NPR

[CortlandGirl79]

I love this story, saw it yesterday.

[Cleveland_Collector]

It is inexcusable that the state of manufacturing in the US has come to this. We hear all the time about who/what is patriotic. I think it's high time that people, manufacturers, and suppliers who make it a point source from their own country when at all possible be put at the very top of that list.

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

It is inexcusable that the state of manufacturing in the US has come to this. We hear all the time about who/what is patriotic. I think it's high time that people, manufacturers, and suppliers who make it a point source from their own country when at all possible be put at the very top of that list.

It's a negative cycle; wages are low, necessitating the average working person to buy cheaper foreign-made products, which causes less demand for domestically-produced products, which in turn creates fewer jobs and less spending capital for the average citizen who could otherwise keep the domestic economy going.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Yes, I believe it is what is commonly referred to as the race to the bottom. The only thing that is never lowered, however, is the profit margin.

[Cisco GT]

I'm not sure how I missed reading the original story, but I ran across this while researching the history of a few other local china and pottery makers. I've never been much of a fan of Starbucks, but after reading that they're supporting small business, I might have to give them a little business in return.

"Not only is McClellan’s business growing, but the Starbucks deal has also brought life back to another shuttered pottery factory just a few miles down the road.

The man at the helm of American Pioneer Manufacturing is Ulrich Honighausen. He owns Hausenware – a company that supplies the mugs, tumblers and other items to Starbucks. After working side-by-side on the Starbucks order with McClellan last year, he decided to buy this 18,000 square-foot factory and retool it."

WKSU News: Thanks to Starbucks, East Liverpool's pottery comeback continues

[Cisco GT]

There's also a great 13 minute video that goes with the story.

Create Jobs for USA: American Mug & Stein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrUS...layer_embedded

[Ohiogirl81]

Nice to hear! Now if more companies would follow Starbucks' lead.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

It is inexcusable that the state of manufacturing in the US has come to this. We hear all the time about who/what is patriotic. I think it's high time that people, manufacturers, and suppliers who make it a point source from their own country when at all possible be put at the very top of that list.

Absolutely true!!!!!!!

The USA has sent manufacturing, and the equipment to make stuff, (for example, The Hygenic Corporation, manufacturer of Thera-Band and other products found it more economical years ago to ship most of their manufacturing equipment to Malaysia than make it in The USA. This is just one company, think about all the jobs sent over seas!!!)

If Pearl Harbor occurred today, we would never be able to ramp up production to win the war.