| With recent furniture recalls peppering the news, one | | | | sounding like your grandfather, there's something to the |
| must wonder why all of the sudden manufacturers are | | | | attitude of buying your products from home. Standards |
| building furniture-and selling furniture-that could | | | | of production and safety in the U.S. are of the highest |
| conceivably be hazardous to your health. For example, | | | | in the world. In addition, the labor exploitation does not |
| the voluntary recall announced last year by the U.S. | | | | happen here, so your products are made by American |
| Consumer Product Safety Commission of a computer | | | | employees who are protected under U.S. Labor Laws. |
| desk and chair set sold at Office Depot, Inc. During that | | | | This is not only good for America to support her own |
| recall, approximately 6,000 units sold by distributor New | | | | businesses, it also keeps her citizens employed, and |
| Focus Marketing Corp. were recalled because "the | | | | provides a better product. Workers that are not |
| seat on the chair could break and fall through during | | | | forced to work exorbitant hours for menial wages |
| use, causing the individual to fall and suffer injuries." | | | | produce better products. Higher quality raw materials |
| New Focus received reports of two separate | | | | produce better products. Factories which meet OSHA |
| incidents in which the chair had broken. One customer | | | | standards produce better products. |
| suffered minor back injury while the other received | | | | Some of the best American-based office furniture |
| bruises to the arm and shoulder. The product was sold | | | | companies include 247 Workspace, Versatables, and |
| nationwide by the popular Office Depot chain-a retailer | | | | Marvel. While Marvel provides an installation service, |
| of computer desks, office supplies, and electronic | | | | Versa wins on the basis of warranty-providing a |
| office equipment. | | | | no-hassle lifetime warranty clearly, and simply, laid out |
| All involved made the right decision by announcing a | | | | on their website. They accept back any product that is |
| recall, but why does this happen? Could it be because | | | | defective and will replace it for free, no questions |
| the product was made in China? | | | | asked, forever. |
| Possibly. Although products coming from | | | | Why does a company like Versa make an offer like |
| manufacturers in China have improved overall in quality | | | | that? Wouldn't they lose money? Considering they're |
| in the past ten years, there are still significant problems | | | | one of the fastest growing furniture companies in the |
| with many of the products imported from that country. | | | | country, apparently not. A company can only make an |
| Recent toy recalls which put the lives of American | | | | offer like that when they know they're selling products |
| children in jeopardy as well as the outrage in Canada | | | | that aren't defective. Are you getting those kinds of |
| and the U.S. regarding tainted pet food that killed | | | | promises from the products made in Guangzhou? Me |
| several pets, is enough for us to take a look at what | | | | either. |
| we're getting into by buying products manufactured | | | | Let's face it. Time is money. Recalls cost everyone-the |
| not only in China, but in other regions of the world as | | | | manufacturer, the retailer, and the consumer. Buy |
| well. | | | | American the first time, and you probably won't have |
| Your safest bet? Buy American. At the expense of | | | | to buy again. |