Bullet Blues: The Next Great Brand of American Designer Jeans

I want to introduce you to Bullet Blues, an up-and-coming brand of premium designer jeans for men and women that is on the cusp of becoming the next great American denim brand.

What sets Bullet Blues apart from the stiff competition in the denim jeans industry is the extremely high quality of their product and their unwavering commitment to using American labor as well as American-made materials to construct their clothing.

Let’s face it, in this era of global supply chains and rampant outsourcing, there aren’t many clothing brands left that can make that kind of claim. 

Many iconic American brands of jeans that were once proudly made in the USA – think Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, and countless others – are now made in factories overseas.  And while clothing made by brands like these are often adorned in red, white, and blue – suggesting American patriotism in every way – when it comes to investing in American workers, most brands check their patriotism at the door in favor of heftier bottom lines.

Not Bullet Blues.

As the rest of the denim jeans industry continues to move toward outsourcing, Bullet Blues is moving in the opposite direction. They currently make every pair of their jeans in the USA, and as they ramp up production, they are committed to keeping every pair made right here in America.

As Bullet Blues Founder Isabelle Benoit explains it, their brand’s two best selling points – superior quality and American construction – are closely related.  It’s not just that Bullet Blues happen to be extremely well-made and constructed in the United States; they are extremely well-made because they are made in the USA.

When Isabelle was establishing the Bullet Blues brand, she decided early on that her clothing would be made in the USA.  But as she began to sample fabrics and make prototypes of her designer jeans, she quickly realized that she simply could not do the kind of quality control she demanded from half-way around the world.  The quality of her product depended on her close oversight of the entire production process and quality American construction.

The end result was spectacular.  Bullet Blues are true designer jeans.  That means they have superb design, superior construction, and a great fit.  Just the qualities you would want in your new favorite pair of jeans.

Let me make this clear: When I talk about Bullet Blues, and what great pair of jeans they are, I’m speaking from my own personal experience. 

I’ve owned a pair for about six months, and they are the best pair of jeans I own by a long-shot.  They look great, which makes them my go-to jeans for a night out on the town. But they are also very comfortable.  They are quite simply the best pair of jeans I have ever owned.

If you are looking for a great pair of designer American-made jeans, give Bullet Blues a try.  Ladies can buy a pair of Bullet Blues from M.i.U.S. Collection, a wonderful online boutique featuring a superb collection of American made clothing and apparel for women, by clicking here. 

If you try these jeans, I’m sure you’ll love them, and your purchase will be helping a small business that is committed to growing and creating jobs in the United States.

That’s the kind of company I want to support.

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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Sorry Cars.com, Explorer Most American-made for 2011

2011 Ford Explorer

Cars.com is misleading the American public again with their conceptually faulty “American-made Index” that was just recently published by the website for 2011 model cars. 

These rankings, which Cars.com promotes as the most American-made cars on the market, lists the Toyota Camry the #1 most American-made car for the second year in a row.  That distinction should have rightly gone to the Ford Explorer.  The Ford Explorer is made in Chicago, Illinois and has more domestic parts content than the Camry.  In fact, the Explorer has the highest domestic parts content of any vehicle currently in production  which is still being sold through 2011 .  That means it beats the Camry on this website’s list of most American-made vehicles.  (Point of Clarification: the Ford Sport Trac has 90 percent domestic content, but was discontinued after production of model year 2010 was complete; however, it is reportedly still being sold in Ford dealerships through calendar year 2011.)

Please don’t misunderstand me; I am extremely pleased that Toyota chooses to produce many of their automobiles in the U.S., thereby creating American jobs.  But putting the Camry on top of a rating called the “American-Made Index,” is simply wrong.

Not only is Cars.com is using questionable methodology to reach their conclusion, they do not publish the methodology they use in developing the rankings.  If these rankings are going to be cited all over the place and regarded by many to be the list of the most American-made cars, the methodology should absolutely be made public.

According to Cars.com, the three factors that were considered to create this American-made index were: country of final assembly, American-made parts content, and volume of sales.

Wait a minute! What does volume of sales have to do with anything?  If I’m going to use the “American-Made Index,” I am going to use it to buy a car that is going to be the most American-made per car. The Toyota Camry doesn’t move ahead of other cars with higher American-made parts content, like many cars produced by Ford and Chrysler because more Toyotas are sold. 

The Camry is made with 80% domestic parts content.  That’s not bad at all.  But there are several other American-made cars with higher American parts content that got skipped on this list.  These are the cars that should be making headlines for being the most American-made.  In fact, two cars with higher domestic parts content that got skipped on this list compete directly with the Camry and the Honda Accord (which Cars.com dubiously ranked second on their list). 

The Chrysler 200 Sedan (remember the “Imported From Detroit” Super Bowl commercial with Eminem) has more American-made content than either the Camry or the Accord.  So does the dodge Avenger Sedan. Both are made in Michigan.

I don’t know what Cars.com’s motivation is in creating this misleading index, but it is very counterproductive to efforts to increase consumer patriotism in this country.  Stories like these create consumer confusion, which causes many people to just give up on buying American altogether. 

If you have some time, please let Cars.com know that their index should leave sales volume out of their methodology.  They should also publish precisely how their rankings are determined. 

Here is the email address of Patrick Olsen, editor in chief at Cars.com: polsen@cars.com

American consumers could really benefit from an American-made index that doesn’t “cook the books” for certain cars.  To be acknowledged as most American-made car, you should have to actually be the most American-made car. 

Once again, here is the full list of vehicles and their domestic parts content as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Act+%28AALA%29+Reports

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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If You Only Buy One Thing Made in U.S.A., Make it Your Car

The Ford Sport Trac is made in Louisville, Kentucky and has the highest percentage of domestic parts content - 90% - of all vehicles being sold in the U.S.

Without question, the most important time you can buy American is when you are purchasing a car.  The reason for this is simple.  A new car is second only to a home as the most expensive purchase many consumers make. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average price of a new car sold in the United States is $28,400. That is a whole lot of money to be spent at one time on a single purchase. Choosing to buy American in this one critical instance has the same impact as buying hundreds of less expensive goods that are American-made.  In short, when buying a car, this is the time when you can do the very most to help create American jobs by buying made in U.S.A. 

Another reason it is great to buy American when buying a car is that our country makes many of the best cars in the world.  Whether it’s a car, truck, SUV, hybrid, you name it, many of the very highest rated and best-selling vehicles in the world are made right here in the U.S.A.  Regardless of what kind of vehicle you are looking for, you will likely find one that fits your needs that is made in America.

Buying American is a little more complicated for cars than most other goods though.  There are lots of foreign sounding cars, like some Toyotas and Hondas, that are actually now made in the U.S.A., and there are some traditional American car brands that are now made in other countries.  So when buying a car, we really can’t just assume based on the brand name where the car was made.  We really have to do a little more homework to make sure the car we are buying is made in the U.S.A. 

Another important consideration when car buying is the percentage of U.S. domestic parts content used to make the vehicle.  We can’t get parts content information for most goods we buy, but with cars we have access to a great deal of information.  Not only can we identify where every vehicle had its final assembly, but every car manufacturer publishes the percentage of domestic parts content used in making their vehicles.  This allows us to differentiate between the cars that have 0% domestic parts content and those that have a much higher percentage of U.S.-made content.

The parts content is important because when you buy a car, you aren’t just creating jobs for the people working in the final assembly plant; you are creating jobs for workers all the way up through the supply chain – like the person who built the transmission or the person who sewed the seats together.  Cars create lots of jobs for workers that never actually see the final product being made.  That is why it is critical to consider the percentage of domestic parts content when purchasing a car.

One thing to consider about parts content is that no car is made with 100% American-made parts anymore.  One main reason for that is every car built today has a computer chip and complex electrical system built into it.  Some of this parts content simply cannot be sourced in the U.S.A.  But we shouldn’t let that discourage us from buying an American-made car with as high a percentage of domestic parts content as possible.  Thankfully, we have over 100 cars and trucks to choose from that have 50% or more of their parts content made in the U.S.A.

If you are wondering what the most American-made car on the market is; it is the Ford Sport Trac, made by Ford Motor Company.  The Sport Trac is made in Ford’s Louisville, Kentucky plant that has been in operation since 1955.  There are 2,100 workers employed at that plant.  In addition to the Sport Trac, this plant also makes the Ford Explorer and the Mercury Mountaineer, both of which have 85% domestic parts content. 

For a full list of cars (years 2005-2011) and their percentage of U.S. parts content, go here: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Act+%28AALA%29+Reports

Remember, there is no more important time to buy American than when you are buying a car.  And don’t forget, the higher percentage of domestic parts content the car has, the more American jobs you are creating when you buy it. 

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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Hey, Cars.com, Are You Nuts?

I wanted to share this very misleading report put out by Cars.com recently called The Cars.com American-Made Index.

Cars.com has created what they are calling an “American-Made Index,” where it lists the Toyota Camry of all cars as the #1 most American car.  Don’t get me wrong; I am extremely pleased that Toyota chooses to produce many of their automobiles in the U.S., thereby creating American jobs.  But I’m sorry, putting the Camry on top of a rating called the “American-Made Index,” is a stretch.

The website used some very “clever” methodology to reach their conclusion. The three factors considered were: country of final assembly, American-made parts content, and volume of sales.

Wait a minute! What does volume of sales have to do with anything?  If I’m going to use the “American-Made Index,” I am going to use it to buy a car that is going to be the most American-made per car. The Toyota doesn’t move ahead of other cars with higher American-made parts content, like many cars produced by Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury, because more Toyotas are sold.

I don’t know what this website’s motivation is in creating this misleading index, but it is very counterproductive to our efforts to increase consumer patriotism in this country.  Stories like these create consumer confusion, which causes people to just give up on buying American altogether.

Does anyone have any ideas about what can be done to respond to this bogus “American-Made Index?”  Anyone looking for a pro bono project?

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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Fourth of July Buy: Water

The 4th of July is getting close and everyone is getting excited.  Independence Day is sure to bring BBQs, fireworks, and general fun in the sun. As you get ready for the big weekend, don’t forget to stock up on H2O, as temperatures are sure to get up into 80s or 90s, and you are going to want to stay well-hydrated. 

When you stock up, be sure buy American.  Bottled water is one of those items where the American-version and the foreign-bottled version are virtually identical.  So, why not buy American and do your part to create American jobs? 

Two of my favorite brands of bottled water are Aquafina and Dasani.  These brands can be found anywhere, they are both bottled in the USA, and they are also owned by American companies.  That means buying these brands gives you the most American-job-creating bang for your buck. 

These are two of the most popular brands, but there are more than a hundred American bottled water brands out there.  Be sure to reach for one of them when you crave that high quality H2O (yes, that is a Waterboy reference).

Until next time, here’s to doing what we can to support our country by buying American.

Randy

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