Waterstone Featured in the 2013 Made in the USA Report

There is no shortage of Made-in-the-USA stories across the country. They usually include a hard-working team of employees. A high-quality product. Happy customers. American ingenuity. Jobs. There are thousands of companies that follow this general story line. This article is for them, but not exclusively. Any company looking for an edge in the competitive home improvement industry will benefit from a better understanding of Made-in-the-USA retailing.

Waterstone Faucets was honored to be included in a group of amazing American manufacturers that are proud to say they are Made in the USA.

HCN presents the results from its first-ever Made in the USA survey. The purpose is to expand the understanding of several key questions of Made in the USA and their impact on the industry. Nearly 1,000 industry professionals participated in the survey, and there are no two theories of the importance of domestic manufacturing that are exactly the same.

Among our findings:

• A gap exists between retailers’ understanding of consumer behavior and that of manufacturer’s — particularly Made-in-the-USA manufacturers, which have a relatively inflated expectation of consumer willingness to pay more.

• More companies than not say they are seeing their competitors promote themselves as Made in the USA — by a factor of about 2 to 1.

• Almost half of all respondents (47.9%) — both retailer and manufacturer — believe the Federal Trade Commission’s Made-in-the-USA standard is hard to follow. Across hardware stores, signage on shelves and products attempt to boost sales with red, white and blue. The more the industry knows about Made in the USA, the better for business.

Waterstone Faucets offers a number of faucet types, available in traditional or contemporary styles. The company’s six styles, or “Suites,” allow the customer to coordinate all faucets and components into one matching style and finish. Each “Suite” has its own look, feel and style that lend itself to a specific decorative kitchen look and feel. The faucets are available in 30 finishes, plus solid stainless steel. Made in: Murrieta, Calif.