Whether a product is marked with "Made in U.S.A." or "Made in China" it's not necessarily entirely from those countries. The law allows just most or the biggest cost items to be made in the country claimed. If the components are mostly from overseas but the product is made here, it's properly termed "Assembled in U.S.A."
Our products come from everywhere, but with a focus on acquiring locally and assembling in our workshop here in Los Angeles, CA. Especially for vaporizers and glassware, we need total control over the quality and materials. We find that while parts and materials cost more here, their quality is more predictable and there is less shipping & trucking.
That said, a lot of components are better made overseas in specialized factories that are equipped to handle our requirements. Some Chinese factories are very good at figuring out the difficulties that normally drive us nuts. Their factories trade with each other, so items that would have taken months to locate and test out are found within a few phone calls to their compatriots. We find the people who figure things out all the way, create items that first seemed impossible, while maintaining a fair price through and through. Backed by extra testing and attention to detail, our overseas operations produce the quality components that make our business possible. We do spend a lot more in the U.S.A. than overseas though. Of course, Vaporbrothers mission doesn't really allow for sending jobs overseas. Anything that can efficiently be made in the U.S.A. is made here.
Although for most industries, even ones that claim "Made in U.S.A." include many overseas components. In today's world, most products sold in the U.S.A. come from overseas. A US company might honestly think they are 100% Made in the U.S.A., but they might be confusing where they bought the product vs where it came from. That screw they got from the local hardware dealer was not from here. As for raw materials like glass, ceramic powder, wood, electronic components - they are from all over the world- wherever they are produced, mined, fabricated, etc.
For our overseas sources, we take extra care to check them out. We visit factories for multiple days and maintain a close hand on the production and the materials they use. Anything that makes us cringe spoils the deal. For us to even consider a factory, we have to feel good about their ethics and how they treat their workers. We actually see very well treated workers, of course especially at the factories we chose. It's common that skilled workers help to fund their families and are held in high regard by their friends. At one of our factories, all the 20 and 30 somethings showed up on decked out Vespas and motorbikes. They were happy and confident- probably an effect of (or a contributing factor to) their being among the best paid in town.
In our economy, while many ask for "Made in U.S.A," there is not much demand for higher cost items. As our vaporizers are at double the price of our knockoffs such as Easy Vape, Vapor Daddy or "Vapor Box," we are often torn between quality and price. We chose quality while trying to keep price under control. Expect the best from us and look for the "Made in U.S.A." label- it's mostly made in the U.S.A., hooray!!
