Elkhart County: We Make Things Here
I just got out of a meeting with one of our suppliers, MOR/Ryde, located in nearby Elkhart. MOR/ryde manufactured our original RedPost/Kit and now makes pieces of our RedPost/Sign (the backplate and powder-coats the frames) and our Sign/Post. It’s been awhile since I’ve stopped by, as orders have been slow the past year, but I’m glad I did.
MOR/ryde, being slow themselves, started manufacturing a line of LCD/TV mounts. I had a chance to play with some today and they’re much better quality than the cheap China crap and on par with the expensive Peerless mounts.
The visit today reminded me why I like Elkhart County, despite all its flaws, high unemployment, lack of mountains, etc. Because we actually make things here — like, not just services, but things. That you can actually touch, drive, ratchet, swivel, roll, swing, etc. I don’t know if it’s my Amish/Mennonite farmer roots, but I really like that fact. Oh, and we can actually do it cheaper/better than China here in the U.S, especially with higher oil prices. I like that too.
