According to the accounting and advisory firm Marcum, about 32% of building materials used in construction in the United States are not from this country. Top import nations include Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico and South Korea. It’s not just steel and framing products that are shipped from overseas. Cement, electrical equipment, insulation and lumber all make the list of top imported materials.
Some contractors make their product selections from any of these categories simply based on price. Despite shipping savings, domestically produced products can be more expensive than those made in China, for instance. For others, products are only available from another country, leaving no made-in-the-USA option.
This is not the case with Flex-Ability Concepts’ products. All of our products are made in the United States, in Oklahoma City to be exact. We also stay cost-competitive and do not believe in raising prices just because we can or others do.
For every project, budget is a driving force for product selection. A wise contractor, however, does not stop the shopping process when comparing Flex-C Trac (more expensive) to traditional steel framing that has to be curved by cutting and snipping (less expensive). That wise contractor goes from product price to the labor and schedule sections of the budget. Keep in mind that Flex-C Trac installs faster with fewer workers. That equals time and wage savings, which are huge when planning a project. Safety is an additional concern and potential area of savings. Have you ever snipped and bent a straight track to try to create accurate curves? The potential to slice a hand, arm or leg during the snipping and installation processes is high. Some might say as high as the workers’ comp and ER bills that go along with those injuries. Ouch!
We truly believe our Flex-C products are the most cost-effective products on the market. You are not giving up a cost savings in order to buy American. You are getting a cost-effective product and backing a U.S. company.
That leaves us with the question: How do we get more people to buy American-made products? There is some initiative from the government with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that includes the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). The BABA provision applies to all federal financial assistance awards used to fund a portion or all of the construction, alteration, maintenance or repair of infrastructure in the United States. As of Oct. 23, 2023, new regulations require that “all manufacturing processes occurred in the United States” for construction materials on these federal projects. There are many requirements and categories to BABA, and a breakdown of the details can be found here.
If made in America is not mandated, people have to just want to buy domestic products. With that desire comes an interest in quality, economic support, safety and ethical initiatives, worker rights, waste reduction and sustainability practices, and innovative growth. In some cases, a higher price tags along with these traits of U.S. manufacturing. But like with Flex-Ability Concepts, that higher initial price comes down when considering the total installed cost.
If that isn’t enough, we ship our products on the same day to reduce any lead times. Further, we provide solid packaging to minimize damage during shipping.
You also can pick up our products at one of our more than 500 distributors nationwide. Because we want to make sure customers feel supported, we have a network of product representatives with whom you can collaborate. Plus, everyone in the Oklahoma City office is here to help.
When should your focus on domestic products start? We would say sooner rather than later—made in America matters to us here in the Sooner State.
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