WASHINGTON, D.C. – Channellock, Inc. recently brought its iconic blue handles to the White House for “Made in America Week.” Company representatives participated in a roundtable discussion with President Trump about certified made-in-America products.
Jon DeArment, president of Channellock, Inc. joined in the “Certified Made in America” roundtable with the President Trump, the secretary of labor and several other American companies to discuss U.S.-manufactured products.
“We’re honored to have been invited to the White House to discuss American manufacturing,” says DeArment. “We’ve been a ‘Made in America’ company for more than 130 years and we intend to stay that way.” President Trump kicked off “Made in America Week” on Monday with a product showcase on the White House floor promoting products manufactured in the United States. The showcase featured a wide range of items including cowboy hats from Texas, maple syrup from Vermont and firetrucks from Wisconsin. The week continued with a “Certified Made in America” event.
“Survey data shows us that consumers perceive American manufactured goods as significantly higher quality than that of any other country,” according to DeArment. “More than 60 percent of those we surveyed prefer their hand tools to be made in America, however less than 13 percent of hand tools are actually made here. That’s a problem for the American consumer.
“We’re proud that more than 90 percent of Channellock products are made in the United States, but we still have work to do in bringing 100 percent of our production onto American soil,” says DeArment. “We’re working diligently every day to increase American production of Channellock products so that every Channellock product is made here, and today’s discussion with the president is a step further in that direction.”
Channellock, Inc. was founded by George B. DeArment in 1886 in Meadville, Pennsylvania and is now in its fifth generation of family ownership and operation. Employing more than 300 U.S. employees, Channellock, Inc. prides itself on manufacturing all its iconic pliers in Meadville.
“There’s confusion amongst consumers around ‘Made in USA’ claims. Some of our competitors claim ‘Made in USA’ with imported components, but that’s not what ‘Made in USA’ truly means. Others bury their country of origin in small type on the back of their products to hide that they are imported. We need to be transparent with consumers and set stricter guidelines on what’s considered American-manufactured quality. At Channellock, we support the American worker and American jobs and we’re committed to keeping our company red, white and CHANNELLOCK BLUE.”
Channellock, Inc., is a worldwide leader in the manufacture of high-quality pliers and assorted hand tools, including the iconic, American-made CHANNELLOCK® tongue-and-groove plier, which can be found in hardware stores, retailers, toolboxes and workshops around the world.
For more information on CHANNELLOCK® products, visit www.channellock.com.
