Where did this come from?

By BOB ‘hot rod’ ROHR

As I travel this planet in search of all things solar and hydronic, this I have learned: Quality products of some kind are being produced in almost every country. I have recently switched to the manufacturing side of our industry. This job allows me to travel quite a bit. In doing so I have come to discover some common threads.

For the most part people want to do a good job. In the manufacturing end of the industry people enjoy and take pride in their work. The occasional worker or factory that is just banging out cheap, disposable “widgets” is doing so only because they are required to do so. The operator of a screw machine, for example, has the skills and equipment to make a quality component as easily, or quickly as a shoddy piece.

So I wonder now when I hear consumers talk about cheap, inferior products coming into this country from .... pick a country. Since I have been “wrenching” and installing “widgets’ for a good portion of my years, I have heard these complaints. The list of countries “blamed’ for sending crap to the us of a reads like an Atlas. We must be about out of countries to blame!

No doubt shelves at discount stores are loaded with throwaway “stuff.” But why is it that cheap stuff continues to appear? Most all of us can tell quality when we see and feel it. Wouldn’t we all prefer to have “it” nice as opposed to cheap, dysfunctional, and discardable after one frustrating at bat? Cheap more often than not leads to mountains of landfill fodder and disgruntled consumers.

Human nature seems to lean toward price over quality more so than not these days. Low price didn’t always influence the decision. As a lad, I remember getting heavy-formed steel Buddy L toys for gifts. My parents understood how quality, happiness and longevity all played together. My parents knew that quality would often be partnered with higher cost. I suppose they would buy less, but better. Under the tree at Christmas would be parked one Buddy L, not a fleet. In fact, I still have some of my dad’s steel toy trucks in addition to my own!

But the tides have seemed to turn. Cheap seems to have overtaken quality in a majority of the cases. “Everyday Low Prices” has become the mantra of all price levels of shoppers. The largest of the large stake their reputation on this. Have you ever heard someone brag about the quality and long life and joy a tool purchased at an everyday low price?

So when did we turn to the dark side? Do consumers and tradespeople really prefer low quality widgets? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Will we ever see a reversal?

I have observed top-notch quality products being produced. A common denominator seems to be corporate attitude, and employee pride and workmanship. It can be mandated and incorporated into a complete company view. Pick a country, any country, and I can find quality products being manufactured there.

One company I visited in Italy that cranks out top quality components seems to have the answer. Yes, they realize the upfront cost to the consumer will be a bit higher. Marketing and salesmanship need to be groomed to present the products with the quality being emphasized. The owners of these factories realized long ago that labor cost would be the straw to break the camel’s back. So, they invested in technology -- machines to forge, shape and quality-check brass components to the highest standards. In most cases this required automation and embracing robotic technology. But the high-tech equipment didn’t cause layoffs; it created a market for different skills. These tools are run by people that still have machine tool skills and understanding. But in addition they have skills in operating microprocessors. This is not unlike the equipment you and I communicate with on a daily basis. They have learned how to blend old-world skills with modern cutting-edge technology. Their workers quickly discovered that embracing new technology would both secure their future and allow them to retain the top quality production they prefer. In many cases a pay increase was part of the package.

Of course, no one country has a lock on high-tech manufacturing. It is completely doable on our shores. It takes a commitment on the part of the manufacturer. It takes an understanding and commitment on the part of the employees. And the consumer has to understand the importance and benefit to our whole economy when we demand quality.

The auto industry is a prime example of how this works. Some of the best quality, largest selling autos in the world were designed across the seas in Japan. They are now built to the award-winning, highest selling standards in the United States. In many cases there are waiting lists for these autos with buyers willing to pay in excess of list sticker price to own one. If you’ve been shopping for a “hybrid” car, you know what I mean.

I would like to see, in my lifetime, a switch back to the old days of quality. Let’s go back (move forward?) to the day when landfills are not spilling over with one-time throwaway products. I’m yearning for the day when consumers brag about how good, not how cheap, their purchases were built. How about you?

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been knee-deep in plumbing, heating and solar work since he was a kid. He has learned a lot of simple ways to install, repair and update hydronic systems. Check out his new, downloadable “Cool Tips from Hot Rod” at www.showmeradiant.com.