Top 10 Made in America Products.

TOP 10 Made in America Products:

I recently read an article by Alex Brokaw that appeared on my MSN Money page titled “10 Products America Makes Best." A very catchy title that caught my interest; before I read the article I ventured a guess as to the companies that I thought would be on the list. The following were my thoughts on the types of companies that came to mind. I initially thought of General Electric, Motorola, Nike, Microsoft, Apple, Ford, GM, Tiffany’s etc.  

I was quite surprised to see the list which is outlined below.

1. Harley Davidson Motorcycles – Made in Milwaukee Wisconsin since 1903.  
2. Blockbuster Movies – US remains the number one position in terms of box-office receipts. 87 of the top 100 grossing films of all time were made in the United States.   
3. Weapons – Really? Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and Boeing are the top of a long list of companies making technology, weaponry and vehicles deployed by armed forces. 
4. Lighters – Zippo Lighters are still made in the United States and have been sold for over 70 years. On June 5th Zippo rolled out its 500 millionth lighter.
5. Luxury Kitchen Appliances – Viking Range and Sub Zero refrigerators are made in the US; Viking in Mississippi and Sub Zero in Madison, Wisconsin.  
6. Software – Seven of the top 10 highest grossing software and programming companies are found in the US. Oracle, Symantec, Adobe and Intuit lead the field.
7. Craft beers – US craft beer industry is booming. According to the Brewers Association there were 1,945 craft beer breweries operating in the US in 2011. The industry is currently growing at 15% per year.
8. Guitars and pianos – The US is the home to the manufacturers of some of the world’s best musical equipment. Gibson’s Guitars, Nashville, Tennessee and Steinway Pianos, New York, NY.  
9. Office Chairs – Aeron made by Herman Miller in Zeeland, Michigan is the only office chair brand people recognize by name.  They estimate that an Aeron chair is built every 17 seconds.  
10. Billionaires – The US is home to more billionaires than any other nation according to Forbes Magazine.  The US boasts more than 425 out of 1,226 around the world.

I was pleasantly surprised by the list and have to admit that I have never driven a Harley, made or been in a movie, fired a weapon, light a cigarette or cigar with a Zippo lighter, played a piano or guitar or met a billionaire. But, I do have a Sub Zero refrigerator, use adobe software, sit in an Aeron Chair and invest in a craft beer company (Mad Tree Brewery, Cincinnati, Ohio) so I am feeling a little better about made in the USA this 236th anniversary of the United States of America.  

Happy 4th of July!