by Dan Hussey
Thirty years ago, when I opened my first flooring store, most of the products we offered were manufactured in the USA. Now, many of the manufacturing jobs have moved to China and other foreign countries. This shift has had a big impact on the flooring you are offered in the typical flooring showroom.
Americans are competitive shoppers, and many times the low bidder gets the project. This tendency to shop for the lowest price, has created a retail environment of offering products made in foreign countries, in order to present the lowest price.
To some, this advent of mostly foreign-made flooring products is distressing. Some shoppers are cognizant that products made overseas cost jobs in the states. Flooring is usually a larger purchase, with and average ticket of $2,500. And when you buy an entire house full of new flooring, the total can exceed $15,000.
It doesn’t take long with purchases of that size to take many jobs away from the country we all love and want to see prosper.
For those of us with a passion for the prosperity of America, how do we answer this flood of foreign-made products? Here are some suggestions to help turn the tide – to protect American jobs and our long-term prosperity:
Be aware and proactive. Ask for products MADE IN AMERICA.
Don’t make the lowest price your first objective. Cost is important, but not the most important aspect of a flooring purchase.
Encourage retailers that you shop with to offer more products made in America.
Buy American. Compare American-made with American-made, not American-made with foreign-made.
Encourage your friends and family to support manufacturers and retailers that support American-made products.
Recognize the advantages of American-made products. The availability is better, and there are shorter wait times.
Here in our Totally Floored by Flooring America showroom, we have installed American-made flooring on the showroom floor. We encourage you to visit our showroom, and ask us to show you our competitive and gorgeous MADE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL USA products!
P.S. One bright spot: Most carpet is made in America!
INVEST IN AMERICAN-MADE FLOORING
11,553
Prescott Living Magazine
Come & enjoy the local scene in Prescott Arizona!
LOCAL NEWS: The Northern Arizona VA in Prescott has provided an update on their Homeless Veteran Program. ![]()
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PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona VA Health Care System’s Homeless Veteran Program, along with its community partners, housed 445 Veterans in 2022, exceeding their target goal by 157%.![]()
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Nationally, the 2022 goal was to house 38,000 homeless Veterans— a goal that was exceeded by 6.3%. The Department of Veterans Affairs remains committed to ending Veteran homelessness and increasing housing placements is critical to achieving this goal.![]()
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“This success is a result of efforts built on the evidence-based ‘Housing First’ approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the support they need to stay housed,” said Steve Sample, Medical Center Director.![]()
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In Northern Arizona, there are a variety of services designed to house homeless Veterans. The VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program includes VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers that provide formerly homeless Veterans with subsidized housing and a wraparound, interdisciplinary case management team to address issues that may have contributed to homelessness. The program provides justice outreach services, employment services, health care services through the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team, outreach, and transitional housing support. The VA also works closely with community partners to house homeless Veterans through a system called Coordinated Entry, where community agencies along with the VA regularly meet to coordinate efforts and ensure homeless Veterans do not fall through the cracks.![]()
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“We are fortunate that there is so much support for helping homeless Veterans in our area,” said Jessica Taylor, Homeless Program Coordinator for the Northern Arizona VA. “This success could not have been possible without great collaboration between our community partners, Housing Authorities, Tribal partnerships, and support from our local communities.”![]()
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Looking ahead, the VA will continue to explore new avenues to house homeless Veterans and overcome housing barriers. In collaboration with U.S VETS, Gorman & Company, and the Arizona Department of Housing, a supportive housing project on the grounds of the VA’s Fort Whipple campus is in the initial planning stages. The VA is also expanding outreach to ensure that homeless Veterans are aware of services available to them. ![]()
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For Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness— or if you know of homeless Veterans in need of assistance, call 877-424-3838.![]()
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For more information on renting to or hiring homeless Veterans, visit: www.va.gov/homeless![]()
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About the Northern Arizona VA: Through its main campus in Prescott, along with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Anthem— with additional clinics in Tuba City, Page, Kayenta, Chinle, Holbrook, and Polacca, the Northern Arizona VA provides services to approximately 33,000 Veterans over a catchment area of more than 65,000 square miles.![]()
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www.facebook.com/VAPrescott
Empty Bowls of Prescott Arizona has announced that it will distribute $24,000 to local foodbanks! Their 2022 Empty Bowls fundraising event took place in September, and donations can be made year round on their website.![]()
prescott-empty-bowls.square.site
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