Celebrating America’s independence is a national holiday that’s been seeped in tradition, pride and patriotism.
This year we’re keeping the party rolling all month long. How? By highlighting the power of Made in the USA as told by our people – employees, brand advocates and bike shop buddies alike. We asked our community to chime in two questions: 1) we asked them why they’re proud to be affiliated with Saris; and 2) they shared with us what’s important to them about making products here at home.
What our community shared with us was both abundant and incredible. Woven throughout the responses were echoes of themes touching on everything from the family-like business approach to product quality to supporting the local economy with jobs.
But don’t take our word for it. After all, the proof is, as they say, in the pudding – or in this case, in the words of our community members.
American Pride
“Making and using USA-made products creates jobs, supports the American worker, supports the U.S. economy, and ensures that products are being made to American standards. There is so much pride that goes along with being able to say, ‘Yes, I love this product and it is American made.’”
“Making products in the USA gives people jobs. We’re proud of our work as we’re talented, hardworking and creative.”
“As a retailer in a small business I get to see on a micro-level the importance of keeping money and jobs in the heart of the community. You cannot stand behind a product without putting your hands on it, you cannot stand behind a community without putting work into it and you cannot put pride into the people without giving them something to be proud of.”
“All the products made in the USA are highly valued in the world, and ours are some of them.”
Connection to Community and Cycling
“I’m proud to support a company that makes a quality product, and that stands behind both their products and their employees. I see Saris as an important partner in broad cycling culture, in the industry, and in their community. Saris is making a positive difference. It’s that simple.”
“Saris makes quality products that are built to last. I trust them because they love bikes and stand behind everything that gets shipped out of their doors. They aren’t just selling ‘stuff’ – they create tools to enhance your passion for cycling.”
“I enjoy contributing to the cycling community, that’s why I’m proud to be associated with Saris.”
“People on bikes make the world a better place and I get to be part of that mission every day while working for a company known for doing the right thing.”
“Items that are made in American create more jobs, which helps build strong communities.”
All in the Family
“I love Saris because it is truly a family! Whether you work for the company, are an advocate for the brand, or buy their product, they treat you like one of their own!”
“The reputation of Saris speaks for itself. I love the family/team atmosphere, and everyone I have worked with takes such pride in their work and the company. I am proud to be part of the squad.”
“I’ve had nothing but positive experiences when interacting with the staff at Saris. They make me feel like I’m part of the family.”
“I’m proud to be affiliated with Saris because it is a company that offers employment opportunities for all and has a good work environment with good work benefits, and this work benefits bicycles which also helps the environment.”
“I love working for a company that supports the local economy and treats its employees like family. They embrace creativity and uniqueness, and everyone’s opinion matters.”
Q is for Quality
“Allowing design, testing and production to all take place in one location helps the development of a product remain seamless from conception to completion, and builds a sense of strong community and commitment from company employees that is then passed to customers.”
“Saris makes quality products that they stand behind.”
“The products are sold world-wide and Saris takes pride in putting out the best products. They’re also quick to correct any unforeseen problems that may occur with a product to keep customers happy and confident in Saris products.”
“Saris makes a quality product. They stand behind it and offer great customer service. It is obvious that the customer is important by offering a quality product for a reasonable price and by offering trade-in programs every year.”
“The importance of products made in the USA is that it highlights the power of the products made hereby the quality and the thought put into them.”
Local Economy
“It is very important to make products in America, because by doing so it gives us more work and we can offer a better quality to our customers.”
“Making products in the USA is important because supporting American jobs is important. Supporting American-made products supports American workers, which in turn supports us all. Everything from roads to education are in one way or another supported by purchasing products made in the USA.”
“I’ve worked for Saris for over 16 years. In my opinion it’s very important to keep making product in the USA to help our country’s economy grow.”
“Higher standards of quality and safety, fair labor practices, far more environmentally friendly, and it keeps the money here at home to reinvest back into our own communities.”
“The biggest benefits of making products in America are: keeping jobs and money in the local economy, better quality control, lowering the CO2 footprint of our products and having shorter supply chains to help improve efficiency.”
Looking Ahead
When Chris and Sara Fortune set the wheels of Saris into motion more than 30 years ago, they did so with a vision of doing business the right way from what would soon be our world headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin.
Perhaps it’s fitting that our home office is based in a Civil War-era farmhouse. A historic place located in what used to be the outskirts of the Capitol City; a building unyielding to time and urban expansion. Like this farmhouse, we stood in the face of the winds of economic change, watched from our windows as other manufacturers slowly moved production overseas.
Today we remain where we have always been: on American soil, producing American-made products for the good of our economy and most importantly – our people.