By Stephen RegenoldA million little needles work a million strands of yarn. Gears shift. Machine arms adjust and spin, the mechanized anatomy of a replica Omega Constellation watches knitting machine pulls raw yarn on one side and spits out a sock on the other.It is a Thursday afternoon in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and the factory floor at Wigwam Mills is buzzing with production, as it has for more than 100 years. Today, 250 people work at Wigwam, and the family-owned company funnels millions of dollars of payroll into the areas economy while producing upwards of 30,000 socks a day.Ive come to see Wigwam Mills as something of an archetype of a Made in the USA brand. In an era of a down economy, when seemingly everything is made overseas, domestic manufacturing can stand on a pedestal as a sign of hope.The outdoors industry, a multibillion-dollar engine, has no shortage of goods that come from abroad.
The list of companies most or all of their gear in the USA includes: Duluth Pack, Exxel Outdoors, Darn Tough Socks, Benchmade Knife omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Chronometer watches Company, Thule, Chums, Moots Cycling, Brooks-Range Mountaineering, Werner Paddles, Simms Fishing Products, Crescent Moon Snowshoes, Buck Knives, Princeton Tec, Ibex Outdoor Clothing, and many more. Why still make things in the USA? There are plenty of reasons. Each company has a different one. At Wigwam, the company says it can save on shipping costs. There are no import tariffs.
Versus has put together a video history about the biggest climbs in this years Tour. It provides a solid reference for the challenges to come.Today, Frenchman omega Seamaster Pro 300m Seamaster 300 watches Christophe Riblon gave the host country something to celebrate as he won Stage 14 by 54 seconds. In the overall standings, Andy Schleck kept a 31-second lead over Alberto Contador.Watch the Stage 14 finish below and check out The Spoke Word for more details.--Joe Springjoespring
