Legislation creates the America Star Program

WILMINGTON — At a press conference today at Masley Enterprises, Inc. in Wilmington, Congressman John Carney (D-DE), announced HR 2664, the Made In America Act, bipartisan legislation introduced yesterday to highlight American-made products and incentivize manufacturers to increase domestic production.  The legislation creates the America Star Program, a voluntary, standardized labeling program that would allow consumers to easily identify the extent to which products are American-made.

“We need to make things in America again,” said Congressman Carney.  “The America Star program will make it easier for consumers to find American-made products and support the companies that are committed to employing American workers.  It also creates an incentive for companies that are deciding whether to move production facilities back to the U.S.”  

Over the past several years, global economic factors and increased efficiencies in U.S. manufacturing have led to an “in-sourcing” trend that has seen more companies locate manufacturing facilities in the U.S.  Because American-made products are often associated with increased safety and quality, companies with U.S. manufacturing facilities have also started attracting consumers by identifying their products as American-made. This legislation standardizes that identification process.

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Made In America Act with Rep. Carney.

“Manufacturing is poised to power our economy into a second American century.  The Made in America Act will draw attention to our true economic engines- American manufacturers,” added Fitzpatrick. “Buying American means supporting American jobs and rebuilding our economy- that’s something we all can support.  People know that the title ‘Made in America’ brings with it a certain quality of product.  By allowing manufacturers to opt into a program that allows them to highlight the origin of their product we can take another step towards rebuilding the dominance of American manufacturing.”

Congressman Carney was joined at the press conference by Frank and Donna Masley, founders of Masley Enterprises, a Wilmington-based small business that designs and manufactures specialty gloves for U.S. military and commercial use.

“Masley Enterprises is the perfect candidate for the America Star program,” said Frank Masley.  “All of our materials are made in the U.S., and every glove is assembled and finished right here in Wilmington.  America Star will make it easier for us to compete and clear up some of the confusion about which products are truly made in the U.S.A.  It’s also a great marketing tool.  Many of our customers look specifically for American-made products.”

In addition to Frank and Donna Masley, representatives from the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Delaware Economic Development Office, and the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership attended the press conference in support of the legislation.

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