Flexible companies change to stay put

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Second of four parts

BRADFORD, Pa. -- Zippo Manufacturing, a small-town company owned by the same family since it was founded in 1932, is hiring.

Zippo insists on making its iconic lighter, with a trademark rectangular shape and a distinctive slip-click shut, in the U.S. It is starting a production line for a new pocket lighter aimed at cigar aficionados and pipe smokers, and it plans to move manufacturing of a multipurpose lighter, used to light candles and grills, from China to Bradford, Pa.

"Made in the U.S.A. is the primary strategy -- long term, it is to make everything here in Bradford," said Gregory Booth, president and chief executive of the privately held company.

While many U.S. manufacturers continue to struggle, there are still healthy American companies that make products on U.S. soil, including Zippo and other icons of American manufacturing. Many more companies make products in which American consumers seldom consider the label, including machine tools, medical equipment, combat vehicles and precision components for computers.

In this four-part series, The Washington Times looks at the past, present and future of products made in the U.S.A. Today's article examines U.S. manufacturers finding success at home and abroad.

'Against a wall'

U.S. manufacturing limped along for three years, with industrial output declining in 2001 and growing only slightly the next two years.