This past Saturday we went to a going out of business sale at the local sewing factory. It was a bittersweet purchase we made. We found out the sewing factory had 180 American jobs for the small town of Mountain View. This factory was open since 1991 and doing a booming business. Then manufacturers decided clothing contracts from China and South America were too cheap to pass up. And all the clothing contracts went outside the USA. This means Missouri families lost income, security, health care, their futures; all out the window in less than two weeks time. The owner/friend was very saddened the loss of the jobs for so many in his town. I saw jackets from Bass Pro shop, LL bean, Lands End and more, sitting unfinished on racks. All these clothing companies decided made in USA was not good enough for their bottom line.
So I walked around the warehouse looking at threads, clothes, sewing machines, coffee makers, computers, shelving. I saw workers showing off their industrial machines, sewn items, threads, so proud of a lifetime of work. These industrial sewing machines, buttoners, sergers, embroiderers were all run on special plugs and compress air. Luckily, I have a neighbor who can rewire my machine for home use. I bought a Pfaff, with a walking foot for high speed quilting. The owners father sat with me for an hour showing me how to operate this great machine in the warehouse. He knew how to service all these machines. That knowledge was worth more than the machine. I took notes and photos and even got a well used copy of the manual.
I paid more for my machine that what a liquidator will be paying; .20 cents on the dollar. All these machines will be sold off for a song and end up sold for scrap metal. They are worth more as scrap. At least I saved one machine. Wish I could have saved the jobs instead.
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