I'm holding onto an older DLP set I've had for a while. When I go shopping for an LED flat panel I will without a doubt buy from Element if their commitment to US manufacturing continues.
If I were in the market for a TV that big, this would definitely get me to consider Element. Sadly, anything over about 35" would be complete overkill for my tiny house. Hopefully they'll start manufacturing reasonably sized TVs in the US before I'm in the market for a new set.
Keep in mind, ardi, that the size restriction is part of the value prop - the higher manufacturing costs in the US are offset by the inventory breakage that occurs during shipment of screens 46" and above. Unless the manufacturing cost in the US dropped to a level close to that of offshore production for smaller sets due to economy of scale, it seems unlikely that Element TVs under 46" would be produced in the US.
Unless they find that there's a significant market of people that would pay more for a product made in the US. I know there IS a market, the question is how big is it and how much more would they be willing to pay? I know I'm in that market segment and I would probably pay 10-15% more for a product manufactured in the US, provided it is of comparable quality. I'd go higher if it was of better quality than a foreign produced good.
It's not proper for this discussion, but I think the worker revolt in Asia is coming, it's only a matter of time. One day workers there are going to demand their cut, and when they do, it will level things out for global competition. There are already examples of unrest, and backlash for US companies that exploit them with long unforgiving hours and terrible working conditions. In my mind, buying US made goods is a moral imperative whenever possible.
Nah, because China will just start outsourcing to an even more third world location. It's already started in Latin America.
Race to the bottom. The biggest problem is the consumer: we want it all and we want it cheap, no matter how people are treated. Efforts like this are a step in the right direction though. There are enough other movements going on (local food, Occupy, anti-SOPA, etc.) that might all contribute to increased consumer consciousness.
Sorry, I could not help posting this story, it is too relevant to the sub discussion. I don't want to turn this topic into anything negative, or argumentative, but at the same time I think its worth sharing.
Mass suicide pact over wages? I'd say that equals worker unrest. That's the human cost of a cheap video game console. Times are changing, and I am optimistic that its only a matter of time before some balance is restored to the worldwide economy for manufactured goods. It will be a number of years, but it will happen.
They're also working on replacing these workers with robots, which is an even worse option for them. Reddit had a link yesterday showing plans and movement towards robotization of a lot of the third world labor positions. You'd have to expect social unrest would quicken the pace for a project like this.
Do. Want. Discuss. Social and Cultural. Revolution. But. Not. The. Place. For. That.
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LeonardoWake up and smell the glaciersEagle River, AlaskaIcrontian
Had someone at work told me that Detroit (or any US location) would soon be manufacturing TVs, I would have dismissed it with a laugh. This is very interesting!
I love it! The fact that it's made in the USA is what differentiates it from a million other 46" LCD HDTV's. Put that flag on the box and spread the good word Element!
Agreed with Ardi. The fab involved in making the actual panels and a good portion of the electronics inside would be prohibitively expensive if you tried to start a plant from scratch. Maybe in the future, if Element can raise some serious capital from this, they'll be able to start a fab for their parts.
It's just not practical this early on. Nobody's going to buy a 46" LCD if it costs $8,000.
The electronic components inside the televisions are still being manufactured offshore, but the final assembly will be done in Canton, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit). This is very similar to how the automotive process works.
“Our hope is that by ramping up production on a small scale, we’ll start to see it make sense for suppliers to think about opening up their doors in Michigan to accommodate our production. We have to start small, and this is our first step.”
its a good start with tvs assembled in the USA, give it time and eventually manufacturers will be able to make the parts for them as well and wont have to rely on having overseas parts made from foreign labor and have 100% made in America.
primesuspect
Beepin n' BoopinDetroit, MI Icrontian
Comments
Thanks for the good news!
Sorry, I could not help posting this story, it is too relevant to the sub discussion. I don't want to turn this topic into anything negative, or argumentative, but at the same time I think its worth sharing.
Mass suicide pact over wages? I'd say that equals worker unrest. That's the human cost of a cheap video game console. Times are changing, and I am optimistic that its only a matter of time before some balance is restored to the worldwide economy for manufactured goods. It will be a number of years, but it will happen.
It's just not practical this early on. Nobody's going to buy a 46" LCD if it costs $8,000.