A Call to Help Made in USA Glassware Brand Anchor Hocking!!!!

Reflecting  on how our nation was built, we think of the strong men and women that used ingenuity to forge life in a foreign land. We think of the innovation and commitment to making quality products. In recent history, we have seen this production disappear leaving a negative impact on many aspects of our communities. Anchor Hocking, a company that has been producing  quality glass products in the U.S. since 1905, has found itself in economic trouble and recently was forced to lay off its employees.  With two plants, one in Lancaster, Ohio and one in Monaca, Pennsylvania, the May layoffs affected over 1,500 people. Originally, the employees were expected to return to work within a few weeks. However, this did not occur. Only some of the employees have been able to return to work at the Ohio plant and the union has had to make concessions lowering wages. The Ohio plant is set to resume more operations next week but is still on very shaky ground. The Pennsylvania plant remains closed.

Anchor Hocking employees and community business leaders are determined to find a way to purchase the company and keep Anchor Hocking running. They have launched an initiative called Save Anchor Hocking and are raising money through various avenues.  Their goal is to purchase the company to keep it  manufacturing here in the U.S., producing and running a commercial and offering stock options for investors. As you can see, the determined organization has quite a road ahead and there are ways we can help!

This loss of manufacturing will have far reaching negative impacts on employees, their families and their communities which will ultimately trickle to all of us. Helping Anchor Hocking is our chance to help keep their manufacturing in the U.S.A. and keep our country producing these quality goods. You can easily support  Save Anchor Hocking by liking their Facebook Page, liking their posts so that more people will see the posts and sharing with your friends. If you are in their area, there will be a variety of fundraising events that you will learn about by following on Facebook. Additionally, Save Anchor Hocking will be selling "Save Anchor Hocking" bracelets to raise money. Norton's U.S.A. will be receiving some of these bracelets to make it easy for our friends and supporters to help Save Anchor Hocking. Manufacturing and innovation are very much the backbone of our country and are vital to the success of our communities. We need to act now to save this company and these jobs!

Anchor Hocking glassware has been one of our celebrated American Made products that we sell at Norton’s U.S.A. since we opened seven years ago. We love Anchor Hocking and will help them stay in business anyway we can!

**Save Anchor Hocking is an organization formed by Anchor Hocking employees, business leaders and concerned citizens. It is not part of Anchor Hocking.

For more information:

Grassroots Effort to Save Anchor Hocking

Anchor Hocking union employees reject concessions: plant's fate in doubt

Anchor Hocking plant in Lancaster to resume production next week

 

 

Coming Together to Save the American Dream

 

Recently, The New York Times published a moving article by Robert Putnam about the heartbreaking deterioration of Port Clinton, Ohio. In "Crumbling American Dreams," he put into words what many of us have been witnessing and experiencing throughout the U.S. as manufacturing has left this nation.

Robert talks about his childhood in a small town where parents were hardworking and children had the promise of upward mobility. In talking about his childhood peers, "Nearly three-quarters of them surpassed their parents in education and in that way advanced economically as well." At the time, they had no reason to believe things would change.

Decades later he finds Port Clinton in a sad state. The disappearance of manufacturing has rendered many unemployed and left stores derelict. The average worker in Ottawa County, who is lucky to have a job, makes on average 16% than their grandfather did after adjusting for inflation.

The economic conditions also have taken a toll on the social fabric of the town. Families are struggling to string along jobs. Divorce rates are high. Drug usage is up. With so many stressors, the support system that was once in place is no longer there.

In irony, Robert explains that the wealthy have bought some of the land cheaply and have built mansions. The mansions stand in stark contrast to the everyday life of most in Port Clinton.

I really urge you to read this article. Robert may have written about Port Clinton specifically. However, he has really written about many towns across America. This is the very reason that we need to buy American when we can. We need to support our friends and neighbors and keep them working. By purchasing products from our nation, we are helping keep the American Dream alive.