Industry Book Review
Making It In America:
The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How It Got That Way)
Author: Rachel Slade / Reviewer: Dave Gardner
In her book, Rachel Slade chronicles the challenges of domestic manufacturing in the USA through the story of Ben and Whitney Waxman, two tireless idealists attempting to do the impossible: produce an American-made, union-made, all-American-sourced sweatshirt — an American hoodie. Ben and Whitney are a couple determined to create an ethically-made sweatshirt entirely in the United States. This is a deeply personal account of the Waxmans’ quest to change the world even as they navigated private struggles, international trade wars, and the global COVID pandemic.
Pantheon/Penguin Random House,
release date January 9, 2024.
Throughout the book, readers will grapple with what "Made in the USA" really means to Americans in the twenty-first century. Rachel explores the decline of American manufacturing and the complex factors that make domestic production difficult. Her storytelling — through a blend of personal narrative, historical analysis, and economic insight — and her ability to make complex economic issues relatable to a broad audience are commendable and make this book a compelling read.
Making It In America is a moving and eye-opening look at the story of manufacturing in America, whether it can ever successfully return to our shores or not, and why our nation depends on it. It’s told through the experience of one young couple in Maine as they attempt to rebuild a lost industry, ethically.
Rachel Slade addresses the history of American manufacturing and the forces that led to its decline, including globalization, trade policies, and automation. She looks closely at the human cost of deindustrialization, as communities grapple with job losses and economic hardship, and the challenges and opportunities of ethical manufacturing in the United States, including issues of labor practices, sustainability, and consumer demand.
David Billstrom, Flashing Red Light, Advisor to Leaders, Coach, Passionate about Making in the U.S.A. says, “Rachel Slade is one of a small group of journalists, thought leaders, and activists helping keep ‘Made in USA apparel’ in the USA.
It isn't easy, because ecommerce and brick/mortar transactions are driven by expensive marketing.
Every U.S. brand I know (and I know 172 now) can either spend money making here... or marketing here. But not both.
Rachel's done a beautiful job here, and this deserves your attention.”
Making It In America has received positive reviews, being praised for its blend of personal narrative, historical analysis, and economic insight. Rachel's storytelling and her ability to make complex economic issues relatable to a broad audience are commendable.
She presents a story in “Making It in America,” featuring Ben Waxman, a former union official and political consultant who decided in 2015 to start a business with his wife, Whitney. They mortgaged their home in Maine to fund American Roots.
Westbrook (Portland), Maine–based American Roots: Ben (Founder) & Whitney (President/COO) Waxman
Rachel writes, “Together, they would bring apparel manufacturing back to America. They would be uncompromising in their commitment to domestic sourcing and the welfare of their employees.”
They began with a hoodie sweatshirt designed to fit large men who are doing physical jobs in harsh weather, a product whose manufacture required 54 operations on six different kinds of sewing machines. At $80 per hoodie, it was too expensive for the retail market, so Ben sold it to labor unions that were delighted to offer its members a garment made by union workers in the U.S.
An excerpt from “Making It In America”
“When Ben and Whitney decided to make hoodies, they weren’t thinking about the garment’s cultural significance. They were thinking about how’d they find homegrown components necessary to produce their goods. A big part of their mission was to help rebuild the domestic supply chain that atrophied when needlework was exported. They weren’t going to settle for foreign-made parts.”
They began with a hoodie sweatshirt designed to fit large men who are doing physical jobs in harsh weather, a product whose manufacture required 54 operations on six different kinds of sewing machines. At $80 per hoodie, it was too expensive for the retail market, so Ben sold it to labor unions that were delighted to offer its members a garment made by union workers in the U.S.
Ben and Whitney brought on industry expert Marty Bailey as a consultant to re-configure their factory for high-production manufacturing. Fast Company had called Marty the “Forest Gump” of manufacturing since he had been everywhere and seen everything in the apparel industry during his four decades with Fruit of the Loom and the Los Angeles-based American Apparel.
When so many of the things that we buy are now made overseas, the question of whether manufacturing in America can ever make a comeback is a big one.
Ben attended the wake in western Pennsylvania and then the funeral in Washington, DC for Richard Trumka who had served as president of both the United Mine Workers (UMWA) from 1982-1995 and the AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the U.S., from 2009 until his death on August 5, 2021. After the funeral and at the airport in Washington, Ben and the former Boston Mayor (2014-2021) and the current U.S. Labor Secretary (2021-2023) Marty Walsh (a big fan of Ben) reminisced and talked politics.
Walsh cited American Roots’ pivot to making masks during the pandemic as an example of the critical role the apparel industry plays in the nation’s infrastructure. But to bring apparel-making back to the U.S., he put the responsibility on consumers.
“There has to be a sense of pride. American people really need to focus and support American-made products, particularly when it comes to clothes because these industries are not easy to bring back.”
Walsh added, “I’m one of those people who buys clothes because of where they’re made. The brand for me is America.”
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