Built To Last

It's not hard to see the difference in quality between these two potato mashers. 

One of them is a "vintage" masher that is much sought after and worth the cost

on eBay. The other is a cheap, expendable item currently found in supermarkets 

and "big box" stores. We've had the good one for decades. It was built to last.

I've been seriously considering an industry or actually more of an industry concept that could fundamentally change manufacturing and marketing as we know it. It's not a new idea, though, but one that would be renewed or revived. The concept is called: Built To Last.

This is an idea that is ripe for implementation because there are many people who are truly concerned about the way consumables are manufactured and marketed and who want to make a difference. Now, I know I'm not going to change everybody's mind, but I sincerely believe that there are enough people who desire such a change that this concept can be implemented... however I can't do this alone.

There are a number of reasons why Built To Last should be implemented. Here are a few:

1) There is a niche in the consumer market of those who really want (and would pay for) tools, professional equipment, vehicles, sporting goods, consumer electronics and so forth. I am one of them. We want to own and use items of premium quality, but such items are getting more difficult to find - unless you buy "vintage" or "legacy" items, many of which are used and getting hard to find.

2) The concept of Built To Last is also an environmentally conscious movement. Much of what is currently manufactured is made as cheaply as possible - using plastic and minimal amounts of metals... and even then, the materials that are used break or wear easily. The practice of "programmed obsolescence" has become more commonplace, so essentially many consumer items are expendable. This is unacceptable on many levels. Manufacturers of these items have their reasons, but at the core it amounts to greed. We need to rethink and retool our manufacturing process, if nothing more, to minimize the introduction of toxic chemicals into our atmosphere and groundwater via manufacturing and landfills.

3) Manufacturing takes energy - lots of it. At a time when we are expected to turn off lights and appliances and purchase energy efficient consumables to replace those that are less efficient, many of us don't even consider the energy that is used in manufacturing. Many of the items that we are replacing the old and "less efficient" ones use manufacturing processes and procurement of raw resources that guzzle large amounts of energy and require mining of rare or diminishing minerals.

4) Revival of a dying industry. When was the last time you brought a consumer electronics item to the repair shop for servicing? Many consumers in the past couple of decades have resorted to simply discarding an older item because it quit working or "became obsolete." This practice is not only wasteful, but has resulted in putting repair professionals out of work. You would be hard pressed to find a repair shop now, even if you wanted to get your item repaired or otherwise serviced. At one time, I worked at an electronics repair shop and the older items were designed in such a way that they could be adjusted and moving parts replaced. While I was working there, a new wave of electronics started hitting the market that were lighter, more fragile (chintzy) and not engineered for repairability. Even the simple act of repairing a drive belt or fuse (each costing only a few cents) became not even worth the trouble anymore because you could simply go out and buy another chintzy item for about the same price as it would be to change the belt. Why not have a quality device to begin with - one that was worth repairing? This shift in manufacturing and marketing is going to make some waves though, because it will reduce the amount of workers who work at factories that churn out a constant stream of trashy products. This shift will open up another industry of workers... actual skilled workers who repair, adjust, clean and calibrate rather than the current industries (many of which are outsourced overseas sweatshops of unskilled laborers).

5) Promoting quality manufacturing practices will bring more  manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and will enable such industries to pay more laborers a living wage. There will also be a greater need for educated and skilled workers in the fields of engineering and design as well as research and development.

This concept has many layers, facets and degrees. In the next few weeks or months, I plan on starting this campaign on social media, starting with a Facebook page and I will probably post my ideas on a blog. This is more than just an idea, but a process, which will evolve and be subject to refinement, just as any endeavor where whatever the end result is quality - Built To Last!