Demand Domestic:

The American economy has changed in 2024.

As the quality of products sourced overseas is ever-changing and international shipping costs continue their continue their upward trend towards $20,000 per container (increasing by 140% just this year), the demand for domestically manufactured products is on the rise. Other economic pressures at home, such as housing shortages, mean that domestically manufactured products are desperately needed.   

That’s why Barry Zekelman, alongside the Zekelman family of companies, is excited to unveil a brand-new campaign: Demand Domestic. Every Zekelman company is committed to supporting domestic manufacturing by producing high-quality steel pipe and tube products in an efficient and ethical manner.  

“Demanding domestic is vital to our communities, customers, and our teammates,” says Zekelman. “Domestic manufacturing is important to our country because it supports American jobs, American communities, and American prosperity.”  

Let’s look at the three ways domestic manufacturing makes America a better place for citizens, consumers, and workers. 

Domestic manufacturing strengthens local economies 

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, domestic manufacturing accounted for 10.1% of the American economy’s value-added output in Q1 of 2024. By making products in the United States, companies are adding value to the communities that they operate in. In fact, for every $1 spent in manufacturing, $2.69 is added to the overall economy. That’s why Zekelman has invested so heavily in making its facilities the best and safest places to work.  

“We’ve invested well over $200 million to produce electrical conduit here, along with rigid conduit and hot-dip galvanized products,” says Zekelman, referring to Wheatland/Western Tube’s new, state-of-the-art facility in Rochelle, Illinois. “We’re very proud to have the most automated, hands-free facility in the world. [We’re] protecting our teammates, keeping them safe, and producing our product in the most environmentally friendly and efficient manner possible.”  

Although Zekelman facilities are safe, environmentally friendly, and provide gainful employment for teammates, producers overseas seldom share Zekelman’s teammate-first mindset and commitment to excellence. Many other manufacturers across the industry regularly engage in exploitative labor arrangements, dirty manufacturing practices, environmental degradation, fraudulent product certification processes, and economic sabotage to undercut American businesses.  

“When we bring products from overseas, we’re supporting all the things that this country stands against. [Overseas manufacturers are] exploiting labor, polluting the environment, and robbing our own communities of the very jobs that they need to survive and prosper,” says Zekelman. “When you buy product from Zekelman Industries, you can be assured that you’re buying product that is sourced domestically, down to every nut and screw that we use in our facilities… we’re also supporting high paying jobs, paying taxes… and supporting our communities through charitable donations.”  

Domestic products are safer and higher quality 

With the extensive oversight, rigorous quality certification, and advanced manufacturing processes that producers like Zekelman engage in, buyers can be certain that they’re getting the highest quality materials available. “We certify our product to the regulatory requirements and the highest quality standards available, unlike many others,” says Zekelman. “[Our products] go into mission-critical circumstances like hospitals, energy plants, nuclear plants, oil refineries, food processing plants, and our transportation grid. We can’t have failures there. [These facilities] depend on our product being perfect.” Overseas producers have demonstrated that they are willing and able to provide fake certifications for their products, resulting in significant risk of failure or injury when placed into these critical environments that citizens rely on every day.  

Even the builders and engineers who directly work with Zekelman’s products understand the significance of using high-quality, American-made materials in their projects. For example, the fully annealed pipe and tube made by the Zekelman family of companies is made to cut and thread better for less wear-and-tear on equipment.   

“If you’re a contractor, you understand that the total cost of the product isn’t just what you purchase the raw material at, but it’s how you finish installing it,” says Zekelman. “It’s the total cost of installation. Cheap isn’t cheap. It’s expensive. By buying domestic… you’re getting exactly what you want when you want, and you can be assured that the quality is there. We certify our product in the highest quality labs, and our certification is available to you instantaneously. I guarantee that you can depend on it.”  

Buying domestic is better for the environment 

When a builder begins a new project, the carbon footprint of their newest structure is often of importance to the community they are working in. Oftentimes, that means purchasing materials like structural steel, conduit, EMT, and EC&N domestically instead of internationally. “Our product is made of the highest quality steel and is produced in pipe manufacturing facilities that have the lowest CO2 emissions in the world,” says Zekelman. In addition to the dirty manufacturing methods employed by overseas producers, transporting these goods significantly increases pollution and environmental decay. All international cargo ships are slow, inefficient, and run on the dirtiest fossil fuels. These ships often take months to cross the ocean and pass-through customs, delaying projects and slowing down progress on sorely needed infrastructure. When combined with the environmentally degrading way that subpar quality foreign steel is already produced, the environmental cost of shipping makes the carbon footprint of internationally produced steel untenable for many projects in North America. “By buying domestic, you’re eliminating a lot of the risk,” says Zekelman. “You’re not tying up as much capital. You’re shortening your lead time significantly. You’re getting exactly what you want when you want it, and you can be assured that the quality is there.” 

How to demand domestic 

The Zekelman family of companies always strives to put its customers and teammates first, to operate honestly and transparently, to build products that buyers and builders can believe in, and to support American communities by stimulating local economies. “When you buy domestically,” Zekelman says, “you support communities that you live in, work in, and play in.”  

“Demand Domestic. It’s more important now than ever.”  

Learn more about how you can Demand Domestic for your next project: https://www.zekelman.com/demand-domestic/