Brevard’s Barnlight Electric Highlighted In CNBC Story Focused On Made in USA Goods
By Space Coast Daily // August 25, 2015
EDITOR’S NOTE: The below story, which sources and highlights Brevard County’s Barnlight Electric, was published on Tuesday by CNBC.com and focuses on some small U.S. manufacturers which have found a niche selling unique Made in USA products. In just seven short years, the company has grown from a small business to one of America’s leading lighting manufacturers specializing in porcelain enamel.
How One U.S. Manufacturer Is Buffering Against China
CNBC.com – As global stock markets rebounded Tuesday despite China’s continued selloff, the focus now is on China’s economy and whether leaders can engineer a smooth slowdown.
With little hope of a surge in consumer-led domestic demand, China is turning to its old standby model of exporting more goods.
Amid this backdrop, at least one pocket of American manufacturing isn’t waiting breathlessly for details on the health of China’s economy. Some small U.S. manufacturers have found a niche selling unique “Made in USA” goods in locations from Dubai to Hong Kong. Years ago, these small companies saw Chinese wages rising steadily.
They did the supply chain math and made a bet to make products on U.S. soil. And are now reaping the rewards of not being tethered to China’s wage pressures, or the costly travel and time associated with transporting goods from Asian manufacturing hubs.
These local U.S. companies noticed manufacturing price shifts in China and the U.S., and made a bet to play the global market with a domestic hand. And for some of these businesses, the gamble so far is paying off.
“Our Asia market is strong,” says Bryan Scott, owner of Barn Light Electric, a small lighting manufacturer with plant operations in Titusville, Florida, and Melbourne, Australia.
Barn Light Electric specializes in American-made warehouse style lighting. Think cool copper lighting fixtures, porcelain lamp shades and unique wall sconces.
