About USA Made Products

Who runs this site

I'm Dave Hurley, and I've run USA Made Products for more than 15 years from Caldwell, Idaho, researching, compiling and updating lists of companies that make products here in the USA.

My background is in industry. I worked as a maintenance manager at Land O'Lakes and as a service representative for Cerexagri-Decco, so plants, production lines and the equipment that runs them are familiar ground.

Some of the companies I list make products that are 100% American made. Most use a mix of US and imported parts and materials, and many don't say where their products are made at all. Sorting that out is most of the work, and it's why every listing says what is made here and what isn't.

You can also find me on LinkedIn.

How companies are checked

• Where it's made. Each listing names the US town where the company makes or assembles its products, and what is made there. When parts or whole product lines come from other countries, the listing says so.
• Sources. We start with the company's own website, product pages and FAQ, then confirm with other sources: news and trade press, factory tour videos, government records and import data. Every listing links its sources.
• Dates. Each listing shows the month it was last checked. Companies move production, so a listing is a snapshot as of that date.
• Who gets listed. Companies that make or assemble products in the USA, plus shops that sell American-made goods. A company that is headquartered here but makes its products elsewhere is listed only when that helps readers, and the listing says so plainly.

Made in USA levels

Each listing gets one level from 0 to 5, our assessment of how much of that work happens in the USA. A level describes the products in that listing, so a company listed in several categories can have a different level in each. Featured spots on section pages repeat a company's main listing and carry no level of their own.

When only some of a company's products are made here, the level rates the US-made products in the listing, and the listing says plainly which products are imported, for example "Imported: some accessories."

1. Level 5: Made in USA

   All or virtually all of the product is made in the USA from US parts and materials. Any foreign content is negligible. This is the FTC standard for an unqualified "Made in USA" claim.

   Example: Hand tools forged and finished in one US plant from US steel.

   Shown as: gold star with a 5

2. Level 4: Made in USA with imported parts

   The product is substantially manufactured here, with real fabrication, machining or molding in a US plant, but some significant parts or materials are imported.

   Example: Outdoor TVs whose housings are built, sealed and assembled in a US factory around imported display panels.

   Shown as: silver star with a 4

3. Level 3: Assembled in USA

   Final assembly happens in the USA, but most of the parts are imported. The work done here is mainly putting the product together, testing and packing it.

   Example: Smart TVs put together in a US plant from kits of imported screens and circuit boards.

   Shown as: bronze star with a 3

4. Level 2: Engineered in USA

   The products are designed, engineered or tested in the USA by a substantial US team, but manufactured in other countries.

   Example: A phone maker with large US engineering centers whose phones are assembled overseas.

   Shown as: light blue star with a 2

5. Level 1: US company only

   The company is based in the USA, but its products are designed and made elsewhere.

   Example: A US-headquartered brand that sources finished goods from overseas factories.

   Shown as: outlined star with a 1

6. Level 0: Not made in USA

   No US manufacturing, assembly or engineering of any kind. We use this level to answer the question when a brand is often thought to be American made but isn't.

   Example: A brand with an American-sounding name and flag graphics whose products are all made and designed abroad.

   Shown as: empty star with a 0

What a level is, and isn't

• It's our assessment, not a certification. We don't visit factories or test products. A level sums up what the sources linked in the listing show, as of the date it was checked.
• Companies don't take part or pay. No company asks for, reviews or pays for its level, and featured spots aren't paid for. Companies can't display a level as a seal or badge.
• It follows the FTC's terms. Under FTC rules, an unqualified "Made in USA" claim means all or virtually all of a product is made here (level 5). "Made in USA with imported parts" (level 4) and "Assembled in USA" (level 3) are qualified claims. Our level describes what we found, which may differ from what a company's label says.
• It can change. If a company moves production in or out of the USA, its level moves with it at the next check.
• Not every listing has a level yet. Levels are being added section by section. A listing without one simply hasn't been rated yet.

How the site is paid for

The site earns money from ads and from affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates and Walmart: some links pay us a commission when you buy, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Commissions never decide whether a company is listed or what level it gets. Companies that don't sell through any program we take part in are listed the same way.

Corrections

If you think a listing or level is wrong, or a company has moved production, please contact us and include a link to your source. Company owners can use the same form to update a listing, change its image or ask for removal.