Why we make our products in the USA

"Common sense is not common".  

When we started Aura, we knew we had to conceive core values to adhere to.  A few of these are :

• promotion of outdoor adventures & active lifestyles
• advance the sport of rock climbing
• make all products in the USA

A majority of other companies in this space of "adventure apparel / gear" outsource their manufacturing to far reaching countries but are considered American companies.  We are not part of this statistic.

Deliberate in not researching for efficiencies and advantages of outsourcing, we stand for a bold statement : make 100% of our products in the USA.

In business school, you are taught to follow the rule of efficiency and profit maximizing for the purpose of returning your profits in to the economy (Related: Friedman doctrine).  We believe in more of a value forward thinking for operating Aura and why we choose to make all of our products in the USA:

1)  Ease of communication

Having no major time zone difference or language barrier is huge in our book.  No need to wake up at midnight for time zone changes or worry about differences in language terms.

Staying with a domestic production means you are able to visit your production factory without an international 14 hour flight.  Need a correction or verification on your product?  Sometimes all it takes is a short drive or couple hour flight to speak to the team that is actually producing your goods.

2)  Making a difference

We come from humble beginnings.  We are not VC or bank funded - we are bootstrapping Aura to its full potential.  Since we've experience this hustle, we are pumped to be at the stage where we can help other entrepreneurs in the same situation. 

The bottom line on the financial books is not the only thing that matters.  We believe in providing opportunities and boosting growth for other domestic companies because together we can collectively make for a better country.

3)  Faster lead times

There are significant advantages to manufacturing domestically, a major one being the difference of lead times between overseas and domestic production.  

Yes, some overseas facilities have the capability to produce a large order quicker than a domestic factory.  However, you must also consider the shipping time on a cargo ship as well as U.S. Customs delays.  In the end, it is our experience that the times come out very similar and in many cases the US manufacturer is faster with less headaches.

4)  More flexible ordering

We've experienced that American factories have the same entrepreneurial spirit as we do.  They will go the extra mile and use technology, customer service, and breaks for us to build loyalty and grow their own business.  

This all translates to more options and modifiers when making our orders with our factories.  It's all a win-win situation where we are able to get high quality products and the factory gains a returning order.

Join us on our journey as we grow to make amazing products here in the USA. #adventuremore