“Manufactured in the USA” vs. “Made in the USA”

Understand why these two statements can be different

A lot of church chair manufacturers will tell you their chairs are made in the USA. Unfortunately, this phrase can be misleading to customers.

Although “made in the USA” means the final product is constructed in the United States, parts of the chair, such as the frame and upholstery, are likely manufactured overseas.

Even more misleading is the statement: “our chairs are made in America.” With several well-known church chair brands, this actually means their chairs are made south of the border. Obviously, this does not provide jobs for American workers.

Manufactured in the USA

Bertolini custom chairs are manufactured in the USA. That means our chairs are built from the ground up in the United States of America by American workers.

In the case of Bertolini custom chairs, not only are the chairs manufactured in the USA we also use materials that are made exclusively by USA-based suppliers. We feel privileged to work with some of the finest suppliers so we can guarantee the best materials go into every chair. This allows us to keep our quality standards high and to help keep Americans working.

Bertolini does offer a few, less expensive, quick-ship chairs with some parts that are manufactured in foreign countries. However, more than 90% of our supplies come from U.S. based suppliers and the chairs are still manufactured by American workers. We are proud to say that even the chairs with some imported materials help to support the American economy.

Why it Matters

American Pride

When you buy from a company that manufactures in the USA, you are supporting American workers, feeding American families, and contributing to the American economy.

Price

Chairs manufactured in foreign countries might currently cost less than chairs manufactured in the USA. However, international politics can be a factor. For example, tariffs may cause a price increase at any time, and prices can fluctuate. And freight costs can be daunting as well. In fact, overseas manufacturers continue to raise prices due to increases in freight charges.

Quality control

When a manufacturer builds every part of the chair, the company can do more quality assurance testing. That’s why chairs manufactured in the USA often have a strong warranty.

Lead times

Church chairs manufactured in the USA have an average standard lead time of 8 weeks. Chairs manufactured overseas often have an average lead time of 12 to 16 weeks. That lead time can get even longer depending on the time of year and other international challenges.*

*This is an estimate because lead times can fluctuate. For current lead times, check with your sales representative.