You probably have yet to think of rubber gaskets before reading this blog. 
Maybe you’ve flexed your DIY muscles and repaired a leaky faucet, but most Americans will go their entire life without giving rubber gaskets much thought.
But rubber gaskets are far more important than you’d ever imagine. They enable the modern-day water infrastructure that delivers water to over 131 million households – water we use each and every day to drink, cook, shower, wash clothes, and even fill our swimming pools.
And they’re made right here in America – at Spec Rubber.
Here’s how American-made gaskets are just some of the homegrown products fueling economic prosperity for families and communities today (and how you do your part to help).
America’s Economic Powerhouse Is Still Made in the USA
In the 1950s, America stood alone at the top of the global economy. Domestic manufacturing was the juggernaut that helped the U.S. fuel the Allied victory in World War II and carved out the most significant era of prosperity the country had ever seen.
However, economic conditions over the next three decades, coupled with the rise of globalization, would allow the rest of the world to catch up. Soon, America transitioned to a service economy, and homeland manufacturing was in danger of becoming an afterthought.
Spec Rubber was founded in that golden era of manufacturing and has persisted through the sector’s ups and downs because of the same reason we’re still around today: people still want and need American-made products.
Today, the “Made in the USA” label helps provide jobs and keep money here in the States instead of going abroad.
As of June 2023, American manufacturing:
- Provides almost 13 million jobs
- Generates over $2.5 trillion in economic impact
- Exports over $1.4 trillion in products to the global market
- Accounts for nearly 17% of the world’s manufacturing output
- Ranks second in the world
Nearly 100 of those 13 million jobs are right here at Spec Rubber. Every paycheck our teammates earn goes back into the local community, which helps every local business and their workers.
When we buy locally, we’re helping our families, friends, and neighbors flourish.
How American Safety Regulations Keep Our Water Clean
Buying local isn’t just about economic growth; it’s also about maintaining the clean water we depend on.
It is not always guaranteed that foreign-made products meet the highest quality standards. (That’s an understatement.) You never really know how an imported product – like a water pipe gasket – is manufactured. Was the process free from contaminants? Will the gasket fail earlier than it should, causing costly leaks? Will it leach harmful substances into our water supply?
These are all questions that are impossible to answer for most foreign-made goods. There’s a long history of inadequate imported products and materials failing Americans, from cheap Chinese drywall to food created in unsanitary conditions.
But gaskets made here in the USA have to abide by strict standards and regulations that govern everything from structural integrity and longevity to the health impacts of the substances we use.
Our water supply is too important to leave up to manufacturers outside our borders who don’t have to use it. Local manufacturers like Spec Rubber drink the same water as you. Our families depend on it just like yours do.
Keeping it safe is our number one priority – something foreign companies can’t say.
Why Buying American-Made Products Helps the Consumer
Finally, when you turn to companies like Spec Rubber, you will get a higher-level customer experience.
It’s not always easy to get help from a company that relies on foreign customer service reps or whose offices are thousands of miles away.
Nothing is more frustrating than needing assistance and having it delayed. (We’ve all been there before.) But local companies are more accessible and available. Our people are easier to contact and visit, making every step of the sales and service processes more convenient.
Businesses that buy local have manufacturers in their corner, right in their backyard – and that’s something you just can’t find elsewhere.
Rubber gaskets for water pipes made here in the USA aren’t just for protecting water. They’re also better for the environment, local communities, and businesses.
That’s what gaskets can do – and now, you’ll always remember it.
