WESTFIELD – Sometimes, buying American-made products can be a struggle.
They are often hard to find, and when you find them, they cost more. At Betts Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., buying American is a commitment the family-owned company made years ago.
“We strive to buy American when possible,” said owner Kim Rexford. “Our fittings are American-made and we carry some faucets and toilets that are domestic, including Symmons, which is made here in Massachusetts.”
At Betts, they try to keep their products not only American-made, but as local as possible.
“We try to buy American, and try even more to keep it in the Northeast,” Rexford said.
Rexford said there is a cost associated with buying American-made products and most customers are looking for the best price, without concern about where it was made.
“When you go to a store and pick up a fitting, you don’t know if it’s American-made,” said Rexford. “If you come here and buy it, it may be higher (priced) and the reason why is imported is about half the price of domestic.”
Rexford said consumers who care about buying American should ask questions. If a product is not marked with the country it was made in, people should ask.
“Consumers need to be informed,” she said.
Rexford said the cost of imported versus domestic products is getting closer. There used to be an even bigger gap in the cost of items made in countries like China versus America. She added that products made in Canada and Mexico are actually considered domestic.
“More and more, imported is coming closer to price-matching domestic products,” said Rexford.
Rexford said some people only care about the bottom line, and she understands that in this economy. However, she said there are consumers who want to buy American when they can. Rexford added that costs of services are sometimes different because of where the products they use are made.
“One contractor may be higher than another because they use American made products, or sustainable wood,” said Rexford. “You can’t always assume someone charges more simply because they earn more. People need to ask why they charge more.”
Rexford said she recently did the same thing for Betts.
“I looked at our office supplies and realized we were buying from a large supply store and switched to a local store,” she said. “If we want to make our economy grow in America and Massachusetts, we have to support local business.”
Betts has been in business for 50 years and could have grown beyond Westfield.
“We have chosen to stay a small, community business,” said Rexford. “It is a conscious decision because we don’t want to be so big that the person at the top doesn’t know what’s going on in the community.”
Betts Plumbing and Heating Supply Company is located at 77 Coleman Avenue and is open to the public.
