If you've begun to look for new furnishings for your hotel property, you know that there are a myriad of choices, both from U.S. manufacturers and from overseas-based furniture makers.
However, opting for furniture crafted "Made in America" is not just a patriotic slogan. Such a move can improve your appearance to potential guests, eliminate unnecessary headaches, and even impact your bottom line.
10 Reasons to Buy American Made Hospitality Furniture:
- Shorter delivery times.
- Marketing advantage.
- Lower shipping costs.
- Shipping damage is eliminated.
- Environmental impact is reduced.
- Re-ordering is made simpler.
- Last minute changes are accommodated when possible.
- Longer warranty.
- Factory provided storage.
- More durable finishes.
1. Shorter Delivery Times:
When you order furniture from overseas, you will experience a much longer lead time (roughly 12 - 16+ weeks) for delivery of your goods.
Your casegoods will shipped to a foreign port and then travel by freighter to a U.S. port. Upon arrival, the container will have to clear U.S. customs before being shipped via rail or truck to your location; this will oftentimes add to your estimated lead time as products will be “held up in port” for additional inspection and security clearance.
2. Marketing Advantage:
"Made in USA" continues to be a strong marketing message as consumers look to preserve U.S. jobs and boost the local economy.
When you choose a U.S. manufacturer for your hotel furnishings, you can use this fact in your hotel marketing material.
Consumers are increasingly willing to choose a company that locally-sources its materials than one that gets all of its components from overseas companies.
3. Lower Shipping Costs:
Not only is shipping furniture from overseas time-consuming, but all of those steps involved in getting your furniture from another country to the United States costs money -- which, in some cases, can make imported furniture much more expensive than their Made-in-USA counterparts.
4. Shipping Damage is Eliminated:
The rule of thumb when ordering from China is to order 10% more to account for damage incurred during shipping.
Sounds like wasted money, right?
When you order domestically, you don’t have to worry about factoring damage considerations into your order.
5. Environmental Impact is Reduced:
In the United States, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulates the use of new and existing chemicals. This includes the toxic flame retardant chemicals often found in imported furniture.
Fire retardants (PBDEs) are added to furniture containing flammable polyurethane foam. Such as couches, upholstered chairs, futons, and carpet padding.
Health effects of flame retardants include:
- Fertility problems
- Birth defects
- Hormone disruptions
- Cancer
Most importantly, your furniture shouldn’t pose a threat to guests health and safety.
6. Re-Ordering is Made Simpler:
If you need to re-order down the road due to guest abuse of furniture, normal wear and tear, or modern design considerations -- it will be much easier with a company who has become a true partner in your efforts.
That company will retain all of your engineering drawings, so reproducing on small volume or attic stock is easier (and more worth it) when you don’t have to worry about the overseas headaches mentioned above.
7. Last Minute Changes Are Accommodated When Possible:
Even with the best designers and manufacturers on your team, mistakes get made and need to be accounted for.
Working with a domestic partner makes it much easier to correct these mistakes, even relatively late in the process, without too much of a time or monetary penalty.
8. Longer Warranty:
A standard warranty for domestically produced hotel furniture is 5 years. This is much longer than a standard warranty on imported furniture.
Think about how many guests and staff will be in contact with the furniture over that period of time, it’s important to make sure you’re covered against normal wear-and-tear.
9. Factory Provided Storage:
With a domestic partner (who can handle large volume production), you’re able to have what you need, and only what you need, delivered exactly when you need it.
This yields huge man power and money savings. How? You don’t have to unload, store, and then handle furniture again to bring it into the room. When one person is manufacturing, shipping, and installing your furniture -- money, time, and headache is saved.
10. More Durable Finishes:
Our finishes are much more durable than our overseas’ counterparts. Not only is this important in reducing the signs of wear and tear, it also makes cleaning and maintaining your furniture easier on the staff.
Learn the Difference that Domestic Can Make For You
Contact us for information on exactly how American made furniture can make a difference for your hotel, and your next project.
