American Made In Your Hometown

By Rusty Weiss

Nearly fifty years ago, Sam Walton opened the first of his Wal-Mart stores with a business plan tightly focused on American-made products. CEO, Mike Duke recently announced that, while the chain had formerly abandoned that focus in the name of cheaper prices, they have returned to their American roots, stocking a majority of products that are made in the United States. Experts remain skeptical.Today we may be witnessing the birth of a modern-day Walton whose intentions leave no doubt. Todd Scaccia, has not only opened one store, but he is determined to open a chain of department stores that sell American-made products exclusively. The first such facility has opened in upstate New York. Aptly named Hometown USA, the store operates under a business plan that assumes "most of us would choose American-made over foreign imported products." Limiting inventory to one type of product can create pitfalls for any company, especially a startup such as this. The store will no doubt have to compete against larger chains that can offer imported.... (Read Full Article)