“Bicycles in Ohio”
As the CEO and owner of my grandfather’s company, it is my job to make sure it is operating at maximum profitability and efficiency. At today’s meeting, one of the vice presidents of the company mentioned the idea of moving the factory international, specifically somewhere in Asia like China, India, or Bangladesh. “By moving to an international low-wage country” he says, “my profits will triple at a fraction of the cost.” The idea of moving over sea’s sparked my imagination and decided to look further into the idea. It turns out my products would receive little to no reduction in quality and the workers would be paid much less and would not receive any form of health insurance, resulting in more profit in my pocket. The downside is that the Ohio plant would not be able to remain open and 2,000 of my longtime employees would now be jobless and the local economy would most likely take a major hit. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that I will not be moving internationally and the Ohio plant will remain open! If I was to move my company overseas I would make a lot of money from the decision. The company that my grandfather built from the ground up was not money driven, it was built for the love of bicycle making. The company has not gotten where it is today on the dollar of tomorrow; only by the love of bike building.
Even though the decision to move international would bring a lot of wealth, it also brings a lot of self-individualism. Companies that go international are self-propelled by their own self-interest. I believe by staying in Ohio my company will stand out among the other bicycle companies. I believe by being able to stamp, “Made in USA” is a very important attribute to the

making of my bicycles. The stamp is an icon, representing factory jobs that still remain in the United States. “Made in USA,” ensures you are receiving a unique product. If I was to take my company elsewhere and stamping “Made in China,” on my bicycles, I would now fall under a huge curtain full of other bike companies. A company’s name no longer matters and the consumer is now searching for the cheapest bicycle possible. Being an American company operating in the USA is a selling point and some customers will pay more if they know it comes from home.
Keeping the plant in Ohio will help my 2,000 employees, whom which I have come to know over my lifetime. These employees are more than just workers, they are my friends, some of which I have grown up with. The Ohio plant secures 2,000 American jobs that can be passed on to future employees. Without these jobs, 2,000 workers would be jobless, and in a tough job market, finding a new job would be very difficult. Again, I will not outsource my company to China, or any-place like it. I will remain faithful to my hard working employees. Without them I would not be where I am today.