MADE IN THE USA.
Time and time again, we hear the same old rhetoric of "Made in America" or "Made in the USA" being one of the biggest marketing wanks used to whip the "fanboys" in to a frenzy. This apparently means top quality which also apparently means the right for you to be overcharged and all in the name of "Made in America". The fact still remains, that assembled in America doesn't mean it's actually manufactured in America or that the quality is any different to products produced in countries outside of America. But you will never know, because every single one of them claim that their products are 100% Manufactured in America...
In over a decade of supplying and installing automotive warning lights, we routinely order in competitor products from all over the world so that we can test, compare, learn and innovate. Country of origin makes absolutely no difference when quality control and choice of materials are specified and determined by brands and companies like REDFLEET. We together with our partner manufacturers and suppliers determine what grade of raw materials and electronic components are used to produce our products for our own Australian market and ultimately, we cover the warranty of what we decide to supply in Australia.
Even products that are manufactured in America have some form of raw material and/or electronic components that are produced in countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea and India. After shipping these materials and components to the US, most of these US brands proceed to assemble and configure the parts into "American" made products. The reality that you have to accept is, that you are paying for a brand, and of course the innovation behind that product design and it's technology not necessarily for a better quality or performance in product.
Yes, it is very true that there are plenty of subpar quality products saturating the online market all over the world, but the reality is, there will always be different tiers of consumers that are willing to spend different amounts of money on their fit-outs. Some are happy to pick up a cheap beacon from the local "two dollar" shop, others believe that their local Automotive Chain Stores must be selling top notch gear because they are charging Recommend Retail Prices and some others think they are savvy as they search on eBay for a bargain.
We aim to be somewhere in the middle in terms of price but yet we offer the same caliber of warranty like the big brands of America. We believe warranty speaks for quality, so we decided to put our money where our mouth is. In terms of performance, SAE standards usually focus on the minimum brightness and performance benchmarks that a product should feature, but it can be dangerous if products become too bright especially at night. In terms of features, many of the big American branded products come with a whole catalog list of features, customization and options that Australians simply don't need, will never use and/or won't even be legally permitted to use in Australia. So why pay more for that ?
As we are Australian, not American, we should all consider what is right for our fleets, and not just blindly follow the rhetoric and end up wasting valuable funds on something that your fleet really doesn't need or will never use. There are plenty of Australian alternatives that offer a fair price, supporting local Australian businesses and growing Australian brand identities.
Here at REDFLEET, we don't ever bullshit you to say that our products are made in Australia, yes, some are assembled or customised here, but at the end of the day we are not manufacturers. We work with both local Australian and foreign suppliers to source our unique product range bringing you the best possible balance of quality, performance, capability, functionality and value for money for your fleet.
Most importantly, if something does go wrong with your product, it doesn't have to go back to the US or to another country. We will fix or replace your product right here in Australia and take care of you.
As honest as we can be, from time to time we do make a mistake and select a product that doesn't survive our Australian conditions and requirements. When this happens, we work with customers on a replacement solution ensuring an acceptable outcome.
