Opinion | A Factory in Maine Proves ‘Made in America’ Is Still Possible

I spent time on the shop floor and in the homes of their dedicated workers, many of whom are new Americans, who, with their families, had fled untenable, dangerous situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Angola and other countries, and had found themselves in Maine, eager to build new lives there.

While I was learning about the ups and downs of the textile and apparel industry, I was also introduced to labor history. Ben Waxman had spent a decade at the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the largest federation of unions in the country, representing 12.5 million workers, working closely with President Richard Trumka. During that time, he witnessed the impact of offshoring with his own eyes, standing shoulder to shoulder with factory men and women as their livelihoods were shipped abroad and their pensions dwindled.

Haunted by what Ben had seen, he and Whitney made sure their employees were unionized from the get-go, that their workers earned a living wage, and received health insurance, vacation time, and sick leave to care for themselves and their families. “Our company’s economic philosophy is ‘Profit over greed,’ ” he told me. “We have to make a profit, but it will never be at the expense of our workers, our values or our products.” In that way, the Waxmans were well positioned to attract and retain a work force in a tight labor market.

Since founding American Roots, Ben and Whitney have helped to lift families out of poverty by offering a pathway to the middle class through manufacturing. And they’re not alone. Small manufacturing shops across the country are doing just that at this very moment.

What I learned, however, is that what the Waxmans are doing is almost impossible. The deck is stacked against them. Every day is a struggle. Sourcing American-made components — cotton fleece, zippers, drawstrings, buttons — is a constant issue, because the apparel industry has shrunk considerably. Finding and training workers requires a huge investment in time and resources. Like many business founders in America, the Waxmans are also constantly searching for the kind of deep-pocketed financing deal that will allow them to build enough inventory to relieve them from the stress of made-to-order manufacturing.