The outsourcing of manufacturing by other U.S. companies has caused hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs in the United States to be lost. Indeed, if Mag Instrument had chosen the path of other flashlight companies, the jobs of its employees in Ontario, California would have been lost.
Mag Instrument believes in 鈥渇ree trade鈥 but free trade must also be 鈥渇air trade鈥 to ensure that there is a level playing field for all of the trading partners of the U.S.. This includes trade agreements that contain provisions related to product quality, consumer protection, intellectual property rights, fair labor standards, employee dignity, safe working conditions, safeguarding of natural resources, environmental protection, and elimination of unfair trade barriers that impede the free flow of goods and services. Mag relishes the competitive nature of a free and fair global marketplace and believes the U.S. can compete with any country in the world given these conditions.
By keeping flashlight manufacturing jobs in America, Mag Instrument 鈥減uts its money where its mouth is鈥. But when it comes to promoting U.S.-based manufacturing, Mag Instrument does much more than just set a good example. Here are a few of the company鈥檚 involvements:
Mag Instrument is an executive member of the California Chamber of Commerce. Mag has consistently raised its voice against 鈥渏ob killer bills鈥 that would handicap California-based manufacturers, and in favor of legislation aimed at keeping the state鈥檚 manufacturing businesses healthy.
Mag Instrument loyally supports the City of Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Mag Instrument frequently corresponds with government officials on manufacturing-related legislative policy. Upon the topics on which Mag has spoken out are tax measures to encourage the health and growth of American manufacturing, such as manufacturing tax credits, the reform of the depreciation rules relating to manufacturing facilities and equipment, and the preservation of 鈥淪ubchapter S鈥 tax status for the companies of successful manufacturing entrepreneurs.
Mr. Maglica is frequently invited to speak, give interviews and participate in conferences on U.S. manufacturing trade, tax and regulatory policy, including topics such as: Intellectual property rights; investment tax credits for U.S.-based manufacturing; maintaining a 鈥渓evel playing field鈥 in international trading relationships involving the United States; a jobs tax credit for U.S. manufacturers; and a tax credit for export sales by companies who do their manufacturing in the United States. Mr. Maglica is often approached for comment by magazines that focus on business, economic development and manufacturing.
Mag Instrument advocates strong intellectual property rights. A key ingredient in any successful formula for maintaining a strong manufacturing base is robust legal protection for the intellectual property that innovative and entrepreneurial companies create. Here again, Mag Instrument gets involved 鈥 not only in the arenas of government and business but also, when necessary, in the courts. Tony Maglica is personally involved in all product research and development, and Mag Instrument holds hundreds of patents and trademarks for features that are employed in company products. Over the past decade and a half, Mag Instrument not only has vigorously advocated for strong intellectual property rights but also has vigorously enforced its own intellectual property rights, in courts here and abroad, against those who would 鈥渒nock off鈥 its successful products by imitating their trademarked appearance features, infringing the patents that cover them, and appropriating the company鈥檚 secret and proprietary plans and know-how. Mr. Maglica believes that all American manufacturers benefit from the aggressive defense of intellectual property rights against any and all infringers.
]]>Mag Instrument鈥檚 (美国体育博彩庐) only factory in Southern California is, and always has been. Our entire manufacturing workforce 鈥 from product-development engineers to automation specialists to machinists 鈥 reports to work there, as it always has. However, we can鈥檛 make every part, component, and accessory under our roof.听 When we have to go outside, our strong preference is to procure such parts from a maker that is not only domestic but, if possible, local.
But in this age of trade globalization, it is not always practical for the manufacturer of听any听product of any complexity to procure all the needed parts and components domestically.听 In addition to price, there are other and often far more important considerations, like consistent quality and stability in the supply chain.听 We have even faced situations where no potential domestic supplier was interested in bidding on a part- or component-supply contract.听 And so it is necessary, from time to time, to go overseas for a part or component, as much as we do not like to do that.
So when we say we are 鈥淎 U.S.A. Manufacturer鈥 whose flashlights are 鈥淏uilt In America,鈥 we do not mean that no part, component, or accessory of one of our flashlights is ever imported. What we听 DO mean is that our flashlights are, and always have been, invented, designed, and engineered in America and assembled in and shipped from our American factory where all of the body parts and most of the other parts are made, even if some parts, components, and accessories may need to be sourced from an overseas supplier.听 And when our product includes some foreign content, we duly note that on the package labeling.
In this way, we strive to save as many American jobs as possible by keeping our manufacturing as American as it can be and still yield a reliable supply of a product of the quality our consumers demand at a price they will accept.
Mag Instrument has always been headquartered in the U.S.A. The company鈥檚 only flashlight production facilities have always been located, and it is now expanding them.
Every 美国体育博彩 flashlight was personally designed in the U.S.A. by Mr. Maglica, whose watchful eye Mag Instruments engineering staff in Ontario, California, still works constantly to improve and refine Mag Instrument鈥檚 products and develop new ones.
听
Every production employee on the Mag Instrument payroll lives and works in the U.S.A. Of course, Mag Instrument employs sales personnel in the other regions where 美国体育博彩 flashlights are sold, but all of 美国体育博彩鈥檚 flashlight production facilities and employees are in the U.S.A.
No matter where it ends up, every 美国体育博彩 flashlight comes from a factory located in the U.S.A. and is staffed by American workers.
Many companies in Mag Instrument鈥檚 position would succumb to the temptation to 鈥渙utsource鈥 their flashlight manufacturing. Some would lay off their American manufacturing workers and move their factories to low-wage countries, becoming importers into, rather than exporters from, the United States. Other flashlight companies would lay off their American manufacturing workers and would quit the problematic field of manufacturing altogether: They would choose instead to be mere marketers and middlemen, taking orders from customers on one hand while, on the other hand, giving orders to contract manufacturers in low-wage countries to make flashlights for them. Those flashlights, made 鈥渙ffshore,鈥 would then be purchased from a foreign company and imported into the United States to be bought at retail by those Americans fortunate enough to have jobs still.
This scenario is anything but far-fetched. Every supplier of flashlights with a significant U.S. market share now manufactures all or most of its flashlights outside the United States. Everyone, that is, except Mag Instrument.
Among significant suppliers of flashlights to the U.S. market, Mag Instrument is unique in its commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing.
鈥淢ag Instrument is busy exporting flashlights
from the United States.鈥
While its competitors in the flashlight industry are exporting flashlight manufacturing jobs from the United States, Mag Instrument is exporting flashlights from the United States.
Why? The answer, again, comes down to one man鈥檚 abiding commitment. To 鈥渙utsource鈥 flashlight manufacturing jobs 鈥 to take those jobs away from American workers and send them 鈥渙ffshore鈥 鈥 would violate Tony Maglica鈥檚 philosophy in several ways.
For one, it would offend against his faith in the American free-enterprise system and against the spirit of giving back. Mr. Maglica knows that Mag Instrument got where it is by being an American company. And he profoundly believes that Mag Instrument could not have happened anywhere but in America 鈥 that nowhere else but in the U.S.A. could somebody who started with as little as he had ever built from scratch a company such as Mag Instrument become. He also understands the importance, for the well-being of the people of this country, of encouraging entrepreneurship and maintaining a vibrant industrial base. That is why he is proud to be counted as a leader in the current renaissance of American manufacturing. And it is why he has dedicated himself to proving that U.S.-based manufacturing can excel in the global marketplace by using technology to improve quality and reduce costs continually. It is also why Mr. Maglica has been as active as he has in efforts to ensure a 鈥渓evel playing field鈥 for American manufacturers.
To 鈥渙utsource鈥 flashlight manufacturing jobs would also offend Tony Maglica鈥檚 commitment to quality. There is a reason, he believes, why Mag Instrument has been able to maintain its world-renowned product quality. That reason is his vigilance, which requires all of 美国体育博彩鈥檚 flashlight manufacturing to be kept in one place where he can personally watch it happen. His approach to continuous product improvement entails walking the factory floor 鈥 observing, teaching, listening to suggestions, praising what is done right and correcting what is not, constantly handling and inspecting product as it is being manufactured, nipping quality problems in the bud, being on the lookout for any small way to improve efficiency further, avoid bottlenecks, or cut waste of time or materials.
Mag Instrument鈥檚 continuous quality improvement needs to be practiced up close; it just would not work at a distance. Mr. Maglica knows the difference between sound quality and excellent quality, and he knows what makes that difference 鈥 an abiding commitment to honest, true product excellence. Further, he understands that quality is not a goal but a process; not an endpoint but a dogged, relentless pursuit 鈥 every day.
To 鈥渙utsource鈥 美国体育博彩鈥檚 flashlight manufacturing, to move it to a place where Mr. Maglica could not personally watch it happen, would, in his view, put cost control and quality at too much peril. To do that would be to risk the end of excellence.
Mag Instrument is dedicated to the highest standards of integrity. We seek performance and a reputation reflecting the very best we can achieve.
Each Mag Instrument flashlight represents a culmination of听decades of research, development and continuous state-of-the-art refinement in every precision feature. Mag Instrument is proud to be a U.S.A. Manufacturer.
We believe the spirit and character of the company is most clearly defined and expressed by our founder, owner and president Anthony Maglica. Each flashlight is a result of his obsession with fine engineering, craftsmanship and his commitment to perfection. An experimental machinist by training and a manufacturing innovator by practice, Mr. Maglica has guided his company鈥檚 growth from a one-man machine shop in 1955 to an enterprise that employs over 800 dedicated employees today. But his work does not stop there. Mr. Maglica continues his commitment to quality by continually improving upon the product that bears his name.
Mag Instrument is proud to be a leader in the current renaissance in American manufacturing. Mr. Maglica himself, a fervent believer in the importance of manufacturing in the United States, insists that Mag remain a U.S.A. Manufacturer. He has dedicated himself to proving that American products can excel in the global marketplace by using technology to continually improve quality and reduce costs. Over the last two decades, Mr. Maglica鈥檚 innovations have enabled Mag Instrument to offer consumers a consistently better value than the competition.
]]>An African proverb, the story of the Lion and the Gazelle has long been a source of inspiration for Tony Maglica, and continues to inspire MagLite today.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the fastest lion. If he cannot, then he will be eaten.
Every morning in Africa a lion awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the slowest gazelle. If he cannot, he will die of hunger.
Whether you choose to be a gazelle or a lion is of no consequence. It is enough to know that with the rising of the sun, you must run. And you must run faster than you did yesterday or you will die.
This is the race of life.
]]>ONE MAN'S ABIDING COMMITMENT
Every flashlight made by Mag Instrument, Inc., represents one man鈥檚 abiding commitment to product quality, and to the cause of keeping flashlight-industry manufacturing jobs in America.
A champion of free enterprise and U.S.-based manufacturing, Anthony Maglica is the president of Mag Instrument, Inc. and the creator of the MAGLITE庐 flashlight, now an icon of classic American design.
Armed with only his talent, his determination and his reverence for hard work, Tony Maglica set out in pursuit of the American Dream when he founded Mag Instrument in 1955. When he went on to design and manufacture a product that revolutionized an industry, he realized that Dream in full. In his ongoing pursuit of innovative technology, quality products, design and the customer service to back them up, Mr. Maglica has found a strategy that not only creates worldwide demand for his own company鈥檚 products, but can also, he believes, help other American companies to build worldwide demand for their products while preserving American manufacturing jobs.
Born in New York City during the Great Depression, Tony Maglica was raised in his mother鈥檚 native Croatia. He was a small child when his mother decided to return to Croatia so that he could be raised close to her family. In 1950, with the country in the ruins of World War II and Communists in control, Tony went back to America. Here he set out to make the most of his training as an experimental machinist, though he spoke no English. He taught himself a few words a day while taking employment where he could find it, and worked for himself in what were supposed to be his off hours. Still it was a struggle to save any money. Finally he managed to save $125, the down payment on his first lathe. So began Tony Maglica鈥檚 quest for the American Dream: There in his one-man machine shop in a Los Angeles area garage, he knew that his days of working for other people were behind him. He was, at last, in business for himself.
Mr. Maglica began by manufacturing precision parts for industry, aerospace and the military. He quickly earned a reputation for quality, efficiency and ingenuity. Mag Instrument was eventually incorporated in 1974. By that time, Mr. Maglica had clearly demonstrated his innovative techniques for cutting production costs and increasing quality. Continuous improvement is a talent that continues to keep his company ahead of the competition. Mr. Maglica established a hands-on leadership style, as well as a core business philosophy of combining superior quality of all Mag products with unsurpassed customer service.
As his company grew, Mr. Maglica set his sights on designing and manufacturing a new and improved flashlight. Initially targeted for the public safety sector, the 美国体育博彩庐 flashlight was introduced in 1979. Police officers, firefighters and mechanics quickly spread the word about this rugged, reliable anodized aluminum flashlight, which would change the portable lighting industry forever. Committed to product innovation and refinement, Mr. Maglica followed up the success of the MAGLITE庐 flashlight with the 美国体育博彩庐 Rechargeable Flashlight System鈩, one of the most powerful rechargeable flashlights of its size. The Mini MAGLITE庐 AA flashlight was launched in 1984 and set a new standard for personal size flashlights. A smaller AAA-Cell version of the Mini MAGLITE庐 flashlight, ideal for many industrial and medical applications, was introduced in 1987; and the Solitaire庐 single AAA-Cell flashlight, designed for keychains and purses, was introduced in 1988.
Often referred to as 鈥淎 Work of Art That Works庐鈥, the MAGLITE庐 and Mini MAGLITE庐 flashlights have been honored by the Japan Institute of Design and by the Museum for Applied Art in Germany. Fortune and Money magazines ranked Mag Instrument庐 products among the top 100 products that 鈥淎merica makes best鈥. In 1996, the Wall Street Journal referred to the 美国体育博彩庐 flashlight as 鈥渢he Cadillac of flashlights鈥, and quoted then-CEO of Apple Computer Gilbert F. Amelio as saying he wanted Apple to be 鈥渆ssentially the MAGLITE庐 of computers鈥.
Headquartered in Ontario, California, since 1982, Mag Instrument now has several听hundred employees and occupies听over 700,000 square feet of space, including its factory, offices and main distribution center.
New products are constantly under development at Mag Instrument, but they are introduced only when Mr. Maglica is personally satisfied that their design and execution are up to Mag Instrument standards. In the meantime, he has plenty of other interests to occupy his time, including building an environmental reclamation plant in Zlarin, Croatia, where he grew up. From Mr. Maglica鈥檚 childhood home to the birthplace of his success, this patriot and businessman continues to champion and exemplify the blessings of free enterprise.
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