The Cost of Quality.
At $35, some may consider our belts to be expensive. Rather than expecting our customers to accept that, we are going to get into the nitty-gritty and explain what goes into our belt pricing.
Before we jump into this head first, we want to share some interesting statistics.
- 70% of the clothing Americans bought in 1980 was made in the United States, whereas now it's about 2 percent. (In 1960 98% of our clothing was made in the U.S.)
- In 1960 10% of an average American's gross income went towards clothes, in 2017 that number was down to 3%.
- In 2016 the labor cost to manufacture a pair of jeans in Bangladesh was $1.80/hr. In America, it was $25.00/hr.
First things first, our goal is to make quality products that will last a lifetime. We get tired of hearing the phrase "they don't make things like they used to!" Our belt is designed to withstand everyday rigors for up to 30 years. We accomplish this by using the highest quality materials, entirely sourced from the USA.
At GRIP6 we have an amazing team of engineers that design and build a lot of the machines that make our belts. A key component of making a product that is designed to last 30 years is running exhaustive quality control checks on all of our products. Nothing leaves our shop without being individually checked for any faults, or defects.
It's challenging to make a product that will last a lifetime without being able to oversee its production. That's why we decided to make our belts in the USA. Not only are we able to maintain high production standards, but we are able to give back to the employees that make our products. We're a small business, but that doesn't mean we don't take care of our own. We pay competitive wages, offer health and dental insurance, and we are constantly ensuring that they have a safe work environment.
Speaking of the environment, we do all we can to utilize as much post-consumer product as possible. That includes everything from recycled paper packaging to soy-based inks for our dealer catalogs. There isn't a governing body that requires us to meet these standards. We set them ourselves and we do them because it's the right thing to do. They cost a little more money than using virgin materials but the long-term costs are too significant to ignore.
Every product at GRIP6 is backed by an unlimited lifetime guarantee. We refer to this is our A3 Guarandamntee. The A3 stands for Any Time, Any Reason, Any Condition. Whether you just don't like it or it was shredded while you were fighting off a bear (looking at you Leonardo DiCaprio) we'll take it back like a prodigal son.
Moral of the story?
Our craftsmanship is on trial with every belt we produce. We are responsible for making sure your belt works better and lasts longer than any other belt you've worn, and we do everything we can to ensure it will.
When you buy one of our belts you're not getting just a belt. You are getting our word that we have done everything we can to make this the finest, most functional belt you have ever owned. You are getting a promise from us that if your belt ever does fail, we will replace it, no questions asked. You are getting hours of research, design, and testing, along with our commitment that we will continue to responsibly produce quality products, right here in our own backyard.
96 comments
Noel T
Thanks for explaining and I an in. Made in the USA is way to go!
Derek
I never thought $35 was all that much… But I’ve had mine for some time now and I still absolutely love it. It’s the only belt I wear anymore. Great product!
Albert Escamilla
Well worth the $35 and then some.
Pedro Jaime
I don’t really care about the reasons you have to make your product “expensive”, we are in the USA and have the choice of buying or not. What makes a difference, is that you take your time to explain for it. And the results are: YES, I AM GOING TO ORDER MINE. Thank you.
Todd Cook
The belts and buckles are the best and love that they are interchangeable. I have have no issue with the pricing anf supporting USA. Lastly they work, never slip, they are best.
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