Inherited Good Works

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children…

 (Proverbs 13:22)

In a strange way, our family life changed for the better during the summer of 2012. When my father-in-law passed unexpectedly, we had to drive from Texas to Indiana to make the final arrangements. Typically, our preferred method of travel for any trip over four hours was to fly; but with no notice, the tickets were ridiculously expensive in both dollars and airline points, so we elected to drive. That trip was the first time in over five years that we were confined in a car together for that many hours.

In those five years, a lot changed in our family. We used to entertain our son with videos; but on that trip, he entertained himself with the music on his IPod or with video games. We used to have to bring music to avoid constantly searching for radio stations, but on that trip we had satellite radio. We used to be in a rush to get from point A to point B, but on that trip, we took the time to see and talk about the sites along the way. As a family, we have always traveled together, but on that trip, we remembered the importance of passing down stories, singing songs, and creating family memories and traditions.

In the years since, our family summer trips have taken us to Nashville, returning through Phenix City, to visit another branch of the family tree; to Washington D.C., to visit many of the national treasures, including watching the fireworks from the National Mall and visiting the King Memorial. The trip to DC triggered a new tradition: on our subsequent travels, in addition to mainstream museums and aquariums, we would tour and take pictures at lesser known memorial parks. So while we were visiting Birmingham last summer, we went to see the historic 16^th Street Baptist Church, and we introduced our son to my favorite Temptation, making a stop to take pictures at the Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park. This year’s must-sees include stopping in Knoxville to visit the 12 ft bronze statue of Alex Haley, my muse for journaling my story, and returning to the Augusta area to see our first house, as well as visit the slave pillar and the James Brown statue, erected after we moved.

Indirectly, my father-in-law is responsible for this renewed sense of family traditions. It’s funny, no matter how many times we offered, he would never fly to visit us. He preferred to take his time and drive his pickup truck. I did not get it then, but now, I understand. What family customs or memories are you passing down to your children, that prayerfully, they will pass along to their children?  Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

American Made Good Works

We recently discovered that our son had no idea that television stations used to sign off nightly after the playing of the National Anthem. In a few decades, so many everyday activities have become obsolete. I am guilty of trying to hold on to traditions that are as American as apple pie: We still collect our spare change and manually roll our coins in those old paper wrappers provided by the bank. We still have a house phone (even though we have moved X times in Y years). And we still subscribe to magazines that are delivered to our house, and not simply received electronically.

One of those magazines that we still read is Consumer Reports (CR). The July 2015 edition focuses on Made in America: WHAT it means, WHEN it matters, & WHY everything you thought you knew is changing. As an advocate for American manufacturing, I was pleasantly surprised to read CR’s survey results asking: Why We Buy “Made in the USA”:

To keep manufacturing jobs at home (88%)

To help the U.S. economy (87%)

To keep America strong in the global economy (84%)

To be patriotic (62%)

(http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/07/index.htm).

I am sure that you have seen the labels and banners that state “Made in America,” but what does that actually mean? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines the standard for unqualified “Made in America” claims as the following:  All or virtually all" means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content. Additionally, the standard for “Assembled in America” is clarified by this statement:  A product that includes foreign components may be called "Assembled in USA" without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the "assembly" claim to be valid, the product’s last "substantial transformation" also should have occurred in the U.S.  Thus the Toyota Tundra, exclusively assembled in Texas, is truly American made! To read more about complying with the Made in American standard, go to https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard#basic

You may have noticed that I italicized to keep manufacturing jobs at home in the survey results mentioned above. From my own experience working in manufacturing, having to justify offshoring a couple of decades ago and reshoring now, I would add to bring American manufacturing jobs back to that list. A lot of functional jobs/talent needed in the entire product life cycle, prior to manufacturing and assembly, has been lost. The Made in America Movement addresses this concern. The founder, Margarita Mendoza, has a passion about seeing more jobs come back to America. She chose to create a movement so that individuals can get involved and use their voices and buying power to create change. - See more at: http://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/about-us/

Made in America products seem to be on the increase, at least I notice more products marketed as such. Have you changed your buying habits to purchase products “Made in the US,” and if so, why? If not, what would you require manufacturers to do for you to select American products over foreign manufactured products? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Trading Good Works

Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you;

live and trade in it and acquire property in it –

(Genesis 34:10)

A suggested strategy for growing a small business is to increase the sell of products made here in the U.S. to foreign customers. By definition, an export is an international trade where goods produced in one country are shipped to another country for future sale or trade. For manufacturers, the transaction is beneficial to the producing country by adding to the nation’s gross output. Becoming an exporter is a good idea, but the activity involves a lot of risks.

One agency that may be able to provide guidance and services in reducing those risks for American manufacturers is the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EX-IM Bank). Founded in 1934, the mission of the bank is to create and sustain U.S. jobs by financing sales of U.S. exports to international buyers. EX-IM Bank helps businesses by providing services such as:

• Protection against buyer non-payment
• Getting financing
• Selling to foreign customers on credit terms
• Borrowing against export-related assets
• Issuing performance and bid-bonds
• Financing a foreign buyer’s purchase

To learn more about these solutions, visit http://www.exim.gov/what-we-do

Like many government programs, there is a current debate on whether or not to reauthorize. The bank’s charter is set to expire on June 30^th. Supported by the National Association of Manufacturers, there is an urgent social media campaign to inform the public of the good works that EX-IM Bank is doing in supporting the American economy. During 2014, about 90% of the bank’s transactions benefited small businesses in the global supply chains of large manufacturers like Boeing, GE, and Caterpillar (http://www.nam.org/Issues/The-Ex-Im-Bank/). In job numbers, that represents about 164,000 export-related jobs in the United States.

EX-IM bank has benefited small businesses across the country. A local success story is BCH Trading, headquartered in Hot Springs. An exporter of southern, yellow pine lumber, by taking advantage of the bank’s working capital guarantees, this $10M business indirectly supports over 50 sawmill-related jobs http://www.exim.gov/about/success-stories/ex-im-bank-supported-loan-helps-arkansas-firm-sell-wood-overseas.

Trading and exporting are proven strategies for growing businesses. American manufacturers benefit because the jobs stay here even though the products are traded or sold globally. I am asking that anyone who supports job creators to take action by calling their representative at 202-224-3121 and urging Congress to reauthorize the charter for EX-IM Bank. What are your thoughts on EX-IM Bank or other trade discussions?  Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

A Child of Good Works

For this child, we have prayed…

(1 Samuel 1:27)

While I am proud of my work in manufacturing and workforce readiness, my biggest accomplishments for me are associated with being a wife and mom. The justification for leaving my corporate career and pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities started because I needed more flexibility in my schedule for my family. Along the way, I discovered the journey en route to my purposed work.

When we downsized into our current house, I decided to convert a first floor nursery into my home office space. On the wall, where the bassinet may have been for the previous owners, was a wall decal with the words “for this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the desires of my heart.” I initially tried to peel it off, but doing so took more effort than I wanted to give at the time, so I covered it with a desk/hutch combination and an inspirational picture promising that “the Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.” As I type this blog post, I am leaning on the promises of both for our child.

Since Trayvon, I can remember where I was when I heard the news reports of each incident and the ensuing conversations at our house after. While we know we are raising an intelligent, well-mannered, respectful young man, in an unexpected turn of events, someone could mistake his 5’ 11” frame as something else. A truth moment: we went out of town a month ago and left our son at our cousin’s house for the weekend so that he could train for an upcoming track meet. Since we are all still relatively new to this community and our respective sub-divisions, I specifically asked my cousin to follow Q in the car when he went for his morning run to avoid any concerns about a tall stranger running through the neighborhood.

Last week, the three of us traveled in different directions, so on Sunday, when the latest viral video hit the news rotation, I was did not immediately initiate a conversation. The incident did not turn into a teaching moment until Q asked to go over to a friend’s house and my husband used the video to illustrate how quickly things can get out of control, how to respond to people in positions of authority, and how black fathers constantly give their black sons instructions for staying alive. Instead of being a part of the conversation, I went into my room and began to pray for my son and this generation. Using the words from the scripture, for this child I pray

…that he grows from a boy into a man and realizes his full potential
…that society will see him for who is on the inside and not pre-judge him by his outside
…that we will not have to worry about his life whenever he is out of our sight
…that he knows that grace and mercy will protect him where ever he goes
…that he never forgets that he is wonderfully and marvelously made; one of a kind
 

Q's 7th Grade Reflective Journal from 2014

Yes, I pray for our child, for this generation, and for society to do better. As adults, we have to live by example and teach basic life skills. While I am proud of his smarts and personality, I am thankful to witness his self-awareness of the world in which he lives. Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.