Made-in-the-USA Shin Guards from Legend Soccer
The L1 bamboo shin guard is the flagship product from Legend Soccer. The company is committed to manufacturing this and subsequent products within the United States. Here are the main reasons why, as well as how this business decision ties into the company’s core philosophy.
What Is the Mission of Legend Soccer?
Legend Soccer is built around several ideological pillars:
- Social responsibility
- Sustainability
- Improved player performance
- Quality (materials and end products)
These tenets work together to serve the overall mission of changing the game of soccer through innovation at several key levels.
Here’s how a dedication to US manufacturing supports that mission:
8 Key Benefits of Keeping Manufacturing in the United States
- Support the American Economy
Keeping manufacturing within the United States means creating more local jobs, which can boost the economy. This is especially true since wages within the manufacturing sphere are typically higher than in other industrial sectors. (According to recent data, manufacturing wages have increased from $23.22 per hour in January 2021 to $24.27 in November 2021.)
Manufacturing can also stimulate job creation in other ways. For everything that’s manufactured on home soil, there are also ancillary jobs created. This includes positions for those selling the products, transporting them, and playing any other role from creation to delivery.
- Ensure High-Quality Labor and Safety Standards
Because the manufacturing plant is located in Michigan, Legend Soccer is able to get better visibility and transparency into every step of the manufacturing process. In this way, being made in the United States helps ensure safety and quality control are executed at a higher standard. It also avoids the quality-related pitfalls of low-cost outsourced labor.
This benefits the company and the customer purchasing the bamboo shin guards, but it also benefits the workers themselves. Increased adherence to safety standards makes a better, safer working environment for them.
- Get Away from the “Low-Quality Material, Low-Quality Product” Mentality
When it comes to shin guards, the market has been dominated for many years by cheap, plastic products. Shin guards have been seen as a disposable, low-quality commodity. Bamboo shin guards from Legend Soccer turn that dynamic around, creating a product from top-quality, carefully sourced, rigorously tested materials. Putting the product together in the United States helps further enforce that overall commitment to quality.
- Keep Delivery Costs Down
It’s not surprising why many companies outsource manufacturing overseas. It’s a cost-saving measure. However, the cost of transporting materials across the globe has risen over the years, cutting into a company’s savings. Manufacturing in the United States helps keep both inbound and outbound delivery costs at a minimum.
- Keep Quality High
Any product from Legend Soccer is underpinned by an adherence to quality. In many ways, these bamboo shin guards are handcrafted and require a level of manufacturing expertise. Again, being within the same borders as the manufacturing team allows for that high degree of transparency and communication. This helps ensure Legend Soccer’s vision of quality is directly translated and visible in every product made.
Legend Soccer stands behind their shin guards with a lifetime guarantee and warranty. They can offer this level of confidence because of the manufacturing process that went into each product.
- Offer Shorter Lead Times
Because everything is kept within the borders, lead times are going to be inherently shorter than a company that utilizes overseas manufacturing. This also manifests in shipping times. From ordering to holding the product in your hand can be as little as two days.
- Support Sustainability with Local Manufacturing
When companies consider the ecological footprint generated by their products, it’s important for them to think about the whole picture. It’s not just where the product is manufactured or where the material is sourced. A big piece of the sustainability calculation is getting the product from where it’s manufactured to where it’ll be distributed and consumed.
For distribution within the United States, the reduction of the transit and delivery burden means a greatly reduced carbon footprint.
- Innovate in the Space
The vast majority of shin guards available on the market today are manufactured overseas. The commitment to the made-in-the-USA mentality is just another way the Legend Soccer brand distances and differentiates itself from their competition.
Innovation is at the heart of what they do, and this applies equally to manufacturing ideology, design philosophy, and overall mission.
