Sign Up For Updates

Manufacturing is the engine that made America prosperous.

Modern manufacturing will play a pivotal role in our long-term economic vitality.

Welcome to GreatManufacturingStories.com.

WeatherTech: Telling an Inspirational Story about Manufacturing

Print

If you have seen television or print ads for WeatherTech auto floor liners, you are not alone. The company is advertising on prime-time television and in more than 100 publications. Moreover, they’re doing more than advertising a product line. Rather, they are telling a story – a compelling and inspirational story about manufacturing in America.

“At WeatherTech, we are doing our part for the American economy.” says company founder David MacNeil, “My philosophy is that if my neighbor doesn’t have a job, sooner or later, I won’t have a job.” The company used to make floor mats in England and ship them to the U.S., but transferred manufacturing back to the U.S. in 2007, long before reshoring became a topic of daily conversation.

The theme of the ads is this: Experts told them they could not make products in American factories with skilled U.S. workers and American raw materials, but WeatherTech has proven the experts wrong.

WeatherTech’s business model appears to be working well. Their auto accessories are custom-measured and made with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment for a precise fit in the consumer’s car. Their products are available through more than 3,000 distributors. Perhaps most important, U.S. consumers can feel good about purchasing them, knowing that they are supporting American jobs and a company that emphasizes sustainability in its operations.

McNeil is quick to note that not only are his products made in America, but that the raw materials come from the U.S. Most of the computer numeric control (CNC) mills they use were manufactured in Oxnard, California, by Haas; and their injection molding equipment is assembled in Canada, using North American parts. They also purchase warehouse racking, forklifts and other equipment that is made in America.

Headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the company has about 1,000 employees, who also make rooftop cargo carriers, mud flaps, and other accessories.