The US Audio Manufacturers Map has attracted considerable interest. This helps me to plug away on it from time to time. It is unforescene if the Map project will go very far but there seems to be an "under-current" of interest when I talk about it to non-audiophiles and audiophiles. With this in mind I have created some template language I am thinking about sending to manufacturers that may manufacture their products in the US. If you visit the map and see a manufacturer that simply has an administrative office in the US and has their equipment made outside of the US please let me know via direct e-mail rather than posting your comments here (more efficient that way).
Here for your comments till March 15, 2003 (just decided to have some sort of deadline) is the template e-mail memo I plan on sending to manufacturers:
"I am producing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map identifying companies in the US that may or may not be owned by US Entities but none-the-less have their manufacturing facilities in the US and employ US Citizens. At this point this is just a freebie (free in the sense that I am not being paid to work on it) product as part of the about to be formed "Wisconsin Audio Society" (it is a high end audio enthusiast group, we may change our name after our first meeting on March 29, 2003). Since GIS enables data base queries to produce different mapped and quickly intellectually assimilated (because the information is graphic) perspectives about records (in this case the US Audio Companies) I can develop information of almost infinite variety about these companies. These perspectives include starting date of manufacture and of current ownership, number of US citizens employed, and export market countries etc. At this point I am just looking for the most basic of information. Could you tell me where your products are manufactured and where the majority of parts are manufactured? The map at this point uses a US Zip Code database to identify locations. So any information should include full addresses with zip code.
I hope that at some point with more information collected about the related companies I , probably in conjunction with a journalist, can produce very positive article(s) that point to the success of these little known, to the masses, US companies. US Companies that not only compete with the foreign mass market competition but is imported into those counties in Asia, for example, where much of the mass market electronics are made under less rigorously regulated conditions and less than optimum labor conditions. Of course, since this is a freebie on my part I am not sure when this project will be or if it will be "completed" but already there seems to be quite a bit of interest in the concept of celebrating the US companies that compete on world stage while still employing people under favorable working conditions and with respect to the environment. Any thoughts on types of information you think should be included in this project would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some early maps related to the Society: http://www.fototime.com/inv/5F60B09F3573615
Here is the thread that got this thing started and to get updates:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?lclub&995054231&openusid&zzA71spud&4&5#A71spud ".
Lets see what we can do to help spread the word about these US companies that, among other things, have incredible support services (we all have our own near "kindred spirit" level of attention stories these company's support teams have provided us over the years and the reverse sort of "support" from less "interested" companies) and are facing incredibly stiff competition on many fronts. It was once said "Rising waters lift all ships" but the reverse is just as true "Lowering waters lowers all ships". Maybe a few, some, or most of these companies are dead horses coming out of the starting gate of this century but some positive exposure never hurts. But maybe you disagree. So let me know. It is a free country......well mostly anyway.
Here for your comments till March 15, 2003 (just decided to have some sort of deadline) is the template e-mail memo I plan on sending to manufacturers:
"I am producing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map identifying companies in the US that may or may not be owned by US Entities but none-the-less have their manufacturing facilities in the US and employ US Citizens. At this point this is just a freebie (free in the sense that I am not being paid to work on it) product as part of the about to be formed "Wisconsin Audio Society" (it is a high end audio enthusiast group, we may change our name after our first meeting on March 29, 2003). Since GIS enables data base queries to produce different mapped and quickly intellectually assimilated (because the information is graphic) perspectives about records (in this case the US Audio Companies) I can develop information of almost infinite variety about these companies. These perspectives include starting date of manufacture and of current ownership, number of US citizens employed, and export market countries etc. At this point I am just looking for the most basic of information. Could you tell me where your products are manufactured and where the majority of parts are manufactured? The map at this point uses a US Zip Code database to identify locations. So any information should include full addresses with zip code.
I hope that at some point with more information collected about the related companies I , probably in conjunction with a journalist, can produce very positive article(s) that point to the success of these little known, to the masses, US companies. US Companies that not only compete with the foreign mass market competition but is imported into those counties in Asia, for example, where much of the mass market electronics are made under less rigorously regulated conditions and less than optimum labor conditions. Of course, since this is a freebie on my part I am not sure when this project will be or if it will be "completed" but already there seems to be quite a bit of interest in the concept of celebrating the US companies that compete on world stage while still employing people under favorable working conditions and with respect to the environment. Any thoughts on types of information you think should be included in this project would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some early maps related to the Society: http://www.fototime.com/inv/5F60B09F3573615
Here is the thread that got this thing started and to get updates:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?lclub&995054231&openusid&zzA71spud&4&5#A71spud ".
Lets see what we can do to help spread the word about these US companies that, among other things, have incredible support services (we all have our own near "kindred spirit" level of attention stories these company's support teams have provided us over the years and the reverse sort of "support" from less "interested" companies) and are facing incredibly stiff competition on many fronts. It was once said "Rising waters lift all ships" but the reverse is just as true "Lowering waters lowers all ships". Maybe a few, some, or most of these companies are dead horses coming out of the starting gate of this century but some positive exposure never hurts. But maybe you disagree. So let me know. It is a free country......well mostly anyway.