Made in the U.S.A. tour makes a local stop

A national bus tour to promote products manufactured in America — and the people who make them — recently cruised into the Gulf Coast.

The program, the U.S. Jobs Project, was created by Boca Raton-based Made in USA Certified, a nonpartisan entity that certifies domestically produced claims. The tour, on a flag-draped bus, launched July 4th in Delray Beach. It travels through Labor Day, when it will participate in the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia.

“This project is fueled by the idea that Americans helping Americans can truly create sustainable jobs and jumpstart our economy,” Made in USA Certified President and Co-Founder Julie Reiser says in a release. “We believe that together, we create jobs in the USA.”

The bus stopped July 9 at three Sarasota-Manatee area companies: Trinity Graphics; drinkware manufacturer Tervis Tumbler; and Octex, which manufactures injection-molded plastic components. All three companies have grown revenues significantly over the past three years in spite of the recession.

Reiser says the U.S. Jobs Project is designed to promote both domestic manufacturing and the role customers play in job creation through buying American-made goods. “This country needs jobs,” says Reiser. “It is the single most important issue facing our nation today.”