In May, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida will officially open its first “American-made” retail store and Job Connection Center (JCC), located at 1855 S. Grand Highway in Clermont.
This was done in partnership with Winter Park-based Williams Company, and in response to the “Made in America” challenge, by “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer,” where she urged consumers and businesses to use domestic building products. According to Sawyer’s report, if every builder used just 5 percent more American-made products, it would create 220,000 jobs. To put it in perspective, in 1960, only 8 percent of goods were bought overseas – today, more than 60 percent comes from foreign imports.
From the doorframes to the plumbing to the roof, 98 percent of the materials used in the Clermont location are sourced from American vendors and manufacturers – a total of 43 products from 20 different states, including 11 from Florida. According to Chris Rollins, chief operating officer for Williams Company, using American-made products costs about 1 percent more than using products made overseas. Smaller items, like conduit clamps that secure piping in place, are often the most difficult to source.
“Our mission is to help those with barriers to employment find meaningful work,” said Bill Oakley, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “This ‘Made in America’ partnership with Williams Company gives us a chance to further that mission – and to support homegrown businesses at the same time.”
The “Made in America” effort has begun with Goodwill’s newest retail stores and JCC’s, which combine donation, shopping and outreach under one roof. The next “Made in America” facility will open in Waterford Lakes (east Orlando) in June. At these locations, and dozens of others throughout the region, sales of donated items fund programs that help people find jobs.
In addition to the Clermont and Waterford Lakes facilities, Goodwill will open three attended donation centers in Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips and Palm Bay, Fla., as well as a new JCC in Sanford in the coming months.
