Kelly Gully was hand-stitching leather when the call came last week: Did she and her husband want to visit the White House?
The couple make cowboy gear on a ranch in Newell, S.D. – population 600. They sell mostly shotgun chaps, the strap-on pants that riders wear to protect their legs from jagged brush and rattlesnakes.
The administration, Gully learned, wanted to feature her goods in a product showcase. The theme would be “Made in America.” The event was four days away.
“They reached out to us out of the blue,” Gully said, fresh off a horse ride.
The chaps – with silver buttons and fringed sides – sat on display for an hour Monday at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Also at the party, according to the White House’s list were golf clubs, wheelbarrows, craft beer, model helicopters, pianos and Chick-fil-A sandwiches. It is unclear who, specifically, requested the items, which were spread out on the South Lawn and the State Floor.
A White House spokeswoman said the administration worked with the governors of each state and “did independent research” to make their choices.
More famous products that did not make the cut included Pyrex glassware (Pennsylvania), KitchenAid mixers (Ohio) and Wilson footballs (Ohio).
The showcase, a spokesman said, was meant to highlight President Donald Trump’s efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing, which include pulling the nation from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and moving to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
One product was selected from each state, resulting in a hodgepodge of novelty items and luxury wares, including a yacht from Maine.
“America is a nation that honors the work of gifted and skilled tradespeople but for too long our government has forgotten the American workers,” according to a White House statement. “Their interests were pushed aside for global projects and their wealth was taken from their communities and shipped overseas.”
Behind China, the United States is the second-largest exporter in the world, according to the Commerce Department. Top exports in dollar value include food, beverages, tobacco products, coal products and vehicles. (Roughly 2 million Americans work in goods-producing roles, government data show, while 124,800 hold manufacturing positions.)
Frank DuBois, a business professor who focuses on international trade at American University’s Kogod School of Business, said the United States imports more than it exports, a deficit that, alongside the rise of automation, shrank some of the country’s manufacturing footprint. Doing more business with other countries over the past two decades, however, has lowered costs for consumers, he said.
“The logistics and supply chain infrastructure has improved significantly to lower the cost of outside sourcing,” DuBois said. “You’ve got entrepreneurs all over the world looking to provide value to buyers.”
On Monday, labor groups that have called NAFTA “a disaster” applauded Trump’s celebration of American-made goods – with a caveat.
“White House ‘Made in America Week’ is welcome news, but would ring more true if @realDonaldTrump led by example & made Trump products in US,” tweeted Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO.
K Bar J Leather – Gully’s business with her husband – makes about 2,000 pairs of shotgun chaps each year, starting at $500. The company employs nine workers, all women. They ship packages to customers in Texas, California, Italy and Switzerland. “You’d be surprised by how many cowboys live there,” she said.
Disneyland Paris has also ordered their chaps, she said.
The president’s invitation was an honor, Gully said. She had voted for Trump, and the recognition was flattering. But the thought of flying to Washington prompted a “hell no.”
Her husband, Jack, however, traveled to the nation’s capital. The couple were proud to show off their work in the nation’s highest office. “It took awhile,” she said, “for us to realize this was happening for real.”