By Kay S. Pedrotti
The lower hem of your T-shirt may be costing a Barnesville company thousands of dollars. Bottoms Associates, inventors of an automated “hem former,” has learned that companies in South America are duplicating the hem former and undercutting Bottoms’ price for the sewing machine attachment as well as shipping tops made with the pirated part back for sale in the United States.
The small aluminum “Air Hemmer” shown by Roger Cole of Bottoms and Associates has been duplicated by overseas companies. The firms are underselling Bottoms on the parts as well as shipping clothing made with the pirated part back to the U.S.
In the 1970's, American consumer electronics companies fought dumping and patent theft, yet our own government threw roadblocks up against protecting our own businesses. When our American industry won in our own courts, Ronald Regan went against enforcing the judgment. Immediately after leaving office, Regan received millions of dollars for giving a short speech to the foreign electronics industry group that was dumping consumer electronics.
He effectively sold the American consumer electronics industry for a few million dollars.
This type of stuff, by both Democrats and Republicans, is one of the main reasons we have few jobs left.