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Subscribe to RSSOn the site of a former auto parts plant in the small southwest Georgia town of Americus, a factory is turning the abundant local hardwood trees into chopsticks — for export to China.
Jae Lee, a US citizen of Korean origin, opened the Georgia Chopsticks factory in May last year, the European Pressphoto Agency reports. Lee says it's the only chopstick factory anywhere in the Americas.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Cut and steamed poplar trees are quickly moved inside at the Georgia Chopsticks factory in Americus, Georgia, on Feb. 7, 2012.
The close proximity of fast-growing soft hardwoods such as poplar and sweet gum makes the factory's location in South Georgia ideal.
The factory employs 108 people and Lee says the company has plans to expand into other product lines. Of the more than four million sets of chopsticks it rolls out each day, 99.7 per cent are exported to customers in Asia.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Esteban Fabela peels away the bark from a steaming log.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Tee Kendrick, left, and Toriano Jenkins roll up chopped wood for further cutting.
Erik S. Lesser / EPA
Chopsticks are moved on a conveyor belt.
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Take that, China! We are going to close that colossal trade deficit in no time. Watch out!
I'll take good news like this any day...
It actually makes me more sad than encouraged. We need dozens of these stories, on larger scales, with thousands of US workers.
This is an old story that has been replayed on several news and tv outlets over the past year. If this is the only example the media can find then we are in real trouble.
The shift back has started.
ROTFLMAO!
And yes, we may be down, but don't count us out - and yes, we need more of these kind of stories and they're trickling in - there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Here we go. Let's keep it going.
http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10415771-return-of-third-shift-for-automakers-brings-hope-economic-ripple-effect
is it possible to export land itself? there must be a way! export america to china so the chinese can work on the land for a nickel an hour!
We don't want to get involved in a land war in Asia. :-)
Lapse, of course we don't. That's one of the classic blunders. The other one, only slightly less well-known is, don't go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line.
Cool. If we ever get into a trade war with them, we can hit 'em where it hurts... their stomachs...
I simply love the irony. I wonder how many people in the Georgia plant can eat using chopsticks?
Why does it matter? A US business, one that employs your fellow citizens, is making a product and exporting it.
/
digitalnoise,
You mis-understood. I think it's great but it tickles my sense of humor. How often have the Chinese made a product for us that they have abolutely no idea why or how we use it.
I just find it amusing that we are producing a product that we generally don't use here and sending it to them instead of the other way around.
And I'm guessing they don't dip those chopsticks in a toxic chemicals and paints like all the junk we get from China.
I wonder why the people in Asia don't use bamboo chopsticks? Every time I eat at a Chinese restaurant I get bamboo chopsticks. Glad to see an American company working, though!
They have been doing this for a while. At the same time a hefty amount of American Flags are imported from Asia to the USA. Ironic indeed.
Sherry Holdridge
OHSAY USA, CEO
http://www.ohsayusa.com
Exporting did I hear Exporting to China?
HOLY CRAP,wonders never cease, and the joke of all this is CHOP STICKS! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Thanks for the laugh,it's about fricken time!
What a hoot! I think it is great that we have folks making chopsticks that we can export to China. But I fail to see how this is somehow better than having service jobs that have more impact on producing stronger long term economic growth. Producing disposable products has no more impact on our economic strength than someone who washes dishes in a restaurant.
Taste the irony of "On the site of a former auto parts plant..."
LOL. That's just too funny and too good. Thank you Mr. Lee for believing in your country and giving jobs to the citizens of your state. I watched an episode of SharkTank a couple of weeks ago. That's the last time I will watch that show. They had a guy from North Carolina with a great design for a truck rack, but they wouldn't back him only because he refused to have it built like garbage in China. He insisted on giving the jobs created to his fellow Americans. The Sharks are anti-American labor. So I'll be anti-their show. Just last night I had to fix the lock on my storm door. What a cheap piece of Chinese Cr-- dependent on a spring that was lighter than air held in place by the lightest aluminum I ever encountered. Every piece of it was dependent on an equally light piece of Cr--, any of which could leave me buying whole new lock. I remember when locks were made of U.S. steel. A steel cog fitted to a steel slot that would last 3 lifetimes. Was I ever cursing China. Good for you Mr. Lee.
Hasn't anyone noticed that this is recycled news? MSNBC carried this article over six months ago already...
The U.S. also has the market cornered on fortune cookies. Alas, they aren't used in China.
Once again, MSNBC is six months late.
Funny. Good news that it's finally turning around. I saw this site that would be a good for the chopsticks company. www.ChopsticksForChina.com seems fitting! think the name is available.....
We´re going to be seeing more of this in the future. In China, products from the USA and other western countries sell for a hefty premium - of course, this is in addition to the perceived higher quality factor vs. Chinese made products. We´ve even started a business to help companies market their products and find china buyers. Check out www.export-to-china.com. Times are a changing!