Gornik tells investors: We build in U.S., but we'd be happy to outsource

Kathy Gornik, president of Thiel Audio (and a dear friend of mine) is featured on Investors.com.

Most of Thiel's products are built in the company's own facility in Lexington, Ky., but that's not because Thiel is bent on "saving American jobs" and wearing the "Made in the U.S.A." lapel pin.

Kathy is the quintessential free marketer, and a champion of free trade. It's great to put the free-trade bashers in their place, through a vehicle like Investors Business Daily.

Here's an excerpt of the interview:

IBD: Have you ever been tempted to build your speakers in China?

Gornik: We have a couple of smaller products that are, in fact, made in China. But all of our expensive floor-standing models are made here in the states, primarily because it's hard to get the level of quality and craftsmanship that we need.

I'm not a person who thinks of the economy in terms of nationalities. We get products from companies all around the United States. For example, our cardboard cartons come from Ohio. We get bent plywood sides from North Carolina. We get some coils that we use in our drivers and our crossovers from Florida. And I see no difference between outsourcing those products to those states or to, say, China. ...

IBD: Are you concerned about the erosion of the U.S. tech manufacturing base?

Gornik: The worst concept that is perpetuated by political leaders is that economics is a zero-sum game — that China's gain in manufacturing jobs is a direct minus in the U.S. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Read Kathy's editorial on CEPro.com: Why Ron Paul is the Best Choice for the Custom Industry