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About UK
About UK
"Made in the USA" - a label that carries a real weight of meaning. And of increasing importance in a globalized marketplace that is suffering from supply chain issues.
At Underwater Kinetics, our flashlights, as well as our other products, are manufactured right here in San Diego, California. Many of our competitors have outsourced production and manufacturing, but we have fought to remain as close to the USA-made ideal as possible.
We believe local manufacturing is more important than ever and will show you why you should care that your flashlights are built in the USA.
But first, if you are looking for flashlights made locally, browse our lights below.
Underwater Kinetics flashlights are top-of-the-line and include cutting-edge technology, dependable durability, and superior performance.
Features found across our range of flashlights include:
● Compound Path Optics
● High-impact ABS, LEXAN®, and polyurethane rubber design
● Thermal Recovery System
● Waterproof
● Minimal peripheral lighting
● Rated intrinsically safe
● Flexible mounting
● American made
● And More
Industry
Underwater Kinetics invented the high-powered, small flashlight. Through this innovation, we revolutionized the entire handheld light industry.
In 1971, a new era of smaller NiCad rechargeable batteries and miniature halogen lamps was coming of age. Underwater Kinetics was able to fulfill the dream of many SCUBA divers to own a high-power palm-size dive light. This new light, the SUPER Q-LITE was the beginning of a new era of miniature super bright hand lights.
We have a proud history of innovations in industrial and dive lights and products. Whether you're a diver, an industrial worker, a police officer, or just a normal guy looking for a flashlight, Underwater Kinetics checks every box!
Solutions for every need
Shop with Underwater Kinetics for a US-made flashlight of the highest quality.
Why You Should Demand Flashlights Made in the USA
60% of Americans are okay with paying a bit more to purchase products made in the United States. If more people understood what is at stake, we believe that number would be even higher. Here are some of the main reasons why you should seek USA-made.
● Better Quality Control
● Support USA Manufacturing
● Avoid Supply Chain Delays
● Encourage Safety and Fair Wages
● National Security
Let's take a closer look at each one.
Better Quality Control
Local manufacturers have regulations and standards, both state and federal, to live up to. One can debate whether all of these regulations are meaningful or not, but you can't argue that they don't result in higher-quality products for consumers.
For example, flashlights made in the USA are more likely to have been designed and produced to higher standards than those manufactured outside the USA.
Support USA Manufacturing
One of the most important aspects of purchasing made in the USA products is that it creates jobs on our shores. Particularly after the pandemic, supporting local businesses helped our economy get back on its feet.
Underwater Kinetics believes in this great nation's talent and the American manufacturing tradition. American businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and we will always strive to protect that.
Avoid Supply Chain Delays
The COVID-19 pandemic placed global supply chains under the microscope. A just-in-time supply chain model is impressive when everything is working but it's a fragile system. The lack of resilience proved costly as items from overseas were delayed and shelves started emptying.
Products built in the USA suddenly had a massive advantage because customers could still get their products in short order.
Encourage Safety & Fair Wages
American companies have to provide fair compensation for their workers and a safe working environment. You'd think this would be required everywhere, but unfortunately, workers spend their time in unsafe working conditions in many countries. Not to mention child labor practices.
These workers are often not well compensated, and while it leads to better margins for the manufacture of products, we have to ask ourselves - at what cost?
At Underwater Kinetics, we believe in taking care of our people. We are the Underwater Kinetics family, and many of our team members have been with us for over 20 years. When you work on something for that long, you become a master of your trade. At the end of the day, our customers benefit the most from the care and skill that goes into making UK flashlights.
National Security
The United States' big 5 defense contractors - Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman - are reliant on the civilian sector for critical goods relating to national security.
However, as U.S.-based manufacturing moves overseas, we become reliant on allies and, even more concerning, countries that are hostile to America. It's not just defense and the military at risk; a great deal of critically important chemicals and materials are produced off-shore.
Take, for example, China's dominance in processing metals for Clean Energy.
If the U.S. were reliant on solar and wind, China would be in a position to cut off supply. Vulnerabilities exist like this across industries, so we believe it is crucial to support and restore "built in the USA" for a new generation.
Built in the USA
From design to manufacture and shipping - nearly all of our operations are run right from our San Diego facility.
What “Built in the USA” Means to Underwater Kinetics
If you're looking for flashlights and lighting that are made with American skill and pride, look no further than Underwater Kinetics. From design to manufacture and shipping - nearly all of our operations are run right from our San Diego facility.
We provide a local, high-quality service with on-time delivery, free of the common cultural and language miscommunications that come with doing business overseas.
While others cut costs (and corners) by outsourcing more and more of the work overseas, we stand in opposition: fighting for the American worker and consumer. By keeping as much as possible in-house, we are able to maintain the standards that have built our reputation over the years.
That’s not to say “made in America” is easy or black and white. If it were easy, there wouldn’t need to be companies like ours fighting for it.
Here are the 4 rules we abide by:
1. We strive to maximize American labor in order to maintain jobs locally. This includes identifying and hiring graduating designers in order to encourage American design work.
2. Given a choice between domestic or foreign materials, we will always choose American first and are willing to pay a small premium. However, we have to consider that our customers expect the highest quality at the lowest price so they too can pay their employees a living wage in the US.
3. When we do source offshore, we try to support friendly nations and especially those for which we have a good balance of trade.
4. We offer the highest priority support for domestic infrastructure.
WALKING THE WALK
In 2012 UK President, Alan Uke, published Buying America Back. This book outlines his plan to promote American industry by helping American consumers better understand where their goods (and services) come from.
Publisher: Select Books (April 10, 2012)
