The Manufacturing Report

Hundreds of Major Leaguers Wear This Belt Made in Small-Town Texas

Episode Summary

Hundreds of pro ballplayers are wearing belts made in a Texas town of 3,000 people. Matt Hadden is the third-generation president to run Pioneer Fit, a company his grandfather started in 1979 selling sports gear out of the back of his trunk in Nebraska. He joins AAM President Scott Paul today and shares how the business grew by taking on the custom work no other manufacturer wanted, and how one question from an employee — "Why don't we make baseball belts?" — opened that market in two seasons. He's also candid about what making things here costs: Pioneer's belts can run twice the price of an import, and both of the company's patents have been knocked off. He explains why he still buys American leather and American buckles anyway, and what that choice means for the people who work alongside him in the shop. 👉 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest resources Pioneer Fit: pioneerfit.com Resources & links Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing