If you're looking to stock your kitchen cabinets and cupboards with American-made bakeware, dinnerware, beverageware and other household items, Anchor Hocking probably has what you need. Founded in 1880, Anchor Hocking makes their products in their Lancaster, Ohio facility, which replaced the original factory that burnt to the ground in 1924. They are the second-largest supplier of glassware in the United States, and their products are exported world-wide.

The number of American-made glass products manufactured by the company is almost too numerous to list. The entire variety can be viewed on their website at www.anchorhocking.com, or you can call the Lancaster, Ohio plant at 740-681-6478.

With the seemingly never-ending increase in the volume of imports that arrive at American ports these days, patriotic consumers need to know how and where to find American-made products to counter the "nothing's made in America anymore" myth. Americans can buy American fairly easily in most product categories, contrary to popular belief, and household products are no exception. On January 17, I wrote a Buy American Mention of the Week on Rada Cutlery, whose products can be seen at www.radacutlery.com. By combining the American-made kitchen accessories from Rada Cutlery with American-made glassware from Anchor Hocking, you can be well on your way to having everything in your kitchen bearing "Made in USA" labels.

If the kitchen product you are looking for is made out of glass, chances are that Anchor Hocking makes it. At www.anchorhocking.com, you can see a wide variety of drinkware including coffee mugs, beer mugs, pitchers, martini glasses, wine glasses and shot glasses in addition to many styles of standard beverage glasses.

Dinnerware products include mixing bowls, serving bowls and platters, punch bowls, dinner plates, serving plates, mixing bowls and measuring cups, and cake domes and pedestals.

Anchor Hocking also makes cracker jars, candy and cookie jars, storage barrels, fountain squares and country crocks. You can even find pet products like fish bowls and terrariums as well as glass banks, ashtrays and other novelty jars.

It's great to know that in a time where many companies make things abroad and import to the United States, there are still companies like Anchor Hocking that produce in the United States and export everywhere else.

So let's stop using our energy to lament over what we've lost and focus our energy on keeping what we still have. If we keep supporting companies like Anchor Hocking, they will likely remain in the United States since they'll have adequate profits to pay higher American wages. There are no guarantees, of course, but if American companies that still produce in the United States are too busy hiring lawyers to file for bankruptcy, they aren't going to be all that concerned about ensuring their exit from the process puts a priority on exclusively hiring American workers.

Don't think that just because Anchor Hocking is currently the number two supplier of glassware in the United States we can somehow not care what we buy. In industry after industry, being number three isn't always good enough. How many long distance providers can you think of? MCI filed for bankruptcy and historic AT&T was gobbled up. Dial decided it couldn't handle the foreign competition and was bought by a German company. Gillette decided it was too small, even after adding Duracell to its portfolio, and had to be rescued by Proctor & Gamble. How much longer can General Motors last with continued declining market share because they are in the honorable but costly position of supporting more American workers and retirees and their families than any other carmaker?

So don't think of buying American as just a way to support American workers. You're also supporting American retirees and their pensions and health care when you support American companies - or de-funding them when you don't. By buying American-made products from American-owned companies, you are doing more than making a purchase. As a former BJ's Wholesale Club slogan correctly put it, you're also making an investment.

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