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Where Are Champion Generators Made? Location & Facts

man using Champion portable generator

While buying a generator may not be much of a priority if the electricity is working, you’ll likely find it’s the first thing on your mind if you have a long-term power outage. Depending on where you live in the country, most places will experience power outages each year lasting for longer than a couple hours whether it’s from hurricanes, snowstorms, or other natural disasters.

Having a generator gets you ahead of the game when disaster strikes, allowing you to stay home instead of joining the frenzy with everyone else scrambling to prepare for the worst. Champion engineers a range of generators, snow blowers, log splitters, and water pumps to serve every natural emergency, but you may be surprised to learn their products aren’t necessarily manufactured in the US.

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Designed and Engineered in the USA, Manufactured Elsewhere

Champion is one of the many companies whose products are designed and engineered domestically but made in a foreign country. Their generators, in particular, are made in China. Their website says, “Our headquarters are in California. Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Canada” without explicitly saying where the products themselves are made. On the Amazon product description, it does indeed say that the generators are made in China, so we’re guessing only some parts are made in the USA, or perhaps they’re only designed in North American facilities.

portable generator used in the woods

Power Generators That Are Designed and Made in the USA

It’s fairly common for products to be engineered in the US but made overseas. This is because parts and labor are both cheaper outside of the country. In the past few years, American-made generators are declining as it’s becoming much more economical to manufacture the engines elsewhere. Here are a few companies that may still design and manufacture their products in America if you’re looking to buy domestically:

  • Kohler: This company is a little tricky. They’re based in Wisconsin and have a new production site in Hattiesburg, MS, but they also have over 50 manufacturing plants worldwide. It seems that some generators might be made in the U.S., but it depends on the model.
  • Gillette Generators: For over fifty years, these generators have been produced on American soil in Elkhart, Indiana. You can expect to pay a pretty penny for these powerhouses, however, since most of them are designed for commercial or high-end residential rather than individual homes.
  • Winco: Made in Minnesota, these generators are designed and manufactured in the USA. You can find models for residential and commercial use.
  • NorthStar: A Northern Tool store brand, NorthStar makes their generators in Minnesota, although they use Honda engines that might come from the USA, Japan or Thailand (not China).

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Conclusion

Finding a generator completely free of foreign parts is going to be a challenging task. Like Champion machines, the majority of generators are designed in the USA, but manufactured elsewhere. However, there are a few left on the market if you’re willing to do research and spend a little more than you would for a comparable product produced in another country. Keep in mind that some generators labeled that they’re made in the USA might still contain foreign parts and being designed in the USA doesn’t really mean they’re American-made unless it specifically says so. Only products that are designed and manufactured in the USA from domestic parts completely qualify, and those will be the toughest to find.


Featured Image Credit: Amazon

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