@Plebe - Thanks for the info on the alloy.
@Fl Canopy Stalker - Thanks for the info on the primary manufacturing process used.
Clearly LWCG's marketing is capitalizing on the fact that they're made in America, with American raw material. But "American Made Metal" could be any kind of metal, made by any kind of metal manufacturing process. It's a pretty non-descript label, and it's the only reference to material that I saw on their web page. It's laughable that they
trademarked such an uninformative label.
LWCG could do a better job of technical marketing on their website. If I were them, I'd be sure to differentiate my product from the other offerings in the marketplace - especially since it's more expensive than most of their competition. While I don't know and can't confirm their manufacturing process, an example of what they could do to ensure potential buyers understand why their product is superior
and worth the higher price, might look something like this:
"The platform, post, and stand-off are manufactured in Michigan from a solid rolled plate of 6061 Al alloy produced in the USA. They are water-jet machined and media finished to uniformly break all edges & remove all burrs. High strength, Grade 8 steel hardware is used to assemble the finished pieces. Unlike our competition, the finished product contains no castings or welds, both of which are prone to defects and inclusions that can compromise strength. When you're 20' up in a tree, what do you want supporting your feet?"
There are a number of other selling points that they
could tout, if they wanted to be even more aggressive in their marketing differentiation. They'd have to make sure their statements aren't false before putting them out there, but once they validate the accuracy of the statements, I'd go further with something like this:
"Although some of our competition's offerings pack pretty slim, one is a die casting that doesn't have the quality and strength of The Fix - the other lacks the surface traction of The Fix. Still other competitors offer cast or welded platforms that have comparable strength, but they are bulkier to pack and heavier to haul."
Personally, I think the traction machined into the top surface & perimeter of The Fix is a competitive advantage, but I'm even more impressed that there are no cast pieces or welds in the finished product. I wouldn't expect any quality issues with the product, and barring end-user abuse, it should last for a buyer's entire lifetime. All things considered, the features, quality, and durability of The Fix will justify the premium price for a lot of potential buyers - but LWCG isn't doing a very good job educating them.