Already Slammed By Pandemic, Lansdale Gym-Mat Manufacturer Fights Cheap Chinese-Made Mats Sold By Amazon, Walmart

By

Image via Alejandro A. Alvarez., The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Already battered by the pandemic when schools and gyms closed, removing its wholesale market, Lansdale-based Mancino Manufacturing was then slammed by cheap, Chinese-made mats being sold to families stuck at home by Amazon and Walmart, writes Maria Panaritis for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The company is owned by Bob Mancino, whose father, Angelo, founded it in 1966. The son is still not sure it will survive the pandemic.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I just want this to be over. I don’t want this to take down my company.”

Around 95 percent of what the company makes goes into schools, most of which are currently closed. As a result of the lost sales, Mancino has had to lay off 19 of his 32 full-time employees.

“I couldn’t keep the employees employed without the work,” he said.

And while the pandemic drove a surge of demand from parents looking to buy mats for the home during quarantine, the local manufacturer was not able to capitalize on that due to pricing.

 “Most of what I see on Amazon is being imported from China,” he said. “I can’t sell into that market.”

Read more about Mancino Manufacturing at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

Stay Connected, Stay Informed

Subscribe for great stories in your community!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
MT Yes
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement