A typical person starts the day:

• Wearing a shirt made in China
• Wearing a belt made in Mexico
• Wearing pants made in South Carolina.
• Drinking juice from Florida
• Eating toast made from wheat grown in the Midwest
• Drinking coffee from beans grown in South America

The transportation revolution has resulted in a global economy where consumers have access to products from throughout the world. This globalization has become so pervasive that few people even notice the product's place of manufacture.

Besides the obvious consumer convenience, the global marketplace has forced a reorientation of local businesses.

Some compete by producing items for global sales, emphasizing local strengths such as:

• Use of skilled labor that cannot easily be found elsewhere
• Use of raw materials and production technologies that cannot be found elsewhere

Others compete by emphasizing local values such as:

• Personal service and individual attention.
• Custom-crafted products that cannot be found among mass producers.
• Fresh-grown or fresh-produced items that cannot exist in mass production.