Superbowl 1997: John Ratzenberger’s Voice
In 1997, the #2 Superbowl ad (as rated by the USA Today Ad Meter) was Nissan: Pigeons Fly Over Nissan. Check out the video below and see if you can find John’s voice as a pigeon! As reported on USA Today: There are a bunch of talking pigeons attempting to, well, mess up a Nissan. Also, John Ratzenberger voices one of the pigeons. This spot finished third in the Ad Meter and was the last time a Nissan spot appeared in the Super Bowl – until this year. The car maker will had a 60-second commercial in Super Bowl...
John Ratzenberger Visits Atlanta, Georgia
Journalist Rodney Ho wrote the following article, published on AJC.com. Click here to view the full article online. John Ratzenberger (‘Cheers,’ Pixar, DWTS) pushes ‘Made in America’ John Ratzenberger, best known as know-it-all postal worker Cliff Clavin on “Cheers,” swung through Atlanta earlier this week to push his long-running “Made in America” campaign, highlighting manufacturing jobs and vocational training. This is just the type of program patriotic know-it-all Clavin would have embraced. Ratzenberger’s Travel Channel show ‘Made in America,” which debuted in 2003 and went for five seasons, paved the way for Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs” and a raft of similar shows. Ratzenberger, a trained carpenter before he pursued acting, linked up recently with the Made in America stores (www.madeinamericastore.com) to create gift boxes that consist solely of U.S.-created items, one of women, one for dudes and one for children. “The entire package is sourced and made here in America,” he said over lunch at Roxx Tavern off Cheshire Bridge Road. “Even the boxes and ink used to print the boxes. It’s turned out to be really popular.” He notes that environmentalists should note that China, where many manufacturing jobs have gone, pollutes far more than we do and a lot of that air pollution makes it to California shores. Manufacturing jobs, he notes, have disappeared by the millions. “A welder can make $80,000 a year,” he said. When factories shut down in many small towns in America, the people left behind often end up having to rely on government and taxes end up going up. He said he saw this happen in his hometown of Bridgeport, Conn. “It’s okay if kids don’t go to college,” he said. “They can become a welder or plumber. All my relatives worked in manufacturing. All made a great living and lived in nice homes. But the media makes us think if you work with your hands, somehow you’re not smart.” He thinks TV focuses too much on failure, not on success, citing the “Locked Up” series on MSNBC that highlights felons. While in Atlanta, he met with incoming Senator David Perdue, who supports many of Ratzenberger’s initiatives. And Ratzenberger is looking to direct a fil in Atlanta. He has seen studios here and is duly impressed. He also visited a grammar school friend who works at a big construction firm here that builds high rises. When at home in Connecticut, he dabbles in his own construction projects on a much smaller scale like a play area for his grandson, all from scratch. Not surprisingly, Ratzenberger has ties with Atlanta-based Home Depot. Both work on the “Building Homes for Heroes” initiative to help...
What’s John Ratzenberger’s Favorite Pixar Voice?
Can you guess the answer? Watch the video “What’s John Ratzenberger’s Favorite Pixar Voice?” from ABC – Real Biz with Rebecca Jarvis.
Made In America owner may expand beyond WNY
Written by David Bertola / Buffalo Business First Reporter – Buffalo Business First Made In America Store, which has four area locations, may open other locations outside the region. Owner Mark Andol, who also runs General Welding & Fabricating Inc. in Elma, said that he’s considering a local mall, as well as sites in Erie, Pa., Missouri and Tennessee. Currently, he operates stores near the General Welding site, plus those in McKinley Mall, Eastern Hills Mall and in Niagara Falls, which opened since 2013. He said that the flagship store, located at 900 Maple Road in Elma, has become a tourist destination that this past year, hosted its 380th tour bus. All total, he said the stores generate about $2 million in revenues. Between both companies, he employs about 70. In 2010, the year Andol opened his first store, he hosted a visiting Russian TV network. He launched the retail store because his metal working company was losing work to overseas competitors, causing him to lay off staff. All total, Andol said his 18,000 square-foot distribution center houses 6,500 different products, which he researches to make sure that products he sells are 100 percent American made. That means that if a twist tie or piece of cellophane packaging on a prospective product are sourced overseas, they don’t make their way to his store shelves. Recently, Andol has partnered with actor John Ratzenberger, who was in Buffalo in November and signed a Made in America gift box. Ratzenberger starred in the TV sitcom “Cheers” and hosted a show about U.S.-made products. “He’s a carpenter, and I’m a metal guy,” said Andol, who said he also featured in a documentary about American-made products. The film, which can be downloaded here. “It’s a feature documentary but inspirational,” Andol said. “This was about four years in the making, and it raises awareness and helps people know more about consumer products. It went to video-on-demand this past spring. It shows the importance of buying and producing more than you consume in our...
Buy American, Watch Your Taxes Go Down
Written by Bonnie Lee / Taxpertise / Published December 19, 2014 on FOXBusiness You remember Cliff Claven, the postman from the popular television series, Cheers? He’d philosophize and pontificate and come up with the most interesting factoids. Well, Cliff Claven was played by talented comedian and actor John Ratzenberger. I recently had the opportunity to interview him about buying American made products. And with only a few shopping days left until Christmas, that’s exactly was Ratzenberger wants us to do. Ratzenberger is touring the country promoting the concept of buying American. In fact, he and entrepreneur Mark Andol have created a website, madeinamericastore.com, which educates the public on the advantages and necessity of buying American and also sells American made products. Currently on special for the holidays are gift boxes of made-in-America products designed for children, men, and women, respectively. He gives an example as to why, if we want to experience economic growth, it is important to buy American. “If you buy a T-shirt made in China for $4-5 cheaper than you can get here, you will eventually put the American T-shirt company out of business.” This company will then no longer pay for a business license (tax), collect and pay sales taxes, or pay income taxes to the state and to Uncle Sam. Lower tax revenues eventually lead to economic decline. It also leads to the missing tax dollars being made up by the rest of the population. “It’s a domino effect,” Ratzenberger says. “I know a lot of truckers in Los Angeles. They used to take a truck load of merchandise back east and return with a full load of merchandise to be shipped out from L.A. to points around the world. You know what they’re telling me now? They’re coming back empty.” This is a reduction in the trucker’s pay. Therefore a reduction in the amount of taxes he pays. Everyone is affected. If there are fewer truckers on the road, there’s less need for truck stops and fuel and junk food too. Ratzenberger grew up in Bridgeport, Ct., a manufacturing town. He started out as a journeyman carpenter. In fact, he helped build the stage at Woodstock. “All my heroes were people who could make things. Manufacturing is our strength. It’s the people who get up in the morning and put their hands to something that make America strong. But they are eliminating shop courses in schools and people are losing skills.” Ratzenberger feels that this must change or our country will suffer. Ratzenberger claims the tools made by American manufacturers, such as the Estwing hammer, will last far longer than its Chinese counterpart. He says, “I can spot a Chinese...
Fox 6 WBRC John Ratzenberger Segment
Best known for portraying TV’s most famous mailman ever, the philosophical ‘Cliff Clavin’ on iconic Cheers and the only star to appear in every Pixar film, Ratzenberger has touted buying American-made products for some time, emphasizes the need for more manufacturing jobs and is vocal on why we must commit to investing in growing our skilled labor force. The holiday gift boxes put together by the Made in America Store is a great idea and another way to bring attention to this critical issue of putting our country back to work, keeping manufacturing alive and buying domestic made merchandise. By endorsing American-made goods, John and the Made in America Store team are supporting American workers, families and businesses at the most important time of year. As a country, they are at the forefront of making a conscious effort to communicate that all of us should buy American whenever we can. American manufacturing generates $1.8 trillion in GDP; it’s time to stimulate our own economy. John emphasizes, “I, myself, am on the frontline of involvement and recently established the Foundation for America which is dedicated to helping train the next generation of skilled laborers.” For more on Ratzenberger, visit ratzenberger.com and for more on the Made in America boxes, visit madeinamericastore.com. Check out the online article to read the full story...