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You are here: Home / Features / The Cost of Opportunity: Austin DeBlauw Reinvents His Sprint Car Career

The Cost of Opportunity: Austin DeBlauw Reinvents His Sprint Car Career

March 29, 2019 by Pete Peterson

Austin DeBlauw was given an opportunity to help grow a US eyeware manufacturer. It would mean creating more jobs and putting more US-made products on the market… but it would do no favors for his budding sprint car career. The growth opportunity, which would include a move from California to Illinois, came just as Austin was in position to wrap up a sprint car championship. Racing was a passion of both Austin and his father and it was time to make a tough choice between his racing and his manufacturing career. 

Sprint car racing has different classes with vastly different car requirements based on the class the sanctioning body promotes. Austin’s California equipment and experience would not translate easily to the Chicago track’s racing, but Austin headed to Illinois with a great manufacturing opportunity set, and his racing pursuits turned upside down. 

This story is about a manufacturing company reinventing itself and a young man doing the same to adapt to changes. It’s also a tale about a father and son, and a bond they shared with an exciting, high horsepower sport.

Filed Under: Features, Uncategorized, Videos Tagged With: eyewear

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Launched July 4, 2018, this website tells entertaining stories about the people involved in manufacturing consumer products in the United States and also is built to make you aware of some of those companies’ Made In America products.

Too often we see a problem, like US manufacturing jobs going away, and ask what we can do to help. The great news regarding consumer products is that you can do something right now, and then again each time you make a purchase. Consider products that are Made in the USA and give those companies a chance to earn your business.

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