Is there a market for quality craftsmanship?

As a metrologist, I agree with you, wholeheartedly...

I have been in Quality for 15 years now, and I have worked for a variety of companies. It seems that the regulations on companies have forced them to cut corners as often as they can get away with. More often than not, companies just sham it out, and make it look like they meet standards. They coach their employees and tell them what to say to the auditors. Even the Auditors, the watchdogs, the cops of the industry are lax these days... We used to have an Underwriters Labratories auditor that came in to "inspect" us in a fire extinguisher manufacturing facility. She sat around and just visited with us. Truth is, those guys don't get paid by the company if they can't get their certifications. It becomes a money game, then.

Hope this helps...