Anecdotal at best, but the company that has employeed me for 10 years recently went private under new ownership. Honestly, it is a much stronger company... more focused, faster execution of new programs, etc..

As an aside, I recently bought a new messenger bag from Timbuk2 (privately held, American made). Expensive, yes. However, for some products, I am willing to spend a few extra bucks, especially if I can get exactly what I want. This is what it looks like.