Bad News about Cross

I thought this would be posted here already. If it has been, I
apologize. I have been out of circulation for awhile, and this time it
had nothing to do with vacation, work or coasters.

Anyway, Cross is eliminating 80 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island and
80 non-manufacturing jobs worldwide. They say they are moving some
production "offshore" but will maintain their high levels of quality.
The company generated a small profit this quarter, as opposed to a loss
a year ago. First Parker, then quite a few jobs at Sheaffer, now
Cross.

I don't really know what to say. Dang computers? Dang NAFTA? Dang
'progress?'

Confirmation? It's true. Go to Google, select news, and type in
"Cross Rhode Island." You will get all the confirmation you want.

Sad.

Real Sad.

john cline ii, who has always had a fond spot in his heart for the high
quality workmanship Cross has always had...

john cline ii wrote:

I thought this would be posted here already. If it has been, I
apologize. I have been out of circulation for awhile, and this time it
had nothing to do with vacation, work or coasters.

Anyway, Cross is eliminating 80 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island and
80 non-manufacturing jobs worldwide. They say they are moving some
production "offshore" but will maintain their high levels of quality.
The company generated a small profit this quarter, as opposed to a loss
a year ago. First Parker, then quite a few jobs at Sheaffer, now
Cross.


Local TV news, and after all I'm less than 20 miles from Providence, so
its had heavy coverage, says more like 100 jobs will be cut out of a
Cross RI work force of about 725. Of course thats TV news. No idea how
correct it is. Sad, but when one considers how huge Cross is and how
much of their production is now from foreign sources its hard to see how
jobs havent been cut sooner. In fact I think their work force has grown
or at least remained the same since 20 years ago when every single item
they sold was made in RI. Frank

"john cline ii" wrote in message .. .
I thought this would be posted here already. If it has been, I
apologize. I have been out of circulation for awhile, and this time it
had nothing to do with vacation, work or coasters.

Anyway, Cross is eliminating 80 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island and
80 non-manufacturing jobs worldwide. They say they are moving some
production "offshore" but will maintain their high levels of quality.
The company generated a small profit this quarter, as opposed to a loss
a year ago. First Parker, then quite a few jobs at Sheaffer, now
Cross.

I don't really know what to say. Dang computers? Dang NAFTA? Dang
'progress?'

Confirmation? It's true. Go to Google, select news, and type in
"Cross Rhode Island." You will get all the confirmation you want.

Sad.

Real Sad.

john cline ii, who has always had a fond spot in his heart for the high
quality workmanship Cross has always had...

John

The problem herein is the company's need to cut cost in order to be
competitive. It can be outsourcing manufacturing capability out of the
USA while not having to pay workers union wages and benefits. That is
what Parker pen did in 1999 when it moved its Janesville, WI plant to
Newhaven, England. The disadvantage of this move is that penlovers
will end up paying more for their pen products as new pens sent back
to the US will have custom duties tacked upon them and they will cost
more than they did when the companies had their plants in the USA.

Many retailers are cutting back on selling pens as the profit margin
is being squeezed by sellers such as Staples, Office Max, Office Depot
and other discounters. We do not like to pay retail for something and
we are always looking to get a good buy.

Questions in the future a what will discounters do when the cost
of newly imported pens is higher than what they used to pay? A word
of advice to the wise, start buying what you need, Cross pens before
they disappear from the local retail market and wind up as costly
foreign imports. Cross pen lovers can still indulge their needs by
going to ebay to snag what they can.

One more question for the Bush White House. What kind of pen will
they use as a bill signer nowt hat Cross will be moving out of RI
their manufacturing capability? Will the White House be content with
using black government pens made by an organization for the blind as
bill signers and to sign treaties?

Jim

One more question for the Bush White House. What kind of pen will
they use as a bill signer nowt hat Cross will be moving out of RI
their manufacturing capability?


Dealing with the White House? Hmmm...

Send them one made in TX with lone stars, cattle heads, and cactus pads in fine
silver overlayed on "live oak" leafed engraved sterling - rattlesnake
clip...with a pecan shaped black opal crown etched "GOP" or just "W"? One
could not expect payment of course...I don't believe any White House pays. ;-(

Joe Smith needs some better stuff. He should get a German coffepot and a
straight razor made in soligen germany. His shirt should either be made in
the USA or England and his jeans, well he shouldn't wear jeans. He should
get some slacks, once again, made in USA or England. He should either throw
out the tennis shoes and get some italian made wingtips or get New Balance
made in USA tennis shoes. His calculator should be made in Taiwan by Texas
Instru. He wouldn't have to set his watch if it were swiss or german. And
his TV should be japanese. The rest of the stuff is fine as it is.
Richard
"R" NoSpam@NoJunk@NoGarbage@No**** wrote in message
...
Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm Clock (MADE IN

JAPAN) for 6 a.m. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking he
shaved
with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt (MADE
IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE
IN
KOREA).


After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA),
he
sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could
spend
today.


After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA), he
got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) and continued his search for a good
paying
CANADIAN JOB.


At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to
relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) and poured
himself
a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),
and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in....USA/CANADA

R

"John F. Nixon" wrote in message
...
On 25 Jul 2003 09:18:09 -0700, (James Goodwin) wrote:

The problem herein is the company's need to cut cost in order to be
competitive. It can be outsourcing manufacturing capability out of the
USA while not having to pay workers union wages and benefits.

"To be competitive" means "can offer the product at a lower price" in
this context.

However...

That is
what Parker pen did in 1999 when it moved its Janesville, WI plant to
Newhaven, England. The disadvantage of this move is that penlovers
will end up paying more for their pen products as new pens sent back
to the US will have custom duties tacked upon them and they will cost
more than they did when the companies had their plants in the USA.

Surely something is wrong with this analysis.

Any public company, such as Cross, that failed to account for import
duties when attempting to lower costs by exporting manufacturing
operations, and had sales affected as a result, would be sued to
within an inch of its corporate life, and rightly so. Perhaps the US
sales decrease was more than made up for by overseas sales increases
(EU trade would be tariff free for pens made in the EU, for example)?

--
regards, Fred

The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood
by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.

Robert Conquest's Third Law

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm Clock (MADE IN

JAPAN) for 6 a.m. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking he shaved
with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt (MADE
IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN
KOREA).


After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA), he
sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend
today.


After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA), he
got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) and continued his search for a good paying
CANADIAN JOB.


At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, Joe decided to
relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) and poured himself
a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),
and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in....USA/CANADA

R

"John F. Nixon" wrote in message
...
On 25 Jul 2003 09:18:09 -0700, (James Goodwin) wrote:

The problem herein is the company's need to cut cost in order to be
competitive. It can be outsourcing manufacturing capability out of the
USA while not having to pay workers union wages and benefits.

"To be competitive" means "can offer the product at a lower price" in
this context.

However...

That is
what Parker pen did in 1999 when it moved its Janesville, WI plant to
Newhaven, England. The disadvantage of this move is that penlovers
will end up paying more for their pen products as new pens sent back
to the US will have custom duties tacked upon them and they will cost
more than they did when the companies had their plants in the USA.

Surely something is wrong with this analysis.

Any public company, such as Cross, that failed to account for import
duties when attempting to lower costs by exporting manufacturing
operations, and had sales affected as a result, would be sued to
within an inch of its corporate life, and rightly so. Perhaps the US
sales decrease was more than made up for by overseas sales increases
(EU trade would be tariff free for pens made in the EU, for example)?

--
regards, Fred

The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood
by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.

Robert Conquest's Third Law

A small issue. The larger one is that our entire manufacturing capability
as a nation is slowly but surely moving to China. One day we'll be broke as
a nation with nothing to sell to anybody. China will have all the jobs and
all the money. Then who knows where they will move manufacturing.

Fred
Pen Domain
http://www.pendomain.com

"john cline ii" wrote in message
...
I thought this would be posted here already. If it has been, I
apologize. I have been out of circulation for awhile, and this time it
had nothing to do with vacation, work or coasters.

Anyway, Cross is eliminating 80 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island and
80 non-manufacturing jobs worldwide. They say they are moving some
production "offshore" but will maintain their high levels of quality.
The company generated a small profit this quarter, as opposed to a loss
a year ago. First Parker, then quite a few jobs at Sheaffer, now
Cross.

I don't really know what to say. Dang computers? Dang NAFTA? Dang
'progress?'

Confirmation? It's true. Go to Google, select news, and type in
"Cross Rhode Island." You will get all the confirmation you want.

Sad.

Real Sad.

john cline ii, who has always had a fond spot in his heart for the high
quality workmanship Cross has always had...

In article ,
"Fred" wrote:

A small issue. The larger one is that our entire manufacturing
capability as a nation is slowly but surely moving to China. One
day we'll be broke as a nation with nothing to sell to anybody.
China will have all the jobs and all the money. Then who knows
where they will move manufacturing.

Pittsburgh.

I live in RI... Newport.

It's a sure-fire sign that a company's management is overcompensated
and undercompetent when they move manufacturing overseas. Yamaha makes
their motorcycles in the US, as does Mercedes their midsisze sedans.
US workers, unionized, overpaid and over-entitled and all, tend to be
far more productive than any other workforce... they earn their wage,
be it world's highest or not.

Companies who "offshore" production or R&D are simply companies on the
ropes, who's management is more inclined to be pennywise and
pound-foolish in order to justify their multi-million dollar salaries.
Serious. Chevy and Ford both build thier "American" cars overseas, and
they both come far short of the mark set by Toyota's Kentucky plant,
nevermind Saturn (the one GM subsidiary done right, and done entirely
on US soil.) Total costs for off-shore manufacturing are higher per
product, even though they appear to be lower per hour, so Nike's
sweat-shops aren't saving them a blessed bit of money in the long
term, but golly, $1.45 in labor costs sure looks swell on the balance
sheet... nevermind warranty defaults and recalls and poor
time-to-market turnarounds.

Bah.

Cross deserves what it gets... bankruptcy in two years. This is
despite a commanding position in Office Max and Staples and any
stationary store you care to point at. Executive overhead, not labor
overhead, is what is killing US competitiveness.

~ Matt Gabriel, the Mad Poet of Newprt


"john cline ii" wrote in message .. .
I thought this would be posted here already. If it has been, I
apologize. I have been out of circulation for awhile, and this time it
had nothing to do with vacation, work or coasters.

Anyway, Cross is eliminating 80 manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island and
80 non-manufacturing jobs worldwide. They say they are moving some
production "offshore" but will maintain their high levels of quality.
The company generated a small profit this quarter, as opposed to a loss
a year ago. First Parker, then quite a few jobs at Sheaffer, now
Cross.

I don't really know what to say. Dang computers? Dang NAFTA? Dang
'progress?'

Confirmation? It's true. Go to Google, select news, and type in
"Cross Rhode Island." You will get all the confirmation you want.

Sad.

Real Sad.

john cline ii, who has always had a fond spot in his heart for the high
quality workmanship Cross has always had...

You're just discovering "world economics"? Manufacturing jobs have
been leaving the US for years now. The trend will continue; there's no
going back.