randymatt
29th April 2010, 11:26 AM
Last Flatware Factory In U.S. To Close
There's only one flatware factory left in the US, a former Oneida plant bought by Sherrill Manufacturing. In spite of the fact that there's a brisk market in flatware in the US, and that the facility is highly productive and state-of-the-art, the plant will be closed and 80 workers laid off.
Earlier this month, the news came out that the Obama administration was going to close the office that reports on jobs lost due to globalization, so that it will be much, much harder to check any claims about whether trade was a net cost or benefit to the American worker. While writing about it, I was watching Modern Marvels: Chrome, and they profiled this plant, the last domestic flatware maker, telling viewers:
... "In 2000, the Sherrill Manufacturing facility produced about 170 million pieces of stainless steel flatware. By 2008, due to overseas competitors, that number had dropped to only 10 million pieces." ...
Good thing Modern Marvels' didn't wait too long to shoot their footage. They'd have had to go overseas to film such a thing, otherwise.
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010031222/last-flatware-factory-us-close
From The CEO Greg Owens.....
Owens said the there are other factors aside from the struggling economy that have contributed to the tough climate for manufacturing companies.
“The way that trade legislation has developed over the course of the last 20 years has put American manufacturing at an extreme disadvantage,†he said. “We need to protect of our workers’ safety and our environment and make sure that people have a fair wage down in the factory. But when we’re subject to those rules and regulations and the borders are then opened up to countries where none of that exists, nor is it followed, you have absolutely zero chance of being successful and that was done deliberately as a means of policy.â€
http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2010/03/21/news/doc4ba429d56e857497245852.txt
There's only one flatware factory left in the US, a former Oneida plant bought by Sherrill Manufacturing. In spite of the fact that there's a brisk market in flatware in the US, and that the facility is highly productive and state-of-the-art, the plant will be closed and 80 workers laid off.
Earlier this month, the news came out that the Obama administration was going to close the office that reports on jobs lost due to globalization, so that it will be much, much harder to check any claims about whether trade was a net cost or benefit to the American worker. While writing about it, I was watching Modern Marvels: Chrome, and they profiled this plant, the last domestic flatware maker, telling viewers:
... "In 2000, the Sherrill Manufacturing facility produced about 170 million pieces of stainless steel flatware. By 2008, due to overseas competitors, that number had dropped to only 10 million pieces." ...
Good thing Modern Marvels' didn't wait too long to shoot their footage. They'd have had to go overseas to film such a thing, otherwise.
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010031222/last-flatware-factory-us-close
From The CEO Greg Owens.....
Owens said the there are other factors aside from the struggling economy that have contributed to the tough climate for manufacturing companies.
“The way that trade legislation has developed over the course of the last 20 years has put American manufacturing at an extreme disadvantage,†he said. “We need to protect of our workers’ safety and our environment and make sure that people have a fair wage down in the factory. But when we’re subject to those rules and regulations and the borders are then opened up to countries where none of that exists, nor is it followed, you have absolutely zero chance of being successful and that was done deliberately as a means of policy.â€
http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2010/03/21/news/doc4ba429d56e857497245852.txt