second guessing new employer

[kayse]

Hope this is the right place for this question. I am working for a large electric
motor company (stamping laminations) that recently acquired the facility
I work at in USA from my old employer along with overseas ops. My facility is basically an industrial museum. Without capital investment its only a matter of will it close sooner or later. The new owner appears to be willing to substantually increase the budget for tooling (dies) but only super glue the fully depreciated presses and toolroom equipment. They have other facilities here in USA and abroad that can stamp. Finally to MY $64 QUESTION: if they are planning to close my plant would it make business sense as in tax write off to buy new tooling for a plant destined for salvage, close the plant and truck the new dies to a 21st century manufacturing facility. ( past the carbide dies most of the stuff would cost more to move than sell for.)

[txcncman]

Maybe (probably) you are right. But if you are not in a position to influence that decision, it does not really matter.

Look for a new job now.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by kayse ....along with overseas ops.... ...close the plant and truck the new dies to a 21st century manufacturing facility....

Unfortunately for you it would also make sense to ship the dies to a new facility.

If they are publically listed companies you may be able to find some information online regarding the terms of the deal and whether the new owner is obligated to keep your plant running for a certain length of time.

I suggest keep working diligently to maintain your future there if there is one but start looking around for alternatives. If (senior) management people start dissappearing from your existing place that will be a strong indicator it is being phased out.

[kayse]

Thanks for replies This was an $875Mil deal AO Smith and RBC I Came across
some internet info:Government investigated deal for monopoly/etc and for deal to close RBC had to divest one product line of motors~ $25Mil sales with profit of~5Mil based in Mexico They sold to a privately owned company that plans to
move the product line to Searcy Arkansas????? Why not USA made all along
Do stocks automatically go up and CEO bonuses kick in soon after a USA company ships our jobs to other countries that pays a poor standard of living,
low enviromental values, low safety recognition and no child labor laws Does our
corporate TAX structure support say as in my $64 question buying capital equipment thru a dead location to minimize a tax obligation at another, Seems to me finding another job will maybe(probably) be a very short term solution unless I retrain for something like Tattoo artist By the way KARL MARX was a
proponent of so called free trade Don't most people who have worked with their
hands believe in FAIR trade

[cobmachine]

I have a question? Is it fair that a machine shop phases 24 bridgeports and 21 (3 shifts) skilled machinist and replaced them with 4 VMC’s and 1 programmer and 6 (3 shifts) operators?
That is 20 skilled jobs down the drain. Is that fair? Or just trying to compete?

If it was your money what would you do?

[kayse]

glad to hear from shopowners who take the risks and reap the rewards-right here in the USA - maybe(probably) in a few years the VMC's will be replaced by technology I/we? have only heard about-rapid prototype? machines that grow parts out of powdered metal with a laser- how many out of work VMC operators? All I'm sayin is look at the CNC market here-my former employers in the injection mold business (before I took this die repair job) used to gripe about customers outsource their molds and when quality was so poor they send to us to get running (tweek put lightly) But when it come to updating our CNC equipment it was import city. Flat screens and iphones have replaced what I grew up with but when I was growing up (Dad,Gramps,Uncle and now my Son are/were toolmakers) TV and phones were made in USA. Again, only respectfor those who are willing to take risks and start businesses (I've never worked for a poor man and I'm as big a hypocrite as anybody Wallyworld big lots, etc.) I just feel sold out by fund managers and business schools and politicians I'll just buy USA If I can find it with hard earned $$$$$ if I can make it

[cobmachine]

Lol. I hear you. When I was going to school for MMT they said all these machinist would be retiring and there would be a shortage of machinist. Well that turned out not to be true.
O well, it changes so we must too. You just have to work harder for you money. Good luck to us all.

[txcncman]

Originally Posted by cobmachine Lol. I hear you. When I was going to school for MMT they said all these machinist would be retiring and there would be a shortage of machinist. Well that turned out not to be true. O well, it changes so we must too. You just have to work harder for you money. Good luck to us all.

Well, here in north Texas, we definitely have a shortage of SKILLED machinists. Plenty of machine operators. But, we also have a problem of low pay for SKILLED machinists. Companies here want to pay $12-$15 an hour for a person that can do it all, program, set up, and the operate machine. Even if they are willing to pay more, the talent is just not there. There are no apprentice programs any more. And the schools (trade schools and colleges) do not offer machinist courses. Some of the colleges are trying to teach CAD/CAM and call that a machinist in 288 classroom hours or less. I believe the national standard approved by the Department of Labor is in the 564 classroom hour range PLUS 4000 hours of on-the-job training.