Plant closing

[oscer]

Hi folks, I live about 10 miles South as the crow flies from the NH plant in Belleville Pa. We all heard a week or so ago they are shutting this plant down,along with another one somewere else. NH has been a staple in the local economy for years. It came as a suprise to me. I guess it's the "new American way". Lots of folks I know that worked there were able to retire at 55.I'm told 450"permanent" employees and some temps worked there.I work at a local steel mill,I always thought we would be the ones to go,not NH.

 

[Dusty]

With the global economy moving into full swing, it is hard for a manufacturer to want to pay American wages when they can go to China and pay 1/10th of what it costs here in the USA to have a product made. The cost of transporting that product back to the US is not that great of an expense when you have those type of labor savings. I have heard that even Japan has sent manufacturing to China because it is so much cheaper to produce goods there verses Japan. Today, China's labor costs are like the US labor costs were in the 1930's by comparison. I hate to think this, but with all our manufacturing facilities closing down, I don't know what we would do if we ever had to gear up to fight another war like the Second World War. It was our peacetime manufacturing facilities that were able to quickly switch to a wartime facility that made the difference. At one point during the war, we were able to turn out one ship per day. Today, we don't have that amount of skilled labor, nor do we have the machinists and factories to do anything close to that. The Chinese communists don't have to defeat us politically, they are doing it to the world financially. The only thing that we still manufacture in the US that is exported extensively to China is tobacco, and if they can find a way to get the American tobacco leaves to China economically, they will probably manufacture cigarettes there.
Dusty

 

[MikePA]

I've read all the articles I can find about this CNH plant closing and not one of them mentioned CNH is moving the manufacturing to China? Where did you read this?

 

[dknarnd]

I have been in manufacturing for over 25 years and I have seen the jobs leave the states in that time. Now I am seeing that for strictly precision machining jobs allot of that work is staying in the states because the cost of a skilled setup person and operator abroad is rising significantly. Another reason for the lack of quality products coming from abroad is because of the condition of their equipment. I have just recently liquidated 6 old machines from the factory that can't hold tolerances at all, where do they go....India and South America!

 

[jinman]

I've read all the articles I can find about this CNH plant closing and not one of them mentioned CNH is moving the manufacturing to China? Where did you read this?

Mike, have you read what is manufactured at the CNH plant that is closing? Is it haying equipment or construction equipment? Are any NH tractors made in the USA besides the Boomer assembly in Georgia? I guess I need to do my research....

 

[MikePA]

Mike, have you read what is manufactured at the CNH plant that is closing? Is it haying equipment or construction equipment?

None of the articles mentioned specifically what's made there. Here's the only quote that gives a hint, "The agricultural equipment manufacturer announced last Wednesday to its 450 employees it would be closing its Belleville facility within the next year and a half."

 

[Gator6x4]

Here is some information.


CNH to Close Belleville Plant
Submitted by Editor on Tue, 10/31/2006 - 11:40am.


DAVE LEFEVER
Editor
LAKE FOREST, Ill. Citing the need "to accelerate cost reduction activities," CNH (Case New Holland) last week announced plans to close its agricultural manufacturing facilities in Belleville, Pa. and Goodfield, Ill.
The Belleville closing will occur in phases over the next year and a half, according to Amy Kesler, CNH spokesperson for the corporate office in Lake Forest, Ill.
About 450 people work at the Belleville plant, where pull-type hay equipment, such as mowers and rakes, and self-propelled windrowers and bale wagons are made.
CNH plans to move the pull-type hay equipment manufacturing from Belleville to its plant in New Holland, Pa.
The self-propelled hay equipment production will move to a facility in Grand Island, Neb., "closer to markets where it is consumed" in the West, Midwest and Canada, Kesler said.
CNH has 13 manufacturing facilities in North America and 39 globally, according to Kesler.
Taken together, the Belleville and Goodfield, Ill. plants employ 650-675 people, about 7 percent of CNH's workers in North America and about 3 percent of the company's workers globally.
"We understand that this will impact our employees there," Kesler said. "We will offer outsourcing programs and will help them with severance packages." The plant closings, she said, will "ultimately create value for our customers."

 

[MikePA]

CNH plans to move the pull-type hay equipment manufacturing from Belleville to its plant in New Holland, Pa. The self-propelled hay equipment production will move to a facility in Grand Island, Neb., "closer to markets where it is consumed" in the West, Midwest and Canada, Kesler said.

The stock answer of 'all the manufacturing jobs are moving to China' doesn't apply.

 

[Redneck_Randy]

The stock answer of 'all the manufacturing jobs are moving to China' doesn't apply.

May not be the case here but it is happening all over the USA. An example for you. Long time based comany here decided to move it's production line oversee's. Over 1800 out of work now. Because of this I will NEVER buy there product again. What company am I talking about, Zero Bomb Company (IE Zebco) The severance packages they recieved was nothing but pennies.

 

[Dusty]

I've read all the articles I can find about this CNH plant closing and not one of them mentioned CNH is moving the manufacturing to China? Where did you read this?

I never said that NH was going to China. My comment about China was in relation to the closing and why so many of our manufacturers are closing the doors. I will say that it is a fair assumption that they will be going to China for manufacturing if they are closing plants in the US, either that, or they are going to be going out of business. It might not be this year or next, but it is going to happen. The only thing that will prevent this is if the Chinese economy heats up quickly and the workers start to demand more of the profits. It is unlikely that any labor unions will ever get started in China because of the type of government control that is exerted, so it is safe to say that China will continue to grow economically without any outside influence. Presently over 50% of the GDP of China is sold to Walmart! Generally speaking, today most manufacturing business's that close, either go out of business or move off shore to other countries. The days of moving manufacturing from the Northern half of our country to the Southern half for less expensive labor and manufacturing costs are gone.
Dusty