Porter Cable - Good Bye USA!

[David Hayes]

In my "local" paper, The Jackson (TN) Sun, the front page story was Black & Decker moving 350 Porter Cable hand tool assembly jobs to Mexico and a Texas town on the Mexican border. The machining is staying in Jackson, for now.

I guess it was just a matter of time before B&D would have to start reducing their operating costs to realize a return on their investment.

Just a heads up for those of you who like to buy American.

Dave

[Chuck Wintle]

One by one American companies move production to China or Mexico. In a few years will there be any tools still American made? Is it impossible to keep factories viable and profitable in the US?

[Richard McComas]

In my "local" paper, The Jackson (TN) Sun, the front page story was Black & Decker moving 350 Porter Cable hand tool assembly jobs to Mexico and a Texas town on the Mexican border. The machining is staying in Jackson, for now.

I guess it was just a matter of time before B&D would have to start reducing their operating costs to realize a return on their investment.

Just a heads up for those of you who like to buy American.

DaveThat's truly sad to hear.

I was just thinking, how long will it be before Americans have to become illegal aliens in Mexico to find a job?

[Keith Outten]

The fox is continuing to steal our chickens at an alaming rate....soon there will not be any eggs to be found and how will we feed our families then ? Blaming the Government at that point will not ease the hunger pains.

[John Weber]

I'm not going to say much, but my good friend in Chicago lost his job, as they are moving the Delta/PC service center to the DeWalt center down the street. This guy was a Ponder, and has helped many forum members behind the scenes. I don't even know what to say, but I hope for the best for him and the other folks that will soon be without work.

John

[Ken Leshner]

Buy American!! - even if there are less expensive or more highly rated foreign products. As far as I can see, there is no other way. If companies realize we prefer to buy American, maybe they will think twice about moving and losing market share to those competitors who remain in the U.S.

[Marshall Harrison]

Ken,

The only problem with "buy American" is how do we know if something is made in America these days. It is getting so hard to tell.

It's a great idea though and I'm all for it.

[Donnie Raines]

I would love to buy only American products. But, when you compare the cost of many items it is very difficult to do if you are budget minded....even if you are not budget minded. Many of the tools we discuss are perfect examples....but so are many of the goods at car dealers, grocery stores and other types of big box stores.

The society over all is cost minded with high quality attached to that price(in other words: they want their cake and to eat it to). They want full benefits, good pay...but when it comes to spending money...they want the best they can get for their money...at the most competative price. If this was not true the jobs would be staying put right here.

[Mark Rhodes]

The same is happening in Fayetteville NC at B&D/Dewalt manufacturing. Most of their products are being farmed out to China and Mexico. It sad to see it happen but you can thank Slick Willie and NAFTA.

[Bob Johnson2]

I was trying to buy american in my purchase of a table saw, now that Delta has gone south with the uni, I can't, at least there is nothing that I've found that I can afford.

[Pete Simmons]

With fewer and fewer skills being passed from one generation to the next; How long before there are NO Americans left who know any skills??

[Bill Grumbine]

I always read things like this with mixed feelings. For many of you here, this is a hobby. For me it is a living, and I depend on my tools to make that living. Quality and price are always factors when I am buying a tool. But I see it from the other side as well. Say I can build a table for $500. The person who is buying that table can choose to buy one that is just as serviceable for $100 by buying an imported factory made job with poor fit and finish made by someone who is getting less per week than I get per hour. They have the freedom to make that choice.

But is it my right to demand that the customer buy my table? Is it my place to demand that the government subsidize my business, or force people to buy from me? I do not think so. This is a complicated and convoluted matter, but government controls are not going to solve the issue. The issue is the greed of our fellow man on the one hand, and the reality of life on the other. There are a lot of people who would like to own a table I made for $500, but simply cannot afford it. But they still need a table. I would like to keep my current style of living, so I do not come down in my price. Now I will not call that greed, but it is a factor in my business.

So what do we do? Complain to politicians? Hah! There is very little if any honor or truth in politics. It is all about expeidiency and money, and it is the big companies who have the money. We can only vote with our wallets, keeping in mind that all of our fellow citizens have the very same rights we do, like it or not. If this issue really bothers you, think about it before you post asking where you can find the best price on [insert tool du jour here]. The best price is the one that keeps the local tool guy in business so that he can service your tool, feed his family, and keep the dollars here in the US of A. But we don't like to think like that, do we? Only when it comes to the other guy. I could go on and on, but there is not much more point to be made. For those of us who cherish our freedom - what we have left of it, we should not cry too loudly for control to be imposed on others, because if that happens, we will eventually be the other.

Bill

[John Weber]

I was trying to buy american in my purchase of a table saw, now that Delta has gone south with the uni, I can't, at least there is nothing that I've found that I can afford.

Bob,

The Delta Unisaw still has final assembly and machining in Jackson, TN. The Powermatic 66 is still assembled in the US, and if you like our friends up North, the General 10" cabinet saw is made in Canada.

The announcement said Delta assembly and machining would remain in Jackson, TN. On a positive note the DeWalt compressor assembly and tank fabrication will move from Reynosa, Mexico, to the DeVilbiss facility in Jackson, TN.

John

[Chuck Wintle]

I am wondering how a country like Germany can maintain jobs and still sell their products internally at a higher cost?
Of course its capitalism at work, companies want the lowest cost labor input, but what about the long term. I wonder if any American company sees past the next quarter?

[Jerry Clark]

I wanted to buy American so I bought a Toyota!Made in the USA!:rolleyes:

[Cecil Arnold]

I wanted to buy American so I bought a Toyota!Made in the USA!:rolleyes:
And your Toyota (and mine) was made at a good price by high priced American labor that has benefits and a retirement plan. Does anyone besides me question our corporate culture?

[Dave Moran]

I contacted Porter Cable to express my disapointment, never expected a reply, I just needed to vent, I expressed my diaspointement but was not vicious. Here is the reply;
Dear David,

Thank you for visiting the Porter-Cable website.

The acquisition of Pentair Tools Group by Black & Decker was completed October 2, 2004. Over the past weeks and month all business units were evaluated to identify changes needed to meet strategic objectives. During the week of 1/17/05 it was announced that certain Porter Cable manufacturing operations in Jackson, TN would be moved to other locations including Reynosa, Mexico. However, it should also be pointed that some manufacturing operations currently in Mexico are also being relocated to Jackson, TN. A number of positions were affected by the move; however, Porter Cable, Delta and DeVilbiss Air Power will continue to maintain a strong manufacturing and distribution presence in Jackson, TN.

Regards,

Customer Care Department

[Richard McComas]

I am wondering how a country like Germany can maintain jobs and still sell their products internally at a higher cost?
Of course its capitalism at work, companies want the lowest cost labor input, but what about the long term. I wonder if any American company sees past the next quarter?
I don't know a whole lot about the subject or how wide spread it is but I do know the German co that makes the high quality Buffering Wide Belt sander is now having the machine made in China. If Buffering is doing this I can’t help but think there are others and probably many others doing the same thing or headed that way.

[Rob Wyrick]

I wanted to buy American so I bought a Toyota!Made in the USA!:rolleyes:
But where is the profit going? Specifically, the corporate profit? In the end, Toyota makes money on car sales. If you give your money to Toyota rather than Ford or GM, then you are helping Toyota's car sales. If enough people do that, GM and Ford will feel the pain. Their profit will go down, their stock prices will go down, and they will move jobs to Mexico to save money and increase profits. If they don't move jobs or don't save enough, eventually they'll get bought (like Chrysler) and then even more corporate profit is lost to foreign companies. When all American car manufacturers are gone, the entire industry will start moving plants to Mexico or China in order to decrease costs and increase profit even more. Eventually there will be no auto industry in the U.S. except for a few high-end custom manufacturers.

Before you laugh me off and think I'm a nut. This has pretty much already happened to the textile industry. Where is the shirt on your back made? And have you ever tried to buy anything leather (shoes, coats, etc.) that was made in the U.S? It's nearly impossible.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now .
:)

[Dave Moran]

Before you laugh me off and think I'm a nut. This has pretty much already happened to the textile industry. Where is the shirt on your back made? And have you ever tried to buy anything leather (shoes, coats, etc.) that was made in the U.S? It's nearly impossible.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now .
:)
Rob, you are not a nut, find a TV made in the USA, there are none. this is a lot of what NAFTA, ISO etc is causing. :( and we keep buying into these scams

[Peter Gavin]

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with most of the sentiments expressed here. The 'good ole USA' has no monopoly on the right to make money. In fact, the huge disparity in earnings (and wasteful expenditure) between the USA ( and to some extent Europe) is probably the greatest threat to stability and safety in the world there is. Although it may seem unfair that a worker in Mexico can only make in a day what you make per hour, chances are he (she) is thrilled to make it. The best we can hope for is that the earnings gap between the USA and the rest of the world diminishes, because maybe then the mexican worker will demand benefits like retirement, job safety et al and the USA will become competetive again. In the meantime, you had better learn some skills that CAN'T be exported, because if you try to keep living in the old economy you are going to be diappointed.

Just my .02

Peter

[Carl Eyman]

This same question has been present during my whole working life. It has been with us certainly since the end of World WarII. Each succeeding generation has made the same plea of where will it end? Yet look what has happened to our standard of living; It is going no place but up. I see young college grads coming out of college and starting with a level of affluence it took me and my generation decades to achieve. Now it is true people say both husband and wife have to work to make it. Well, yes both do to afford a new 2500 square foot house, two new cars, music lessons for the kids, etc. But my point is the jobs are there so this can happen. If we've on balance exported jobs, why do we have so many left? None of this helps the guy that lost his PorterCable service center job, of course, but still there are plenty of jobs left, more being created every year, and we continue to live higher on the hog each year. Curious!