Just Plain Wrong !

[pennwalk]

I read yesterday that they are closing the Visegrip plant and moving production to China. I wish they would make the executives who thought up that plan move to China. They don't deserve to be Americans. Better horde what ever US made Visegrips you may need.

Chris

 

[MossRoad]

I read they had 300 people there getting laid off. Now think about that. 300 people making pliers 5 days a week for decades and decades. I know I have about 5 or 6 pairs of vice grips. But the last time I actually bought a pair was probably 20 years ago. They last and last. I wonder how many pliers they make a week with 300 people and how many they have made since they were invented back in what, the 1800's wasn't it?

 

[Lasgambler]

'Just a sign of the times. I read that there has been 51 new McDonalds built in the New Orleans area since Katrina. I guess thats about 1500 new part-time jobs "flippin burgers".

 

[MikePA]

I read that there has been 51 new McDonalds built in the New Orleans area since Katrina. I guess thats about 1500 new part-time jobs "flippin burgers".

Yep, they should just close those McDonalds. Who needs entry level jobs any way.

 

[Egon]

I'm wondering what the stockholders have to say?

 

[Scooby074]

I knew something was up when the last pair of VG i bought 6 months ago had a 6mm allen socket in the adjuster bolt. Fit and finish wasnt what im used to either. Looks like they been sourcing their parts from china for a while, now they're just moving the rest pf the production there. Ill just buy the generic chinese knock offs now for half the price.

Sadly, it looks like there is going to be no tool manufacturers left in NA before long, except maybe Snap-On. Grey, Mac and Stanley already moved alot of their production overseas. Canadian Tire and Craftsman's supplier has too.

 

[kenmac]

Remember back in the 60-70's when all the plants were moving to japan ? I can remember when we called if japan junk.You are lucky to get things from japan now days. It's all about cheap labor = higher profits.Not to say I like it but, If you owned the company & you were paying employees $15.00-20.00 ?? per hr + benifits & you moved to china & the same labor cost is what $15.00-$20.00 ? per mo. No benifits.They are already having to compete with the chinese tool market. So it could be move or go under

 

[300UGUY]

Exactly!! In my old plant, our plant manager told us that everybody in the building could work for free, we still couldn't match the Chinese on cost.

 

[Scooby074]

I dont think this was a "move or go under" situation. This is purely profit driven. When I think locking pliers I think Vice Grips. VG's were sold at a premium price and were a quality product.

Their moving of production offshore has made me reconsider all future purchases of Vice grips and i likely will buy the knock offs or Grip on if i can get them locally. The same goes for all other Irwin products, they've moved most of their production offshore and the quality stinks!

Im employed in the manufacturing industry, and if we keep losing the $15-20/hr manufacturing jobs, who will be able to buy their products? I won't be spending 3 hours salary on $15 Vice grips when working at McDonalds.

Maybe if we made a conscious effort to buy North American sourced products instead of the lowest price, companies would get the message. The only thing big corporations seem to understand is profit at all costs. And most people think savings at all costs, no matter the quality or place of manufacture. We're shooting ourselves in the foot!

 

[DougM]

Question??
If they move off shore to save money WHY does the quality go done it would seem they could make a better pair of pliers for less money

 

[DocHeb]

VG's were sold at a premium price and were a quality product.

There is the problem. There are fewer and fewer people that understand what a quality product is, much less be willing to pay a premium for it. Price is everything, and manufacturers are providing what the customers want.

 

[scgargoyle]

I bought a pair of knock-off vise grips at Lowe's which is virtually identical to Vise-Grips- for 1/2 the price. It's the first pair I've seen that was identical. They're holding up to a lot of abuse at work, too. As a toolmaker, I hope I can stay employed until retirement- it's gettin' tough out there.

 

[MikePA]

I bought a pair of knock-off vise grips at Lowe's which is virtually identical to Vise-Grips- for 1/2 the price. It's the first pair I've seen that was identical. They're holding up to a lot of abuse at work, too. As a toolmaker, I hope I can stay employed until retirement- it's gettin' tough out there.

There's a lot of irony in this post.

 

[Scooby074]

Price is everything, and manufacturers are providing what the customers want.

I can understand that, however my last VG with the foreign parts were more expensive then the previous set i bought a year ago that appeared to be US made!!!

 

[curly]

I got laid off November 2007...got a job in February with a company who has now decided to close their doors on Oct 31st 2008. So I called the company that laid me off last year and they are hiring me back. Weird stuiff, huh.

 

[LMTC]

The only thing big corporations seem to understand is profit at all costs. And most people think savings at all costs, no matter the quality or place of manufacture. We're shooting ourselves in the foot!

And what else are big corporations supposed to "understand"? Any corporation is simply a collection of people with varying duties and authority, so "big corporations" in and of themselves understand nothing; they are simply legal entities to facilitate a business operation. So often one hears people rail (not that you're railing....you just happened to use the term) against big corporations, big oil, big tobacco. All of these are no more than collections of people making decisions and performing various functions in a manner they believe will benefit the shareholders. The basic mission of virtually all corporations is to make a profit. Anyone unhappy with a corporation's performance or actions can, with very few exceptions, buy stock in the corporation and vote those shares to help determine the direction and decisions of the corporation. Anyone seriously thinking there should be some public power to tell a corporation how to operate (beyond the usual public safety regs, etc.) is buying into centralized government control of economic ventures, and the Soviet Union showed us how well that works.

And FWIW I agree with you about shooting ourselves....only much more fatally than in the foot. The sweetness of low price will be long gone when the bitterness of a reduced economy settles in as a long term reality. Such is the price a nation pays for having a preponderance of citizens who think along those lines. I seriously suspect most folks have no clue as to the cause and effect of economic issues, nor would they care.....culturally we have become a nation of want now, consume now for several decades, and we will now pay the bills for that.

My heart goes out to those losing jobs permanently, but this is clearly a case for the sage comment from Pogo first used nearly 40 years ago: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

 

[Bird]

there is going to be no tool manufacturers left in NA before long, except maybe Snap-On

When I was repairing mechanics' air tools, I repaired quite number of Snap-on tool and it said "Japan" on the side of them just like the MAC, Matco, and Cornwell tools that were made for them by Ingersoll-Rand or Chicago Pneumatic. The Snap-ons were made just enough different that parts wouldn't be interchangeable with any other brand so they could charge double or triple as much for their Japanese parts.

 

[kenmac]

The chinese worker can produce more product & not complain about his/ her working conditions. That= less over all cost to the company which = more profit to the share holders . As wayne posted. We ( me included) are to blame because we purchase the stuff

 

[scgargoyle]

There's a lot of irony in this post.

Actually, I use Vice-Grip brand at home where I can keep an eye on them. At work, they tend to 'walk'. As the supervisor, I'm expected to lend tools to everyone, and since I'm not about to hand out my good stuff, I keep a supply of junk to lend.

 

[Blagadan]

Sad to hear about it. I hope they manage to keep the quality standards in China.

I have probably about 8 or 9 genuine vice grips locking pliars in my collection, some of them over 10 years old and still perfect. I also have quite a few locking pliar copies by various manufacturers and quite frankly, the copies are a load of sh*t. I have several copies that are still in their packaging, never used.

I only use the copies for clamping stuff when I am welding and dont mind ruining a pair of pliars with spatter and such.

Theres something reassuring about picking up a pair of genuine Vice Grips.

My sympathies to the employees and their families..... tough times ahead....