American made tractor?

[del]

I haven't read through the whole post yet, so my apologies
if someone has already posted this.

I call it WALMART!!AMERICA!!! yeah right...

Try not to throw up after you read it.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

scroll down past all the links to the main body of the article.

/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif<font color="blue">D</font><font color="orange">E</font> <font color="green">L</font>/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[CMunger]

I think most of the iron ore going to the Orient is coming from Australia, they have alot and cannot ship in to US because of tarrifs, so it is shipped there and the completed goods are brought here without tarrifs.
Chuck M.

 

[yellowsocks93]

It's too bad we can't get our iron ore from here in MN. My grandpa as well as my uncles and mainly everybody on my mom's side were miners. Now all the mines are closing. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[JTC]

Go Walmart!

This isn't directed to anyone in particular.

Can't blame them for being tough, shred, efficient businessmen. If it's any consolation, Walmart is working on doing to the rest of the world what they've done for the USA.

The distribution of labor is a basic principle of any macro-economic theory. It's as natural as water flowing downhill. Say you need landscaping work done. You get 3 bids. All other things being equal, you go with the lowest bid. If one of the contractors is your buddy, you can choose to subsidize him (at a cost to you) by paying him more then you would the lowest cost bidder. If all other things aren't equal i.e. quality, time, materials..., you can choose how much these factors are worth to you and make your decision accordingly. Millions of people vote with their pocket books everyday in buying Chinese products and shopping at Walmart.

As far as CEO's making zillions of dollars, kind of seems to me as a mighty powerful incentive to become a CEO. When I become "the man", I'll be one of those kind, benevolent leaders who is loved by all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jim

 

[Old_Hickory]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> As far as CEO's making zillions of dollars, kind of seems to me as a mighty powerful incentive to become a CEO. When I become "the man", I'll be one of those kind, benevolent leaders who is loved by all </font> )</font>

Let me know when it happens and I will go to work for you. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

What if,

1) you make it to be the CEO
2) you want to make zillions of $$$
3) Walmart is your biggest customer
4) they force you to move your plant/factory overseas for cheaper costs.

Do you think your laid off American workforce will still think of you as kind and benevolent? Or, were you just saying whatever needs to be said to "get to the top"???

 

[fivestring]

"With all that Tazewell history, what is your, or your relatives and friends, opinion of Power Trac and it's products???"

Uh.... they were coal miners. They died coal miners. They farmed with horses and mules. They made hay by hand. None of them ever owned a tractor, though sometimes they'd borrow one. My father left that area in '55 and moved to Columbus, Ohio. That's where I was born (actually, Mt. Vernon, OH) He swore he'd never work in the mines and he never did. He also swore he'd never live on a farm again due to the manual labor. He lives in the city.

I'm sure Power Trac will do fine there. I bet more than a few laid-off coal miners probably work for them.

AndyM.... good replies.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Kyle_in_Tex

Your theory that Wal Mart will make you move the plant overseas is simply wrong. The consumers who buy from Wal Mart are the ones who force cheaper prices, and that forces manufacturers to move their plants overseas.

This is a HUGE distinction. Consumers are NOT willing to pay higher prices for American made TV sets, or VCRs, or T-shirts, or Vacuum Cleaners, or Toys, or Bikes, or Kitchen Gadgets, or Blue Jeans.

We as consumers are forcing manufacturing jobs to the lowest bidder. I am NOT a fan of Wal Mart and I do not shop there, however, it is absolutely wrong to say that retailers force companies to close American plants down and move jobs overseas, when the reality is we are forcing it as consumers who are not willing to pay extra for goods that are identical to those goods made overseas, but are cheaper.

 

[AndyM]

Hey Gary the banjo picker from Mount Vernon with the nice blue First Choice mower,

It's been my experience that companies like PowerTrac do quite well building American made, low volume quality products. There is a niche to fill of people who are looking for something like that and they are willing to pay a little extra for it.

That being said, someone usually takes over the company who doesn't understand the original mission of the company. They start looking for ways to build sales volume and profit, and in turn, ways to cuts costs. They end up eliminating the features that made people buy the product to begin with, and they eventually move production off shore to make the product more "profitable", therefore destroying the loyal clientel they had originally buying the product.

I'm just talking in general-- I'm not saying that would ever happen to PowerTrac, but it seems to happen to many companies who are dedicated to making a unique product, different from the other brands, and dedicated to it being American made.

 

[AndyM]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( "Thankyou Mr. Bush."

Imports began before Mr. Bush took office. )</font>

President Bush had a difficult desicion when he had to repeal the tariffs on imported steel. The European Union was threatening tariffs on U.S. exports into their countries on several key products, not just U.S. steel.

Living here in the Mahoning Valley, where many steel companies have come and gone, and the ones who are left are hanging by a thread, this desicion affects a number of workers. While I don't necessarily agree with the President on this one (or a number of other things!), I sincerely believe he wouldn't have repealed the tariffs unless he had to (especially during an election year!).