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| Mercury Marine cuts jobs, temporarily shutters plant
Mercury Marine has cut 62 jobs and plans to temporarily shut down its Fond du Lac, Wis., production plant for three weeks beginning this week, company spokesman Steve Fleming said this morning.
The layoffs are part of Brunswick Corp.’s recent announcement that it was laying off 1,000 people immediately and an additional 1,700 during the next 18 months. These 62 layoffs are part of that 1,700, Fleming said.
More layoffs at Mercury are possible as Brunswick continues to trim its payroll.
“I think there will be more, probably smaller numbers, but I can’t guarantee that,” Fleming said.
As for the temporary shutdown, Fleming said the company closes for two weeks each year, and this year added the additional week “to align with our current demand.”
Mercury, a $2.3 billion division of Brunswick, employs about 6,000 people.
Mercury’s brand portfolio includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; |
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | Welcome to life in the U.S. auto industry.  I said mark my words, when all of us "overpaid" auto workers started losing our jobs, it was going to hit the rest of the country. Face it, we make the recrerational industry go 'round. I'm averaging one acquaintance or family member losing their job every week or two now. 7th forclosure on my 30 house block. Like I said, welcome to the U.S. auto industry and so long middle class. |
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Location: Oshkosh | All I gotta say is if I hear one more time from some hack politician or dope-smokin, maggot-infested, plastic-banana, goodtime rockn' roller hippie tree hugger type that "we can't drill our way out of this problem," I'm going to take my Milwaukee V28 and drill him/her, bunch of friggin morons... |
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| Terror,
You guys are in a tough spot. The US auto industry is not on a fair playing field competing with Toyota and the like that do not have the legacy costs the American companies have to bear. It is no ones fault. The unions did what they thought was right and the former big three did what they had to do to keep operating. Today is a new reality. I do not know what those in the auto industry can do except hang tough and sharpen their skills going forward. Uncertainty is one of the hardest to to deal with and plan around. I hope things work out for you and your cohourts.
Take care,
Jim O |
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| Guys, Not only the auto industry and the building industry, here's another sad story from my area that is getting all too common... Our area was once immune to recessions and job layoffs. A guy or gal could graduate from high school and go straight into the mill and work as many hours as possible. Great health insurance, pensions, 401k's great vacation.... it's all gone. But Barack will solve all our problems by taxing those darn rich people! And Dr Steve Kagen is keeping an eye on Washington.... Don't get me started! Somebody has to help me here, they just bought the mill last December, how the heck can they spend the money on an asset like that and then just shut the mill down 8 months later. http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880730062 Dominic
Edited by Purple Skeeter 7/30/2008 5:23 PM
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | Yeah, it's hitting everyone now. The company I work for came off an all-time best year in 08 to absolutely stagnant sales this year at about a 10 year low. Was 25% through an expansion to double our capacity, only to suddenly eat the money invested for now and mothball the equipment and project. Obama, McCain, it doesn't matter. It's at least 4 more years of this or worse either way until we get a fresh batch of clown to choose from. |
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| wow there shutting down a paper mill. i work 4 a printing company and we get our paper from germany.we used to get it from china, until they put a tarrif on them.years ago all our paper came from our region.this is wrong.it starts as being some and turns to all. corporate greed.how can it be better to get your paper from 4000 miles away than 100 miles.this is just one example.some at the top have no values! |
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| Do papermill workers get pensions and/or insurance after they retire? |
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Location: Oshkosh | The unfortunate thing for every business in this state (as well as Michigan) is the tax hell in which each business has to operate. We make it harder in this state to operate and attract new businesses than just about anywhere else with the high tax culture and the mountain of red tape and regulations that a business owner needs to overcome just to earn what is fast becoming an evil six-letter word ("PROFIT"). Because of this, businesses are forced to look for ways to cut costs. a lot of times this means outsourcing overseas for what they used to get locally or at least regionally. It is a necessity if they want to remain not only competitive but around in 5 years.
How do you turn the tide? It ain't gonna happen overnight, but a good start would be to support and elect pro-business politicians who can find creative ways of attracting new businesses to the state (which create jobs) and keeping taxes and spending to what is actually necessary. Oh, and dig a BIG hole, round up all the tree huggers, and you figure the next logical step here... Once people get off this global warming kick (or "climate change crisis" as they are now starting to call it now that undisputable evidense showing that if anything, we are in a cooling stage) and everyone re-learns that our economy runs on OIL, maybe then things will start to revert to some normalcy. You can tout all the alternate forms of energy you want, but until the laws of capitalism demand a legitimate use of alternative fuels (meaning that it will become cheaper, more efficient to use, and more readily attainable than fossil fuels), and the fact that we have more oil underground than you could imagine, just waiting for us to tap into, we are doing an incredible disservice to our economy, our country, our citizens, and future generations by buying into the latest version of "the sky is falling."
Our illustrious governor and his "task force on global warming" (that you and I paid for whether we like it or not) recently came up with "suggested" measures to help fight this most horrible of woes... measures that, if enacted would probably double the price per gallon of gas, raise taxes on everyone (including the little guy, whom our democrat friends supposedly look out for) in order to fund these measures, and absolutely ruin our economy due to the added red tape and impossible to adhere to regulations that businesses will have to comply with.
Oh, and don't forget that Barry O wants to give the little guy another economic stimulus check of $1,000. Where's he gonna get that? Try a massive "windfall" tax on oil companies. And to top that, we had 40 or so republican congressmen stick it out in session on Friday trying to debate the merits of offshore oil drilling. The ol' plastic surgery queen herself Nancy Pelosi ordered the sessions to an end and the lights and C-Span cameras turned off.
I don't necessarily think that the 2 party system is the best for our country, but you tell me- of the two, who really have the best interests of our country and economy in mind when it comes to stuff like this? It says a lot when you won't even allow something like offshore drilling to come up for a vote...
Sorry for the rant... anybody catch any fish this weekend?!?
Edited by Brother Otis 8/3/2008 7:13 PM
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | I'm all for offshore drilling, but the libs really kinda do have our backs on this one. They're sticking point is that big oil use the 64 million acres of land they're already set to drill on(paid for by me and you!!!), if they want to drill offshore. That oil can be lifted in a fraction of the time and cost that it will take to set-up and lift offshore. Think about it. These oils arses are sitting on the easy-to-lift oil until hard to lift oil becomes the norm and prices stabilize high, reflecting it. Then they go and drill the the easy oil and make even more record setting profits than they already are. On our backs! As T. Boone says "We ain't drillin' ourselfves out of this one!" Offshore drilling now is nothing more than another money grab by big oil that the republicans are more than happy for us to finance.
Edited by terroreyes 8/3/2008 8:05 PM
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| http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070514/cerberus-profile.htm
Read this article that someone posted in the comments section of the atricle on the Appleton Post Crescent, it clearley shows this milll was bought by the largest investment firm in the USA for only one purpose... to make money in the short run. After they discovered other more lucrative companies to buy, they simlpy choose to shut down this mill. The investment firm that bought New Page Paper Company also just bought Chrysler from Merceded Benz. Way too many investments with little or no reason to own them other than to make money by buying and selling companies. Nice way to play with peoples lives from a 1000 miles away.
Dominic |
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | BTW, did you read or hear the report that big oil spends more money telling us in advertising that they're researching alternatives and new prospects than they do actually doing it. LOL Less than 1% of those record profits are reinvested back to research, exploration, and increasing capacity. So, the next time you see one of those execs telling congress they're profits are justified because they reinvest the money,..................... BULL-BLEEP !!!!!!! |
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Location: Oshkosh | Oil is a commodity. The only way anyone makes "record profits" on anything is if they sell more of it.
My best friend is a mid-level geologist for Exxon-Mobile. While he didn't come right out and say it word-for-word, much of the land that oil companies have leases on are toward the end of their productive lives. In otherwords, there isn't a lot of oil left there to get out of the ground.
As far as alternative energy, do you really think that there is anything even remotely on the horizon that can pick up our economy right where oil has left off? Oil is the lifeblood of our economy and no matter how much you want to think that we should be investing in alternative energies (which I am not saying is a bad idea), we cannot simply go cold-turkey or even 75% without killing our way of life. |
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Location: upper michigan | dont worry guys china and japan will own our country within 10 more years. manufacturing built this country and in the end it is gonna ruin it because its all going away to foriegn interests. |
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | The leases in question haven't even been tapped yet. There's billions of barrels just sitting there!
How sad of a day is it in our country when Paris Hilton's energy policy sounds better than both our presidential candidates plans? And it makes sense!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoUmLDMpcpg |
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| My understanding of lease system is. 1. You pay x to lease the land 2. You have to explore the land to determine what is feasable. Siesmology for the land is costly and time consuming. Just because you take the chance and secure the lease, does not mean it will be profitable, it just means you control the rights to the land should some of it pay off. 3. You have to get all the state and federal permits to allow extraction.
The profits of oi companies, by a percentage is no greater and less than many industries. They just do it in great volume.
With all the government hearings and other finger pointing boloney, no one has proven anything shady is going on other than capitalism. Supply and demand works until the government gets involved: ie ethonol.
If one feels the oil companies have it rigged, then buy their stock. Had you bought it a month ago, you would be an unhappy camper today.
I do not like paying $4/gal either. Drill, drill, drill and encourage any market based program you want. If folks can be convinced to invest in it, let her rip.
I am very skeptical of any government programs that propose to solve anything.
All government programs do is increase the bueracracy and dole out cash to representatives to which they are beholding
Take care,
Jim O |
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Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | You're right, but supposedly, surveys have been done on that land, just like they have done on the even harder to survery/lift off-shore areas. They have pretty good estimates already as to what both areas hold. It's just a matter of drilling it. Like I said, I'm all for drill, drill, drill (except for ANWR), but don't stand by and let big oil take further advantage of the situation. It's time that these so-called "American companies serving America" suck it up just a little bit like the rest of us and quit sucking us dry for the shareholders sake. FORCE them to pump those leases now, acquired with tax subsidies when oil was $30-40/barrel or less instead of waiting until oil is $400/barrel.
Edited by terroreyes 8/6/2008 9:50 PM
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| One must also remember that oil is a global market, any oil taken from leased land would also be put up for bidding on the world commodities market, it would not be saved for use just here. |
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Location: Oshkosh | I don't know about the rest of you, but I can just about guarantee that if yu have a 401(k) or IRA or own any type of mutual fund, you own stock in "big oil."
Bravo, Mr. Ordway, bravo! |
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