"Leon" wrote in message
...

"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
news

My dear friend who was also a manufacturing superintendent for me
called last night to let me know that the new Unisaw will be unveiled
today at IWF and will have the "Made in America" badging.

"How can that be?" I asked. Well, it seems that all those decisions I
(we) fought against have been reversed. The Brazilian motor will be
gone in favor of a Marathon. Those chinese castings will be replaced
with castings from, in my opinion, the best all around foundry in the
country, Waupaca. So, with fabrication and assembly in Jackson, TN,
the content will meet the requirement for "Made in America".

I expect it could be pricey. The cost benefit of a very efficient and
nearly fully depreciated facility will not be there and I expect that
all important overhead absorption volume will be down due to those
disastrous decisions of the past. But it makes me feel good to see
this happen, and I'm happy to see that B & D may actually get it where
Pentair, didn't have a clue.

Wish I could be there to see it. I passed on IWF this year, it
conflicting with a fishing/scalloping trip planned some time ago and
it looks like TS Fay is going to wipe out that alternative.

Frank

Sounds like a Harley come back story revisited. Let's hope that they are
as successful.

Interesting story on NBC news last night. Seems that Chinese manufacturing
is in trouble. They estimate that 30 percent of the factories in one
province will shutter their doors in the next year. As one Chinese
interviewee stated "There's no cheap labor, anymore". Labor laws in China
have doubled the minimum wage in the last year or so. Many companies are
moving their manufacturing sites to Vietnam and Indonesia as a result.

Tom G.