...lost your manufactoring job?

[fatlazyless]

The editorial in the Tuesday, March 2, www.citizen.com, titled "Act now to bolster critical industrial base" was about the local loss of better paying manufactoring jobs in the area.

Here's the first two paragraph's...

"Laconia rode the broad shoulders of manufactoring for decades. Not long ago, one in three people here worked in a manufactoring job.

But no more. Laconia's manufactoring base has taken hit after hit."
.....

The editorial goes on to report the following bad news.

Laconia: 12 years ago, it had 3319 manufactoring jobs and now it has 2183.

Franklin: 10 years ago, it had 1777 manufactoring jobs and now it has 959.

Ashland: 10 years ago, it had 470 manufactoring jobs and now it has 135.

My uninformed general knowledge tells me that these jobs paid in the range of 16-22 dollars/hour.
......
Here's looking for your personal story on getting down sized to a lower paying job, or totally losing your job, and how you manage to survive on less money? If you want to share your story of losing your local manufactoring job and how it has impacted you.....people want to hear about it.

Belknap County continues through January 2010 to have the second highest rate of jobless-unemployment in New Hampshire, following second behind Coos County, way up north.

[RailroadJoe]

Maybe someday the government will realize that this country was built on manufacturing. Now, we lose all our companies to foreign owners who decide to move their operation outside the USA. Until we stop selling the country to foreigners and keep the ownership here, we will continue to lose manufacturing.
I worked in manufacturing companies since I was sixteen, many companies, and right now I think there is only one still in existence. They make guns.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

Maybe someday the government will realize that this country was built on manufacturing. Now, we lose all our companies to foreign owners who decide to move their operation outside the USA. Until we stop selling the country to foreigners and keep the ownership here, we will continue to lose manufacturing.
I worked in manufacturing companies since I was sixteen, many companies, and right now I think there is only one still in existence. They make guns.

Thanks RRJ, the sooner 'our' government realizes this outsourcing has ruined this country (thank you BJ Clinton for giving our technology and industry to China)

The US entered WW2 and because of our industrial base (we had factories and workers...imagine that!) we built up our military and won the war. Today, we have mighty air craft carriers, but due to the technology transfer, China now has AC buster missiles. So, the Chinese sink our carrier, but we can't produce another one, so we call China to make another one, so we have to borrow from them to build it, so they can bomb that one, then we .....

Why can't the government figure this out ??

[tis]

I used to wonder and worry years ago if losing the manufacturing jobs wouldn't hurt our country and could it survive as a service country. I think we are not finding out. It is very sad. Between the politics, regulations, and the unions it has hurt not only the Lakes Region but the whole country.

[Lakegeezer]

Other than military spending, why is support of manufacturing a government issue? Local governments can encourage manufacturing jobs through tax breaks, but the law of supply and demand can't be legislated. People in other countries work for less and cost of living is cheaper there. In the 1700s the US economy was about farming. The 1800s and 1900s were about manufacturing. That era is over. We are in the information and service age. There is still a need for engineers, plumbers, electricians, construction workers and truck drivers, but where is the business value of manufacturing something in the US? Why did Clairmont and Franklin become welfare towns? Those local governments did not see the writing on the wall and help shift the towns economy to something viable. Look at the mill towns of Manchester and Nashua. The manufacturing building are still there, but they are filled with high-tech firms. Shoring up manufacturing may be a security issue, as in the case of aircraft carriers, but artificially propping up an economy is expensive.

It would be great to see the lakes region flourish with new specialities that create jobs, but I don't think that will happen soon.

[fatlazyless]

It's been about a month since I drove past the former Freudenberg-NOK car parts making plant on Hounsel Ave in Laconia, close to the Gilford border. It closed in the spring of 2009, and about 130 lost their jobs making silicone injected, iso-elastic parts for automobiles.

It had a for sale sign from a commercial real estate broker looking for a buyer. Maybe, Toyota will set up shop in that empty factory building, and start cranking out new & improved accelerator pedals for all the millions of defective Toyotas out on the roads? Can only hope......?

[ITD]

The government should not prop up jobs, it should get out of the way. From oppressive taxes, to ridiculous regulation to environmental (emphasis on "mental") regulation, it just isn't worth it to make stuff here. Top that off with a public that thinks it's great to denigrate american made products, you get what we have now. Also we have an administration that is hell bent on getting its way with Obamacare, even though a large majority of Americans don't want it, things ain't getting better soon. I for one am hunkered down and waiting for this "wind" of "change" to blow away, and it can't go away soon enough for me......

[fatlazyless]

Surprise, surprise, the website www.lwpackard.com for the L W Packard Woolen Mill in Ashland is still operating, even though the mill closed five to seven years ago, and all the machinery was sold off. Be sure to take the CYBER PHOTO TOUR of the mill and the wool products it produced.......and the 300 lost factory jobs.....gone but not forgot...

Just look at the number of Ashland factory workers going from 470 to 135....talk about a big drop! What's in the factory now? As far as I know, it is an empty and vacant building(s) as the wool-making machines were shipped off to factories in China.

For a follow up article, google "NHPR, L W Packard Wool"

[tis]

Not to get off topic but one of my pet peeves is websites that are not kept up to date. (such as the woolen mill, fll) We go there for information but I know from experience, you can not always rely on it. That is why I like it when they say when it has been updated.

[fatlazyless]

Mr L W Packard had the two Ashland tennis courts built many years ago, and they were rebuilt in about 1974, and are still in very good condition and usable today.

So, while the 300 good paying, wool factory jobs, and the wool mill machinery has gone to China, the L W Packard website and two L W Packard tennis courts still remain. Something to be thankfull for, what-the-heck, and absolutely no one in Ashland hardly ever plays any tennis from what I've seen.

For just 15-bucks at Wal-Mart, you can get yourself a raquet and tennis balls and go play free Ashland tennis on a Tuesday or something, like you are the owner of the great big wool mill........is this a great country or what?

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Mr L W Packard had the two Ashland tennis courts built many years ago, and they were rebuilt in about 1974, and are still in very good condition and usable today.

So, while the 300 good paying, wool factory jobs, and the wool mill machinery has gone to China, the L W Packard website and two L W Packard tennis courts still remain. Something to be thankfull for, what-the-heck, and absolutely no one in Ashland hardly ever plays any tennis from what I've seen.

For just 15-bucks at Wal-Mart, you can get yourself a raquet and tennis balls and go play free Ashland tennis on a Tuesday or something, like you are the owner of the great big wool mill........is this a great country or what?

That's great, but where were the tennis raquets and balls made-USA or elsewhere?

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by chipj29

That's great, but where were the tennis raquets and balls made-USA or elsewhere?

Looking at the butt of the handle, it say's W, which stands for Wilson, and under the W, it says China in very small letters. About $13.84, orange & black, titanium raquet in about 4 different grip sizes. For 13.84 it is a terrific buy. The most expensive Wal-Mart raquet costs about $34.00 and is some type of plastic. The tennis balls......do not know...but probably made in China too, for 50-cents /ball.

Understand that Roger Federer has won about 60-million dollars playing tennis, the last ten years, and Serena Williams....about 30-million. Do they use a $13.84 raquet.....probably not?

Anyway, and most important to all, while most all of the factory jobs have left Ashland, at least there's still the two tennis courts....

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Looking at the butt of the handle, it say's W, which stands for Wilson, and under the W, it says China in very small letters. About $13.84, orange & black, titanium raquet in about 4 different grip sizes. For 13.84 it is a terrific buy. The most expensive Wal-Mart raquet costs about $34.00 and is some type of plastic. The tennis balls......do not know...but probably made in China too, for 50-cents /ball.

Understand that Roger Federer has won about 60-million dollars playing tennis, the last ten years, and Serena Williams....about 30-million. Do they use a $13.84 raquet.....probably not?

Anyway, and most important to all, while most all of the factory jobs have left Ashland, at least there's still the two tennis courts....

No offense, but you are being very hypocritical in this post.
First off you are decrying all the manufacturing jobs lost from the Lakes Region, and the USA.
Then you are championing the benefits of buying an inexpensive tennis raquet which was made in China.

You are promoting the very reason this country has lost manufacturing jobs to other countries.

[trfour]

On the rest of us...

Always have gone out of my way to buy local, and have payed more further by trying to purchase products Made In The USA.

I am retired now, and with the FREE trade agreement and the economy going away the way it is these days, it is getting tougher to check all of the labels, if ya get my drift. I haven't done the math lately but overall should be in the 65% bracket.

I agree with fll about the tennis courts, more is better for all.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by chipj29

No offense, but you are being very hypocritical in this post.
First off you are decrying all the manufacturing jobs lost from the Lakes Region, and the USA.
Then you are championing the benefits of buying an inexpensive tennis raquet which was made in China.

You are promoting the very reason this country has lost manufacturing jobs to other countries.

I agree with you that I am hypocritical with the manufactoring and the Wal-Mart clash of middle-class, manufactoring jobs verses lower priced consumer purchases. It's all true and most people just shop for price and selection, and don't really think about the big picture. It's all about what stores are close enough to home to make it worth the trip and how much you may save and how's the selection & quality.

Last week over at the Plymouth Wal-Mart, down in the bread aisle, I cross paths with a women who works the check-out counter at Bob's Shurfine in Ashland. So's I said; hey there, don't you work at Bob's, and how come you is shopping Wal-Mart when you work at Bob's? So, she gives me a dirty look like it was none of my business, and says because the prices are lower here, and why do you think, you big dummy! So I say's ok, I get it.....goodbye now...

[trfour]

Jobs data show signs of turning point...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35728769...ss-answer_desk