I met a Toronto mfg’ing/repair shop owner whose business is mainly
with one very large retail account that is all across Canada. I asked
him why did that big retailer close their new main repair shop last
year?
“I’ll tell you Gerry, they are now buying all of their merchandise
from China”. They don’t need us anymore, they put a lot of darned
good setters and related staff out to pasture!
I once worked at that same main shop and where hundreds of thousands
of dollars was spent in quality-control and on a 28,000 sq.ft
building with top-of-the-line security. But it only lasted for about
1=>2 years, so to save a few dollars everything went literally
overseas. So where are those fantastic jewellers doing now? They are
looking for work that is now getting less and less. Many of them have
totally left the trade out of disgust! In fact one of those fellows
is now a school bus driver!!!..
To further this story, that company used to buy all of their
jewellery from one of Canada’s oldest companies, so they withdrew
their multi-million account before leaving…that manufacturing
company was forced to close their doors and then sent all and
everyone packing. Nice,eh?
Meanwhile, do we as consumers look for items that were made in our
own countries, or do we just buy whatever is cheapest? Until
consumers choose domestically produced goods over internationally
made ones, corporations will continue to choose cheaper labor
wherever they can find it.
So where are those fantastic jewellers doing now? They are looking
for work that is now getting less and less. Many of them have
totally left the trade out of disgust! In fact one of those
fellows is now a school bus driver!!!...
That is interesting. We had a gathering last Monday, and I literally
had to hide from one guy, who wants me to come to work for him
because he is swamped with orders, but he cannot find anybody to do
it.
It is also interesting to note that Tiffany reported another blow
out quarter. I think it is eight’s in a row. Sales, margins,
everything is up in double digits. So how can we resolve the
contraction ? It is actually very simple. If you derive you ability
to do things from operating machinery, than you are nothing but a
machine operator. Anybody can be taught to push buttons.
If you have real skills, you shall always will be in demand. So if
you do want to wind up driving school bus, become a goldsmith and not
jewellery making machinery operator.
Larry has a really good point. We do have power in the pocketbook.
But economies evolve. The agricultural age gave way to the
industrial age and so on. Does anyone remember when "Made in Japan"
meant cheap and nasty? The lesser developed countries are coming up
fast and the citizens won’t be satisfied with a lower standard of
living forever.
I agree with you Larry, we have got to pull back our resources into
fixing our domestic/countries failing economies. it boggles the mind
that a country like the USA can not come up with manufacturing
programs within the country to build and make most every thing. deep
down we know things like clothing or food or Auto / mechanics,
digital electronics, it would be too expensive to manufacter here,
but the expense is just smoke and mirrors, we as a nation have become
very lazy, as my father in law would advise his kids work smarter not
harder, delegate! WELL it is time for us to get back into the actual
labor of it instead of passing on the hard work to other
countries/people. most of us in this group probably are the ones in
the battle field everyday trying to meak outa living, it is time for
the corporate world to help the culture back on it’s feet. Last year
I bought a camera shutter air pump button release, for those who
don’t know it is made of black rubber palm ballon pump and a long
20’ black rubber tube attaching to your camera shutter release
button. old fashioned wired button release, it cost me 15. 00 us$
made in china, this was to replace the one I had before it( german
made Roweney, bought it in college 1983) that just gave out, after
30years of sevice, the rubber pump had started drying out; still
worked but was not a 100%. the One I bought from Calumet camera store
last year just came to useing it this week and the rubber pump just
fell off because it had completly dried up. My point is as you were
talking about if I had a choice to purchase domestically manufactured
goods, I would gladly pay 3 times as much that lasted longer, with
out filling the land fills with these junk materials that you have to
keep going back to purchase more of, even though it is cheaper ;for
now, in the end it ends up costing more in many other ways. 3 to 5
times as much energy to manufacture, and then to get rid of the
trash, packaging… on and onit is an uphill battle against the
corporate world that has taken the general public for granted for
too long Buy local, choose domestic products, from food to luxury
items. and if you can not find it or afford it then you don’t need
it. find other ways. and do let the stores know of your demands.
Hratch Babikian
Atelier Hratch Babikian
contemporary Jewelery and sculpture
Yes; I agree with you if any place on the planet can fix itself it
would have to be north america, look at our talent, resources and
technology, and right now every body is working to make things
better, it will get better, and we will be the country to do
it…