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Another piece of American history - GONE

cyclonelifer

cyclonelifer

Active Member
Jan 30, 2007
383
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Manchester, England
daveharm.blogspot.com
For anyone who has ever done any type of work around the house, or their car, or maybe even on a fishing reel. A part of Nebraska history died today. Not just Nebraska but US history.

Vise-grips will now be made in China. A patent was given in the 1890s to the Peterson family in NE. In the 20s they started mass production of the vise-grip brand. At its peak the plant employed over 750 people.

In the early 2000s, the Peterson family sold out to Rubbermaid. By 2005, no longer were you able to buy a Vise-grip with the "Made in the USA" logo on it.

It became official today that Rubbermaid will be making all Vise-grips in China. By the end of October over 300 people will be unemployed.
 
Thank God I bought mine years ago, when they still had the Made in USA on them. They were good enough tools that I don't see ever needing new ones.
 
I have a whole set of vise grips, ranging in sizes. Very handy tool.

It's a shame things like this happen but if people were willing to spend 2 dollars more on a tool they could use the rest of their lives these jobs wouldn't be going overseas.
 
cmoneyr said:
I guess I have two questions.

1) People live in Nebraska?

2) Vise-grips are a piece of American history?
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invented, perfected, marketed and manufactured.. all starting in the good ole USA. How is that NOT history?

-keep
 
Unfortunate for those workers, but the world operates on a global scale now. If someone can produce something at a cheaper price, well, its probably going to happen. This is what happens in a competitive market.
 
I wonder if this topic comes up on ChineseFanatic.com whenever the 4th of July comes around? :wink:
 
How about the other side of the story...that millions of American consumers will benefit due to lower prices...conveniently left out.
 
Lewdawg123 said:
How about the other side of the story...that millions of American consumers will benefit due to lower prices...conveniently left out.
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Yes because I will now be able to afford Vice Grips.....

The one thing preventing my ability to mechanically pinch things in my life has now been aleviated
 
Bader said:
Yes because I will now be able to afford Vice Grips.....

The one thing preventing my ability to mechanically pinch things in my life has now been aleviated
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You would be surprised how much the little things add up. It's a global market now...if you want made in the USA vice grips open up a shop where you live and see if you can compete with the Chinese.
 
whirlybirds said:
even those who no longer have a job?
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Of course not...but in a free market the consumer (as a whole) is always better off. The total yearly cost savings of consumers will be larger than the total income lost by these 200 people who lost their jobs. Not a pareto efficiency, but an overall efficiency for sure.
 
Lewdawg123 said:
You would be surprised how much the little things add up. It's a global market now...if you want made in the USA vice grips open up a shop where you live and see if you can compete with the Chinese.
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not a bad idea......... then i can use "profits" as an excuse to move my shop to china where id only have to pay my employees $1.75/hr. then i could leave the corporate office here in the good ol’ U. S. of A, that way my CEO’s could keep making their lavish multi-million dollar salaries
 
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whirlybirds said:
not a bad idea......... then i can use "profits" as an excuse to move my shop to china where id only have to pay my employees $1.75/hr
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Complain all you want...we can make everything here in the US if you want. However prices for almost everything would skyrocket and the economy would be far worse off.
 
And as we bow to the alter of the global economy, another example of China now having the USA in a "vice grip"

Dave
 
Y'know, when I opened this thread, I thought it was going to be something along the lines of...Lincoln's house in Illinois burned down. An actual piece of history vanished. This is a bit melodramatic.

Vice Grips still were invented and designed here, that bit of history will never change. As far as the jobs...the family who had the right to make that choice made their decision when they sold the rights. 'Nuff said, no one else has a right to complain about "history"

If you wanna complain about jobs going overseas, do it from that perspective. Personally, having spent some time working in factories through the course of my life, I'd have to say that there's a reason many of the long term employees make very certain that their kids don't slack off in school--the way they did--so they can go to college.

I know one place where the high school kids touring the plant was jokingly referred to as the "scared straight" program. Behind management's back, of course. And lots of those parents were justly proud of the grades their kids were getting.

If American workers have priced themselves out of the global market, then they have adjust, adapt, and overcome. Not just complain about it. Not only is that what competition is, that's what life is.
 
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