Brunswick purchases Kentucky company, moves all operations to Mexico..

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Do you know that for sure, or are you just assuming? See, like I said, it's an important question that deserves an answer. That's more important than who bought them.
I SERIOUSLY doubt that Brunswick just cold-called them and tried to buy it. Owners at Ebonite sold to get best price while gettin' was good. As for the union angle? I don't know any business owner that likes dealin' with them.
 

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
I don't guess that it matters much if it was a union house or not. Labor and materials in
other countries is apparently less expensive, so the production cost is likely much
cheaper for the parent company. Everyone says "buy American", but most pool players
just want a table that's reasonably level to play on. So I might want a Dimond, or a
Gold Crown, but the fact is I can probably get the Chinese copy much cheaper and to the
casual player the quality difference is not terribly noticeable. But as was mentioned
earlier, I have a Chinese table, with a Brazilian slate, German cloth, Japanese (or
whatever) rails, Chinese cues made from Canadian lumber, Japanese Tips, Irish Linin,
Russian chalk, watching a Korean TV, drinking Mexican Beer, and if you use an old JB
case wasn't that made in China too? Buy American is a nice sentiment, but it's not terribly realistic any more
 
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garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't guess that it matters much if it was a union house or not. Labor and materials in
other countries is apparently less expensive, so the production cost is likely much
cheaper for the parent company. Everyone says "buy American", but most pool players
just want a table that's reasonably level to play on. So I might want a Dimond, or a
Gold Crown, but the fact is I can probably get the Chinese copy much cheaper and to the
casual player the quality difference is not terribly noticeable. But as was mentioned
earlier, I have a Chinese table, with a Brazilian slate, German cloth, Japanese (or
whatever) rails, Chinese cues made from Canadian lumber, Japanese Tips, Irish Linin,
Russian chalk, watching a Korean TV, drinking Mexican Beer, and if you use an old JB
case wasn't that made in China too? Buy American is a nice sentiment, but it's not terribly realistic any more
Mainstream products for sure. A lot of super quality products ARE still made here. Expensive sure but to a lot of buyers that doesn't matter. A friend has a CRAZY hi-end stereo system. Every piece except the phono cartridge(oh yeah, vinyl baby!!) is made in the U.S. You literally could buy a really nice car or a small house for what he's got in it but the craftsmanship is off-the-chart.
 

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
Mainstream products for sure. A lot of super quality products ARE still made here. Expensive sure but to a lot of buyers that doesn't matter. A friend has a CRAZY hi-end stereo system. Every piece except the phono cartridge(oh yeah, vinyl baby!!) is made in the U.S. You literally could buy a really nice car or a small house for what he's got in it but the craftsmanship is off-the-chart.

I imagine that there are always people that are are really into whatever their current hobby
or profession might be, ie - the mechanic purchases the highest quality tools, the Audiophile
might have a audio equipment specially selected for what he wants, maybe
the professional poolplayer has exactly the table and accessories that he wants,
American or otherwise. But the casual weekend garage mechanic, or someone that just
wants to play CD's and have decent sound, or the casual poolplayer just wants and nice
looking table that is an attractive piece of furniture to put in his basement. I'm also a
musician, I have some outstanding gear for the media that I have chosen, it's stuff that I
have kinda graduated to, probably a little more advanced that the standard student model,
but as far as my tools for weekend garage work, they're pretty good but I'm not a mechanic,
and I don't need the expense of what a mechanic might want
 

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
Blame is being placed on the buyer, being Brunswick, like they went in and forced the company to sell out, like they had no choice, and that's just wrong.

The seller had the choice not to sell as well, but decided to sell out anyway. So that's the real question NOT being asked, WHY did management sell out their employees jobs???

Companies are bought and sold all the time. However, the company doing the selling can never be sure what the buyer is going to do with the company afterwards. So, the only one that decided to move off shore was not the seller, it was the buyer. But, that has been the buyers MO for some time now.

The owner was sick, he needed money, he wanted to retire, his kids were morons, got a great offer, his partner wanted out, his wife was divorcing him, etc... who knows for sure. Technically, it was the buyer and only the buyer who moved the company to another country.

Don't matter much to me, my new Diamond arrives on Monday :)
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
the workers get paid whether the business makes money or not. the owners dont have that luxury.

most business sellers sell because:

they are offered more than it is worth
they can make more on that money than in the present place
the effort with it is more than they want to put in.
they see the future of owning it isnt as good as they money will be for them.

i suspect all of the above applied in this deal.
 

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Companies are bought and sold all the time. However, the company doing the selling can never be sure what the buyer is going to do with the company afterwards. So, the only one that decided to move off shore was not the seller, it was the buyer. But, that has been the buyers MO for some time now.

The owner was sick, he needed money, he wanted to retire, his kids were morons, got a great offer, his partner wanted out, his wife was divorcing him, etc... who knows for sure. Technically, it was the buyer and only the buyer who moved the company to another country.

Don't matter much to me, my new Diamond arrives on Monday :)

That's the buyers prerogative to move the business, happens quit often, but it still starts with a sale!!
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like playing on Brunswick equipment. Why?, because its softer equipment when compared to most any legit table in a commercial setting.

An average ball runner on a diamond will most likely be a strong ball runner on Brunswick equipment.

I love Brunswick equipment but, I would NEVER buy one...nodda, nope, not gonna happen......unless it's FREE.

I had the chance to buy a NOS GC that had never even been put together for less than $1,000 a few months ago. I didn't buy it because I had to give my word to seller that I would never sell it to anyone but him + I was gonna have to put it in my garage. <<< two things made the decision easy.




OP: I'm with you. We're on the same page.

There are countless products that people think are made here in USA but, they are wrong.

At some point, we won't have a choice but to buy from abroad. It's been that way for a while already but, it may get worse.

Sorry to hear about your Son's situation. I hope this door being closed, opens up a much bigger and better door.

Jeff
 

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The seller had the choice not to sell as well, but decided to sell out anyway

depends on how the ownership was structured.
If it was privately held, you have a good case.
If it had any public shares, even if low trade/local market, the "seller" does not always have a choice. Deep pockets (or alternately, someone who can afford to wait) acquires enough shares here, there, the other place including estate sales, to have meaningful vote. Soon gets seat on board + more shares. Stacks board &/or makes offer board is forced to accept. That's it. Happens every day. Happened to Hardinge here, a couple years ago. Used to happen so often various "poison pill" defenses invented. Apparently no longer effective?

To clarify, i didn't read how Ebonite went down, still pi$$ed about the lathe company here. Just need to mention that in today's world, you can indeed be bought over your own strenuous objection. Ebonite might, (or might not) of course, have been enthusiastic.

smt
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
depends on how the ownership was structured.
If it was privately held, you have a good case.
If it had any public shares, even if low trade/local market, the "seller" does not always have a choice. Deep pockets (or alternately, someone who can afford to wait) acquires enough shares here, there, the other place including estate sales, to have meaningful vote. Soon gets seat on board + more shares. Stacks board &/or makes offer board is forced to accept. That's it. Happens every day. Happened to Hardinge here, a couple years ago. Used to happen so often various "poison pill" defenses invented. Apparently no longer effective?

To clarify, i didn't read how Ebonite went down, still pi$$ed about the lathe company here. Just need to mention that in today's world, you can indeed be bought over your own strenuous objection. Ebonite might, (or might not) of course, have been enthusiastic.

smt

In short:

The stronger + smarter always prevails in the long run, regardless of the ethics of each party.

Jeff
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... If it had any public shares, even if low trade/local market, the "seller" does not always have a choice. Deep pockets (or alternately, someone who can afford to wait) acquires enough shares here, there, the other place including estate sales, to have meaningful vote. Soon gets seat on board + more shares. Stacks board &/or makes offer board is forced to accept. That's it. Happens every day. ...
It appears that this is what is going on as Xerox is now trying to buy HP. That came as a huge surprise to me as I thought Xerox was on its way down. Carl Icahn owns lots of shares of both.
 

poolhallbanger

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Brunswick RIP

Yeah they designed and made the iconic "Gold Crown" series of pocket billiard tables but that company has been dead and buried for many many years. They haven't supported the pocket billiards industry and fans in decades. I am sorry to hear about the job losses but the heck with the Brunswick name couldn't care less.:D
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Think of all the manufacturing companies who have moved to Mexico or India or Pakistan or wherever in the last 20 years. Yes, you have cheaper labor, but you just put large portions of the American work force, out of jobs,
So now you have a home Air conditioner unit that used to cost 300.00 to make and you sold them to American workers for 1000.00 . Now they cost you 100 to make, and you sell them for 950. but the guy who made it can't afford air conditioning at almost any cost, he lives a subsistence type of life from day to day. Also, the American who used to make the stuff you sell , and then buy it from you, is now out of a job and can't buy anything.
People like to think everyone but them is stupid, but these corporations hire smart people to tell them what is best for profits, so there must be another answer we haven't come up with. If they can't sell them to the people making them , or to the people who used to make them , who is buying them? If anyone knows the real answer to this question, I would love to hear it,
I think I know the answer, but I wonder if anyone else thinks like me?
If your answer is , someone will always buy it , go stand in the corner with the cone hat on.{Not the magician one, the other.}
 

Tom1234

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
“If they can't sell them to the people making them , or to the people who (now or) used to make them“ sounds like something Henry Ford thought of over 100 years ago. He priced his cars where his employees could afford them. Shame this philosophy is gone today.
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
there are positive aspects if you can see clearly.

the guy in mexico who was near starving now can feed his family

your product costs you less to buy so you have more spending money for your own family

that means you buy something else which may give others a job

increased profits for a company does lead to increase in salaries which increases spending and makes for more jobs
 

Tom1234

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
there are positive aspects if you can see clearly.

the guy in mexico who was near starving now can feed his family

your product costs you less to buy so you have more spending money for your own family

that means you buy something else which may give others a job

increased profits for a company does lead to increase in salaries which increases spending and makes for more jobs

You’re forgetting one thing; the guy in Mexico who can now feed his family, means a guy in the US can’t because he lost his job to the guy in Mexico. You really need to look up Bastiat’s “Fallacy of the Broken Glass”. His insights from the 1700s still hold true today.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Anytime one works for a corporate owned business this stuff may and often does happen. Its really going to be bad post 'rona as many businesses may never re-hire laid-off/furloughed employees.
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
there are positive aspects if you can see clearly.

the guy in mexico who was near starving now can feed his family

your product costs you less to buy so you have more spending money for your own family

that means you buy something else which may give others a job

increased profits for a company does lead to increase in salaries which increases spending and makes for more jobs

You lost your job when one of these companies moved out ! you are no longer a "buyer" at any price, except free from the dumpster.
Why do you think so many people are making a living, selling stuff they dug out of a dumpster on ebay craigslist marketplace?
 
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