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

gdc25 · Nov 18, 2019

I know this is a pool/billiards related website, and if this breaks the rules then I understand why it would be deleted. However, it is a post about a very well known company in the pool/billiards community. That company being Brunswick.

This past Friday morning, 170 (+/-) employees of Ebonite International (a bowling ball manufacturer) showed up to work to find out that the building had been completely closed down due to the fact that Brunswick had purchased the company and moved all operations to Mexico, effective immediately.

The employees are all getting full pay and benifits until January, but they've still lost their jobs
.
If you read this far, how does that make you feel? If you are a fan at all of Brunswick does this change that?

I for one am / was a very proud owner of an antique Brunswick table and several collectibles. I'm having a hard time figuring out where my loyalties lie. But, my son is very entrinched in the Bowling community and is/was on staff for one of the EBI briands, so i'm a little biased I guess.

https://www.flobowling.com/articles/6599195-breaking-brunswick-acquires-ebonite-in-industry-shaking-move

CocoboloCowboy · Nov 18, 2019

It about Dollar & Cents, cost of labor, and bottom line. Few employeers car about the people any longer. Welcome to the USA, Circa 2019.

trentfromtoledo · Nov 18, 2019

This was not Brunswick Billiards and that is because the Brunswick Corporation SOLD THEM OFF.

A while back the Brunswick Corporation bought Life Fitness and then sold Brunswick Billiards to Life Fitness. In May of this year the Brunswick Corporation sold Life Fitness/ Brunswick Billiards to KPS Financial.

Welcome to Corporate America. Personally, I will NEVER buy anything from any company owned by the Brunswick Corporation unless I absolutely had to.

Sorry to hear about all those people losing their jobs, but, Brunswick Billiards had nothing to do with this. I hope this makes you feel better.

Trent from Toledo <<<---- Brunswick Billiards restorer and life fan.

P.s. I am still wondering and concerned about Brunswick Billiards fate, no one knows what is going to happen with them at this point KPS will either invest in it, sell it or SCRAP IT.....

gdc25 said:
I know this is a pool/billiards related website, and if this breaks the rules then I understand why it would be deleted. However, it is a post about a very well known company in the pool/billiards community. That company being Brunswick.

This past Friday morning, 170 (+/-) employees of Ebonite International (a bowling ball manufacturer) showed up to work to find out that the building had been completely closed down due to the fact that Brunswick had purchased the company and moved all operations to Mexico, effective immediately.

The employees are all getting full pay and benifits until January, but they've still lost their jobs
.
If you read this far, how does that make you feel? If you are a fan at all of Brunswick does this change that?

I for one am / was a very proud owner of an antique Brunswick table and several collectibles. I'm having a hard time figuring out where my loyalties lie. But, my son is very entrinched in the Bowling community and is/was on staff for one of the EBI briands, so i'm a little biased I guess.

https://www.flobowling.com/articles/6599195-breaking-brunswick-acquires-ebonite-in-industry-shaking-move

Bob Jewett · Nov 18, 2019

I'm confused because I thought that Brunswick Corporation had sold all of its bowling at the time that it moved billiards into the "Life Fitness" group. Evidently they still make bowling balls.

... google, google, google....

I was wrong, sort of.

Evidently there are now three Brunswick companies. One of them does bowling. That would be brunswickbowling.com. They only do bowling. There is no mention on their website about corporate structure. I assume -- always a dangerous move -- that when bowling was sold the sale included the name.

The other two companies are billiards -- recently sold but kept the name -- and the company that makes boating stuff and is out of both bowling and billiards and markets all of its other products under other brand names.

mchnhed · Nov 18, 2019

Bob Jewett said:
I'm confused because I thought that Brunswick Corporation had sold all of its bowling at the time that it moved billiards into the "Life Fitness" group. Evidently they still make bowling balls.

... google, google, google....

I was wrong, sort of.

Evidently there are now three Brunswick companies. One of them does bowling. That would be brunswickbowling.com. They only do bowling. There is no mention on their website about corporate structure. I assume -- always a dangerous move -- that when bowling was sold the sale included the name.

The other two companies are billiards -- recently sold but kept the name -- and the company that makes boating stuff and is out of both bowling and billiards and markets all of its other products under other brand names.

American 10 Pin Bowling Has Not Been Owned By America For a Long Time.

Brunswick and AMF are both owned by the same corporation.
Bowlmor, now known as Bowlero Corporation).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowlero_Corporation

Brunswick Bowling Centers and Pinsetters was sold off years ago.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-brunswick-is-leaving-the-bowling-business/

AMF Bowling sold out before that to Qubica, an Italian Company.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/QubicaAMF_Worldwide

DecentShot · Nov 18, 2019

gdc25 said:
I know this is a pool/billiards related website, and if this breaks the rules then I understand why it would be deleted. However, it is a post about a very well known company in the pool/billiards community. That company being Brunswick.

This past Friday morning, 170 (+/-) employees of Ebonite International (a bowling ball manufacturer) showed up to work to find out that the building had been completely closed down due to the fact that Brunswick had purchased the company and moved all operations to Mexico, effective immediately.

The employees are all getting full pay and benifits until January, but they've still lost their jobs
.
If you read this far, how does that make you feel? If you are a fan at all of Brunswick does this change that?

I for one am / was a very proud owner of an antique Brunswick table and several collectibles. I'm having a hard time figuring out where my loyalties lie. But, my son is very entrinched in the Bowling community and is/was on staff for one of the EBI briands, so i'm a little biased I guess.

https://www.flobowling.com/articles/6599195-breaking-brunswick-acquires-ebonite-in-industry-shaking-move

I know the name Brunswick evokes nostalgia, but they moved into other areas a long time ago. How does it make me feel? It makes me feel doing business in the U.S. is expensive.

mchnhed · Nov 18, 2019

DecentShot said:
I know the name Brunswick evokes nostalgia, but they moved into other areas a long time ago. How does it make me feel? It makes me feel doing business in the U.S. is expensive.

It’s not just the expense.
Labor Laws.
Liability Insurance.
Unions.
The “Living Wage”.
Mismanagement.
Too Many Middle Mangers.
Management Wasting Money for Out of Country Training or Team Building Sessions.
Resting On Thier Laurels. https://www.historyextra.com/period...-say-resting-on-your-laurels-history-meaning/
League Players Quit Signing Up.
Square Footage Costs.

DecentShot · Nov 18, 2019

mchnhed said:
It’s not just the expense.
Labor Laws.
Liability Insurance.
Unions.
The “Living Wage”.
Mismanagement.
Too Many Middle Mangers.
Management Wasting Money for Out of Country Training or Team Building Sessions.
Resting On Thier Laurels. https://www.historyextra.com/period...-say-resting-on-your-laurels-history-meaning/
League Players Quit Signing Up.
Square Footage Costs.

Right...etc, etc.

maha · Nov 18, 2019

employers do care about employees. but they have a duty to their investors to make the most money possible. thats life.

and most employees dont care about their company except for it providing their job.
when an employee finds a higher paying job most will leave their company flat and take it.
so the company finds a better place to make their product they take it as well.

due to regulations, taxes and unions, high cost of labor. to compete, most companies have to send off shore their production. this is a world economy now and all must compete to stay in action. same with employees, if they bargain too much in wages the plant closes and moves.

franko · Nov 18, 2019

Currently

CocoboloCowboy said:
It about Dollar & Cents, cost of labor, and bottom line. Few employeers car about the people any longer. Welcome to the USA, Circa 2019.

So far Diamond Billiards does and that is where my loyalty lies. I am and always will love the older Brunswick tables Crntennials, Anniversary's , and early Gold Crowns. First it was China and now Mexico. That is where they should market their products .

franko · Nov 18, 2019

Investors

maha said:
employers do care about employees. but they have a duty to their investors to make the most money possible. thats life.

and most employees dont care about their company except for it providing their job.
when an employee finds a higher paying job most will leave their company flat and take it.
so the company finds a better place to make their product they take it as well.

due to regulations, taxes and unions, high cost of labor. to compete, most companies have to send off shore their production. this is a world economy now and all must compete to stay in action. same with employees, if they bargain too much in wages the plant closes and moves.

Their tables made in China were a far cry in quality to the earlier tables made in America. In the long run that hurt investors. I may be wrong but I don't even think they make Pool Tables anymore. Now they will cheapen Bowling Balls .

maha · Nov 18, 2019

i think the newer gold crown tables are better than the old ones. even better fit and finish.

i dont know how much stuff brunswick really made themselves. like sears, most things were made for them with their name on it.

skogstokig · Nov 18, 2019

don't really see the point in complaining about mexico when you are playing on italian/brazilian slate covered with belgian cloth, within german cushions. maybe you have a chinese predator in your hand too. that is the nature of market economy and trade

the brunswick slogan is disingenuous though

realkingcobra · Nov 19, 2019

gdc25 said:
I know this is a pool/billiards related website, and if this breaks the rules then I understand why it would be deleted. However, it is a post about a very well known company in the pool/billiards community. That company being Brunswick.

This past Friday morning, 170 (+/-) employees of Ebonite International (a bowling ball manufacturer) showed up to work to find out that the building had been completely closed down due to the fact that Brunswick had purchased the company and moved all operations to Mexico, effective immediately.

The employees are all getting full pay and benifits until January, but they've still lost their jobs
.
If you read this far, how does that make you feel? If you are a fan at all of Brunswick does this change that?

I for one am / was a very proud owner of an antique Brunswick table and several collectibles. I'm having a hard time figuring out where my loyalties lie. But, my son is very entrinched in the Bowling community and is/was on staff for one of the EBI briands, so i'm a little biased I guess.

https://www.flobowling.com/articles/6599195-breaking-brunswick-acquires-ebonite-in-industry-shaking-move

Why blame the buyer? Without a SELLER, there can be no buyer, right? So, why aren't you mad at the company that sold out?????

garczar · Nov 19, 2019

realkingcobra said:
Why blame the buyer? Without a SELLER, there can be no buyer, right? So, why aren't you mad at the company that sold out?????

Brunswick Bowling Equip. was bought by a Georgia-based investment co. a few yrs. ago. Much like KPS and Brunswick Billiards, BlueArcCapital is ALL about the bottom line. They decided to increase output at the Mexican ball plant. Hate to see US workers laid-off but that's today's marketplace.

realkingcobra · Nov 19, 2019

garczar said:
Brunswick Bowling Equip. was bought by a Georgia-based investment co. a few yrs. ago. Much like KPS and Brunswick Billiards, BlueArcCapital is ALL about the bottom line. They decided to increase output at the Mexican ball plant. Hate to see US workers laid-off but that's today's marketplace.

Then blame the sellers for the layoffs, not the buyer as that could have been anyone.

realkingcobra · Nov 19, 2019

garczar said:
Brunswick Bowling Equip. was bought by a Georgia-based investment co. a few yrs. ago. Much like KPS and Brunswick Billiards, BlueArcCapital is ALL about the bottom line. They decided to increase output at the Mexican ball plant. Hate to see US workers laid-off but that's today's marketplace.

WHY were they sold off in the first place, that's the question that should be asked!

garczar · Nov 19, 2019

realkingcobra said:
WHY were they sold off in the first place, that's the question that should be asked!

The marine and defense side dwarfs the bowling, billiard and fitness divisions. Company management made that pretty clear in various financial publications. They wanted to concentrate on what was making them the most revenue sounds like to me. Corp's do this all the time.

realkingcobra · Nov 19, 2019

gdc25 said:
I know this is a pool/billiards related website, and if this breaks the rules then I understand why it would be deleted. However, it is a post about a very well known company in the pool/billiards community. That company being Brunswick.

This past Friday morning, 170 (+/-) employees of Ebonite International (a bowling ball manufacturer) showed up to work to find out that the building had been completely closed down due to the fact that Brunswick had purchased the company and moved all operations to Mexico, effective immediately.

The employees are all getting full pay and benifits until January, but they've still lost their jobs
.
If you read this far, how does that make you feel? If you are a fan at all of Brunswick does this change that?

I for one am / was a very proud owner of an antique Brunswick table and several collectibles. I'm having a hard time figuring out where my loyalties lie. But, my son is very entrinched in the Bowling community and is/was on staff for one of the EBI briands, so i'm a little biased I guess.

https://www.flobowling.com/articles/6599195-breaking-brunswick-acquires-ebonite-in-industry-shaking-move

No where in that article does it mention why the company sold out, why is that? Answer that question and you'll answer the question as to why they were bought out.

realkingcobra · Nov 19, 2019

garczar said:
The marine and defense side dwarfs the bowling, billiard and fitness divisions. Company management made that pretty clear in various financial publications. They wanted to concentrate on what was making them the most revenue sounds like to me. Corp's do this all the time.

That has nothing to do with the original post.

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

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