Kohler Enters Engine Joint Venture in China

[blackfarms1]

Be American, buy American. It is a lot easier said than done. I have a union railroad job and my wife is a nurse. Both of us have good jobs. We only owe on a new house and college debt. We don't buy things to compete with the Jones'. We buy what we need and if anything is left after savings we buy our toys. We agreed at the start of the year to buy American if we can even if it costs more. We are only selling our kids out if we do not. I feel Americans since my grandfather's generation have become increasingly lazy and want something for nothing. I for one am not ready to sell America out. We can do what ever we set our minds to. We are all in this together. I am happy to see that others feel the same way. Maybe the time is coming for the tables to turn. Sean

[dlcentral]

So sad to say, but greed as was said above and money are the root of all evil. Also sad to say this, but business with the politicians who aid and abet this madness will get what they sow in the end.

[andrewk]

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This Chinese hatred angle bears no weight.

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I wasn't speaking racially or culturally. I wasn't trying to direct my statement at you, but it just seems to me that we all, as consumers, say one thing and do another. I realize that sometimes there is no choice, but there are lots of people out there (albeit I bet the percentage is less on this board) that are hypocritical of the whole thing (IE complain that China gets our jobs, but yet contribute to the problem)

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If Europeans are doing so well please show me proof. Start off with Germany's retirement system problems. The only reason Europeans stay there is because we blocked them from coming here.

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Every country has problems, but I would gladly take 30 hour work weeks making the same, if not more money than what I make here. There are lots of socialist programs there, that they have seemed to implement well, like education and health care. They are healthier people, and they have more vices than us. I love my country, and wouldn't immigrate for anything, but I think we could benefit from their lifestyle. Sorry if it sounded like I was directing my words only at you, it wasn't intended that way. Andy

[DMedal]

I don't endorse following morally, but rather state what I think are obvious economics. Briggs and Kohler are both publically traded firms, yes? Is not the primary responsibility of management in same to maximize profits for the Corporation (shareholders want a return)? If they have customers worldwide worldwide production doesn't seem a big stretch. So I don't think management is exactly stealing jobs by moving some operations overseas. Some foreign car manufacturers seem to get that you have a competitive advantage by having US plants. But to go back to the 60's? We could build a trade wall around this country but while we'd rebuild some of our industry it would always be behind the larger world market. We'd hurt ourselves more than we'd help, and we'd still have the problem of the consumer wanting the cheapest (ie, MTD, not Simplicity). We couldn't compete in anything high tech. We'd become South Africa of the 1980's. Man, CANADA would be more modern! (inside joke) Somebody is going to make high volume engines in China. Kohler has an excellent opportunity here to ruin the company by selling shoddy small engines with the own label. Or they could manage quality control of the factories and make their shareholders happy. Unfortunately nothing is likely to help the workers in Wisconsin much short term. Just how it is. -Don

[Woodydel]

This is in no way my picking on anyone. I made a statement about proofs or substantiation of opinions being preferred by me. To clarify what I mean, take a look at this link: http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?c=is&v=67 The opinion that Europeans are doing so well is not shown by the statistics which the site linked claims are accurate as of 2007. Many ideas people have are based upon bogus garbage heard or seen from unreliable sources. That's how politicians fool you. Now, I'm repeating myself that I'm not picking on anyone. The idea that Europeans were doing better than we here in the United States, prompted me to investigate just a little bit. They're frugal because they have to be. About management responsibility: When a company forgets that the worker is to be revered it's the beginning of the end for the American work ethic. When that foreign company producing all the product realizes that the American company is an empty shell, the American company will get what it deserves. Non existence. When foreign countries realize that America is an empty shell reliant upon others for it's needs because our manufacturing capability is nil we will get what we deserve. Non existence as a country. The only thing foreign countries respect is your manufacturing capability. This is not my opinion. It's in all your history books. Briggs and Kohler management are short sighted.

[andrewk]

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The opinion that Europeans are doing so well is not shown by the statistics which the site linked claims are accurate as of 2007. Many ideas people have are based upon bogus garbage heard or seen from unreliable sources. That's how politicians fool you.

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My opinion is based from my time spent there, which wasn't long, but it was this past spring. The people I stayed with, and the people I met and talked to, were pretty content with what they had, and didn't seem unhappy at all. After reading what you posted, however, my opinion seems skewed among the big picture.

[DMedal]

(I told myself I wasn't going to post on this anymore. I have no self control in some things, including buying tractors). The chart shows average GDP per capita. That doesn't really reflect how well a typical American is doing. I don't know about club members but the vast majority of Americans don't make the "average" income. Average GDP per capita gets skewed in countries where there is a high difference between what the average Joe makes and what the highest make. In the US the top 1% own 40-50% of the wealth of the nation, which skews the statistics. AND if you want to figure out why corporate shareholders/managers don't care too much about loss of American jobs, that's it right there. Most of the wealth is held by people who don't know any factory workers. There's a chart of most liveable countries listing also the income inequality in the link below, an econonmics discussion of why average GDP per capita isn't a good measure of how well off the citizens are: http://economics.about.com/library/weekly/aa043004a.htm Table I'm referring to is about 1/3 the way down. -Don

[Woodydel]

duckman, there is not an argument here so discussions are good. Yes, it's always important to compare apples to apples. First the definition of PPP: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Purchasing-power-parity Second the adjusted data: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gdp_ppp_percap-economy-gdp-ppp-per-capita Just one source but others are similar. Europeans, except maybe the French love it here. Our PPP is boosted by such disgusting enterprises as Walmart. Now, if we could convince our major American companies to not take the easy way out and run to China to enhance their bottom line by using imagination and inventiveness, which we are famous for, then this country will continue its greatness. Kohler should instead, for example, come up with ways to produce more engines using the same size work force here. That's an oversimplification but based upon this sudden surge to foreign countries for labor is the evidence they, large American companies, are taking the easy way out.

[dlcentral]

Thats what happens when a plumbing mfg co makes engs/toilets.sm01gotta do it as cheap as possible for max profits.I'm surely not against them making a good profit,,Why not cast parts over there assemble engs.like car co's do,? here? both Co and workers should be happy with that idea,,.