Nothing's sacred
QUAD-CITY TIMES - Isabel Bloom LLC has announced it is moving its production overseas, leaving 50 people out of work by June.When the presumably civic booster owners, including major Republican donor/activist Hunt Harris, are willing to dump 50 local employees out on the street in order move production of this icon of our area overseas and pay pennies a day for labor with no benefits or regulations, it's not a good sign. But welcome to the Republican version of success.
The company announced in a news release early in the afternoon that it will reduce its production work force through a phased process. About 50 associates — including mold-makers, casters, finishers and coaters — will lose their jobs around June.
Isabel Bloom, which is named for its founder, the late Isabel Bloom, will continue to employ about 100 people in distribution, sales and administration in the Quad-Cities.
The company’s three owners since 1995 — Hunt Harris, Tom Carter and Jeff Gilfillan — said they will continue its corporate citizenship. The company also remains committed to the Quad-City headquarters and retaining its four studio stores in The Village of East Davenport, downtown Moline, Naperville, Ill., and West Des Moines, Iowa.
This company attained sucess due to the appeal of the unique vision and sensitivity of the quiet artist Isabel Bloom, who had studied with Grant Wood, and the figurines enjoyed huge acceptance and support from the area, where nearly everyone in the Quad Cities had at least one of the touching statuettes.
Then the new owners snapped it up, saw a means of extracting larger profits, expanded production and marketing, until now, imitations based on the original works of an accomplished and sensitive artist like Bloom will now be mass produced by foreigners half way around the world making pennies a day. One can only imagine what the late Bloom would think. Perhaps it's best she's no longer with us.
A true case study in the death of meaning in the age of corporatism, globalism, and the quest for ever larger profit over all else.
posted by The Inside Dope @ 2/10/2006
8 comments
8 Comments:
Ralph's the king of understatement.
Outsourcing will be the end of America. Isabel Bloom is a small company and they ahve turned their back on the Quad City area. I am ashamed of them. I thought only large companys outsourced.
Sad day for our QC economy!
I often get the sneaking suspicion that readers don't actually read the posts they comment on.
Great comment Maybe, but the post does indeed mention Hunt Harris and his Republican affiliation, though not the Committee for Better Government part.
And who demands lower prices for everything from shampoo to wide screen TV's? The American consumer dictates the market, and it's the American consumer that abandoned the locally owned grocery store in favor of Super Walmart, the locally owned hardware store in favor of Home Depot, the locally owned appliance dealer in favor of Lowe's and Best Buy. Need I go on?
Puzzler. Can't argue with your point in a general sense. But in this case, it seems a bit more egregious that what has always been a business with a "boutique" flavor... that is, small output, somewhat exclusive .. . is now attempting to become just another soul-less entity in the "home decorations" industry.
At least in this case, a little less greed and a little more commitment to the uniqueness of the business and it's history was called for, in my humble opinion.
But as I say, your point is certainly valid. It's just that people as a whole will never discipline themselves to avoid the most convenient, low price source for their goods.
It's a thorny issue, but one of the only ways to fight it is to simply fight against any business which reaches the sheer overwhelming size and weight of a Wal-Mart.
Economies of scale are a vital part of business, but when it reaches the point of Wal-Mart, it's gone beyond an advantage to becoming an impediment to trade, in that it makes it close to, if not impossible for anyone to compete.
But again, a huge subject which could be debated, and will be, for decades to come.
They'll be selling them at Wal-Mart next!
I can't help to mention that a lot of people are against exporting 50 jobs to China. Then when we get a chance to bring 1000 jobs here and export pork to Japan and people are against it. Confusing!!
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