Last US lead smelter shut down by the EPA

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oldgoaly:
Funny the worlds biggest lead mine/smelting operation in the US is closing, they have a sister plant in Chile, the workers make 2-10 cents on the dollar and have no medical or any other benefits. It is going stronger as "the corporation" has sunk money into it rather than keeping the US facility in good operating conditions. corporate greed

Lew_Merrick_PE:
Correction: In January of 2004, we (America) shut down the last high-strength bolt (screw) production line and shipped it to China.

That statement should have included the qualifier, high volume production line. We still make high-strength bolts (screws), but they are made in limited quantities. If you need quantities 1-250, there is no problem (other than the price), but if you need 1000+ on a regular basis, you are forced to foreign suppliers.

PekkaNF:

--- Quote from: Lew_Merrick_PE on December 04, 2013, 12:43:16 PM ---There are several issues embodied in this problem.

...... Our "business press" pontificated on how it was the cost of labor that drove this decision. ...
--- End quote ---

This seems to be a big problem everywhere. Specially in Europe, every company has jumped into China bandwagon, and first it looked that it was not cost effective (well it was touted cheap labor unit cost, but total cost never went down well ) but real reason was right to use old technology and polute at hearts contents.

Moreover to my knowledge only one western company reached same quality with same unit cost - Bosch Rexroth on certain product in china despite of the cheap labor unit cost.

But now it's complete mystery to me why companies are so eager to ship manufacturing into china. Do they get some undocumented benefits or what is it?

One dead sure reason is very creative tax planning and there too big companies go to extremes to avoid paying taxes to their home lands....like if the big idea is to portray patriotic values, but deny your home country from tax revenue. Clear as mud?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2013/08/01/apple-google-among-top-u-s-companies-parking-cash-offshore-to-reduce-taxes-study-says/

I can only agree on bolts...our supplier told us to go hi tensile bolts if we want bolts that conform standards. How moronic is that? Some designs go well with standard bolts and if the manufacturer stamps bolt 8.8 it means that the material MUST be up to that standard or someone has forged material certificate. Why no-one gets sued of that? Now all bolts are torqued and quite a few fails. And now companies accept that. Unbelievable.

Pekka

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