****ing xenophobe....





"USENET READER" wrote in message
...
After I decided to renovate my own house to save a shit-load of money
(acting as my own contractor, doing the work myself, keeping that money
here in the USA and not getting sent to Mexico every weekend), I decided
to only buy American or at least whenever possible. Most of the building
supplies are made in the USA (except the wood, and I can't tell where that
is made), but it is hard to find American made tools.

And don't call me a racist for not hiring illegal Mexican workers from
across the border. They shouldn't be here and they should go the ****
back home and petition their own government to improve the situation
there, not come here and steal jobs and send their money back home. Or at
least they should work to get a green card and learn to speak English -
you come to my county so don't expect me to learn your language! It's
like Americans expecting everyone to speak English when they travel
overseas!

It was getting down to only Porter-Cable and Milwaukee brands. However,
some of the Milwaukee brand tools are made in Mexico and also in the Czech
Republic. Porter-Cable used to be made entirely in the USA, but I heard
that they were bought by Black and Decker, who has already layed-off some
350 workers already and shipped some jobs to Mexico. I already know some
Porter-Cable tools are made in China.

I saw a Milwaukee grinder made in Mexico for $99 with no case, a DeWalt
grinder with a paddle switch for $89 with a case (made in Mexico) and a
lesser-priced DeWalt made in Brazil with no case for $49. I contacted
Porter-Cable to see if they had any decent angle grinders made in the USA,
since no one seemed to stock them. Someone from P-C CS told me there was
one discontinued grinder that was made in America, so I ordered it from
Lowe's because they had the best price on the item. It came in ten days
later in a box which had "Hecho en China" on it, and it was of course dead
on arrival (bad slider switch). So I went and bought a DeWalt for $49
with a two-year warranty, since I wasn't going to spend $99 on a grinder
and not get a case with it.

I also recently read that Techtronic Industries, owners of Ryobi, Ridgid,
Homelite, Regine, Royal, Dirt Devil and Vax, recently spent 713 million
for the purchase of Milwaukee Tools and Atlas Copco Compressors. Does this
all mean that no more tools are going to be made in the USA? They either
charge the same price for the tool and it isn't any better (and often
doesn't work as well) or they charge less and they definately don't work
as well.

I do want to buy American and want to keep my tool-purchasing dollars over
in the USA. But I am a little worried about purchasing tools from
companies and then getting them replaced under warranty with inferior
tools made overseas - which is the same ****ing thing as buying tools
"Hecho en Mexico" or "Hecho en China".


GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pentair, Inc.
(NYSE: PNR - News) announced today that it has concluded its exploration
of strategic alternatives for its wholly owned Tools Group, and that it
has signed a definitive agreement to sell the Group to The Black & Decker
Corporation (NYSE: BDK - News) of Towson, Maryland, for approximately $775
million. The transaction is expected to close in 2004, following the
completion of customary regulatory clearance.
"In the 1990s, Pentair was largely defined by its top-performing tools
businesses but, today, the water and enclosures businesses are the driving
forces in our growth and expansion," said Randall J. Hogan, Pentair
chairman and chief executive officer. "The premier brands comprising our
Tools Group continue to represent great value and have performed well
against their competitors. However, the opportunities we see in the
expansion of our Water and Enclosures Groups made the sale of the Tools
Group a logical step to build greater value for Pentair shareholders. The
Tools Group is a strong business that performed well for Pentair, and we
believe it will continue to grow and prosper under the ownership of Black
& Decker."

Black & Decker is a global manufacturer and marketer of quality power
tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and
technology-based fastening systems.

Pentair's Tools Group comprises the Porter-Cable, Delta, DeVilbiss Air
Power, Oldham Saw, and FLEX brands, among others. The Group employs
approximately 4,200 people at facilities in North America, Europe and
Asia.

"Black & Decker is a recognized leader in the power tool industry and has
proven its ability to grow and sustain strong brand names," Hogan said.
"We are very confident that we are placing our Tools Group in the hands of
a team that can further build the tools businesses to benefit their
customers, their suppliers, and their employees."

Pentair noted that the proceeds from the sale of the Tools Group will be
used to pay down debt associated with Pentair's acquisition of WICOR
Industries, which recently was approved by the Federal Trade Commission
and is expected to be complete at the end of July.

"Going forward, with Pentair's full resources focused on the growth and
expansion of the Water and Enclosures Groups, we will become a much
stronger, more nimble company, Hogan said. "We also expect to be much
better positioned to achieve with greater consistency the growth goals our
shareholders expect."

Pentair will report earnings for the second quarter of 2004 on Wednesday,
July 21. A conference call scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CDT that day will be
webcast live via http://www.pentair.com. A link to the conference call is
posted on the site's "Financial Information" page and will be archived at
the same location.

About Pentair, Inc.

Pentair (http://www.pentair.com) is a diversified operating company
headquartered in Minnesota. Its Water Technologies Group is a global
leader in providing innovative products and systems used worldwide in the
movement, treatment, storage and enjoyment of water. Pentair's Enclosures
group is a leader in the global enclosures market, serving industrial and
electronic customers, and its Tools Group markets innovative products
under established brand names to professionals and do-it-yourself users.
Pentair's 2003 revenues totaled $2.7 billion. The company employs 13,500
people in more than 50 locations around the world.

Any statements made about the company's anticipated financial results are
forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties such as the
ability to complete the sale of the Tools Group on its expected timetable,
the ability to obtain regulatory approvals of the sale of the Tools Group
on anticipated terms and schedule, continued economic growth; foreign
currency effects; retail and industrial demand; product introductions; and
pricing and other competitive pressures. Forward-looking statements
included herein are made as of the date hereof and the company undertakes
no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent
events or circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from
anticipated results.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/s...07/story5.html

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS
From the March 4, 2005 print edition
Porter-Cable losing 350 Jackson jobs
Jane Aldinger

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Porter-Cable Corp. is laying off 350 people in Jackson
after being acquired by Black & Decker in October.

Most of the eliminated jobs are manufacturing and assembly positions that
are being shipped south to Reynosa, Mexico. Black & Decker has a large
professional tool facility in Reynosa that will absorb production being
lost in Jackson, says Barbara Lucas, Black & Decker senior vice president
of public affairs.

"These kinds of tools can be easily absorbed in some of our facilities
where we've already got the scale and the efficiencies in place," Lucas
says.

Porter-Cable, a power tool manufacturer, currently employs about 1,650
people in Jackson but that number will decrease to about 1,300 when the
layoffs are complete.

Towson, Md.-based Black & Decker eliminated 75 non-manufacturing jobs in
October, which were mostly staff and support positions from Porter-Cable
and Jackson's DeVilbiss facility. DeVilbiss Air Power was also part of
Black & Decker's acquisition.

In addition to the power tools manufacturing and assembly shift, Black &
Decker is initiating other production movement within its newly acquired
companies. Porter-Cable is relocating a reconditioning operation from
Jackson to Reynosa and another Black & Decker facility in McAllen, Texas.
Lucas says Jackson will see the addition of some router bit manufacturing
from a plant in North Carolina, and the moving of air compressors from
Reynosa to the DeVilbiss facility.

The company could not specify the number of jobs lost and gained within
each division. Lucas says Black & Decker's actions will ultimately result
in the net loss of 350 Jackson jobs, almost exclusively in the
manufacturing arena.

Black & Decker announced its intention to purchase the Tools Group from
Pentair, Inc., in July 2004 and finalized that $775 million transaction in
October. The Tools Group, with 2003 sales of $1.08 billion and operating
profit of $82 million, includes Porter-Cable, Delta, DeVilbiss Air Power,
Oldham Saw and Flex businesses.

Lucas says the company has not announced any other programs or actions
that would eliminate more jobs in Jackson. 1,300 employees is still a very
large presence for Black & Decker in any market, she says.

Paul Latture, president and CEO of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, says
the sheer size of Black & Decker and Pentair Tools Group dictates job
loss.

"When two companies join together, there's obviously going to be synergies
and duplication," Latture says. "It would be our hope that we have no more
job loss than we have and also that this will make Black & Decker more
competitive in the marketplace and Jackson will continue to be a shining
star in their system."

Despite the job loss, Black & Decker is still Jackson's largest
manufacturer. Latture says prospect activity in Jackson is good, and he
hopes to land some active recruits soon. BlueScope Butler was the latest
good news; the steel component manufacturer announced late last year that
it would open a plant in Jackson employing 150 people.

Melissa Rivers, regionalism director with the Memphis Regional Chamber,
says Jackson has taken a hit from Black & Decker, but should rebound soon.

"Any time a community has a loss of 350 jobs, it's a blow to the local and
regional economy," Rivers says. "However, the Jackson Area Chamber of
Commerce has a strong economic development team with a long track record
of success in recruiting manufacturing jobs. We're confident that they
will recover from this very quickly."

Latture is also confident that Jackson's diversified economy will help
those who are losing their jobs find employment elsewhere.

Lucas says Black & Decker will provide severance and job placement
assistance to the unemployed and is making them aware of openings for
transfers. The city of Jackson and Madison County will also work to match
those employees up with different opportunities, Latture says.

Black & Decker, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol
BDK, is a global manufacturer and marketer of quality power tools and
accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology-based
fastening systems.

CONTACT staff writer Jane Aldinger at 259-1727 or



© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.


All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All
rights reserved.