Sheaffer

The good Sam from Pendemonium lives in/near Fort Madison, Iowa. As you
may know, Sheaffer is in serious danger of closing its US plant and
production and is now owned by BIC. She reports that last night the
10:00 local news reported that Sheaffer IS being shut on May 1, 2006.
This announcement was made after the signing of a two year labour
contract. She expects more details today.

john cline ii, sad indeed (it was just a few short years ago that
Gillette did the same thing to Janesville, Wisconsin, and it seems A T
Cross is sloooowly doing about the same to its Lincoln, Rhode Island
facility...)

You can read the article (if you click and paste this in):
http://desmoinesregister.com/busines.../23930731.html

Nancy

john cline ii wrote:
The good Sam from Pendemonium lives in/near Fort
Madison, Iowa. Sheaffer IS being shut on May 1, 2006. (snip)

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Bic to close Sheaffer

Pen manufacturer's owner announces the F.M. fixture will shut doors in
2006.

By RANDY MILLER


FORT MADISON — Sheaffer Pen employees have agreed to a contract
extension that will keep the plant open two more years, but the
company's owner, Bic Corp., will shut it down on May 1, 2006, just two
years short of its 100th birthday.

United Auto Workers Local 1551 represents about 90 workers at the
company under a contract that was due to expire April 9.

Union workers voted Monday afternoon to approve the contract
extension, which includes the closing agreement. It provides wage
increases, enhanced pension benefits and a separation pay package for
hourly workers and those among the 30 management employees who also
will lose their jobs in the closing.

Details of the contract extension were not released and neither union
nor company officials could be reached for comment Monday evening.

Lowell Junkins, director of the Lee County Economic Development Group,
said he continues to work with the company and remains optimistic that
something can be worked out to keep Sheaffer Pen manufacturing in Fort
Madison despite the closing announcement.

"As late as last week, they told us this has been a major money–losing
operation for them," Junkins said. "Frankly, it's been a problem since
the day they bought it. Bic doesn't market high–end niche products.
They do 29–cent pens; they don't do $129 pens."

Junkins said he offered last week to help Bic officials sell the Fort
Madison plant to local investors or venture capitalists "to do
whatever we can to keep this state icon in Fort Madison and southeast
Iowa."

Junkins said he doesn't believe Bic officials have decided whether to
keep using the Sheaffer name on products produced elsewhere.

"I don't think they know," he said. "If they already knew that, my
guess is they would have shut her down, not agreed to a two–year phase
out. We're still at the table. They haven't closed the door."

Junkins said Gov. Tom Vilsack and Michael Blouin, director of the Iowa
Department of Economic Development, also are involved in negotiations
and incentive offers to keep the plant open.

Bic Corp. spokeswoman Jill Klimack of Milford, Conn., announced March
10 that the company was seriously considering closing the plant
because competitors can produce similar products at a lower cost.

UAW Local 1551 president Vonda Scull said after the March 10
announcement that starting wages at the plant are $8.31 per hour and
more than half of the union workers are currently earning an average
of slightly more than $11 per hour.

The plant has been a fixture on the city's east end, sitting along the
riverfront just west of Iowa State Penitentiary, since it was founded
by Walter A. Sheaffer in 1908 after he invented and patented the
world's first self–filling fountain pen.

"It's been a rock in our community for many years, but it was a
decision between the union and the company," Mayor Joe Kowzan said
Monday evening. "We were not privy to their decision–making. It was a
decision made in Connecticut and Paris, France."

Bic Corp.'s international office is in France.

Kowzan said local economic development and city officials were
surprised to learn earlier this month that the company was seriously
considering closing the plant because they had been working with Bic
officials as late as last fall to find a new plant location.

"We were caught off guard. We were going in one direction, and
apparently they were going in a different one," he said.

Kowzan said he thought the company was looking for a more efficient,
modern facility in which to operate and possibly downsize slightly,
but closing was never discussed.

"This is a very sad and difficult chapter in Sheaffer's history for
our employees and our community," Bob Kuskowski, Sheaffer's director
of marketing said in a press release. "Every employee — union and
management — gave his or her best to make the Fort Madison facility
successful, and our government and community leaders have been
tremendously supportive of our operation for a very long time."

Bic Corp., which makes lighters, stationery products and shavers in
addition to ink pens, bought the Fort Madison company in 1997. The
company was sold by the Sheaffer family to Textron in 1966. In 1976,
Textron merged Sheaffer with Eaton Paper Co. Eleven years later,
Textron sold Sheaffer–Eaton to Gefinor, which returned to the original
name of Sheaffer Pen Co.

(morten) wrote in message m...
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Tuesday, March 30, 2004,
Site updated daily at 11 a.m. CST
MY FRONT · HOME · NEWS · SPORTS · OBITUARIES · CLASSIFIEDS ·
MARKETPLACE · SPECIALS · PHOTOS · CONTACT US · SUBSCRIBE


Bic to close Sheaffer

Pen manufacturer's owner announces the F.M. fixture will shut doors in
2006.

By RANDY MILLER


FORT MADISON ? Sheaffer Pen employees have agreed to a contract
extension that will keep the plant open two more years, but the
company's owner, Bic Corp., will shut it down on May 1, 2006, just two
years short of its 100th birthday.

United Auto Workers Local 1551 represents about 90 workers at the
company under a contract that was due to expire April 9.

Union workers voted Monday afternoon to approve the contract
extension, which includes the closing agreement. It provides wage
increases, enhanced pension benefits and a separation pay package for
hourly workers and those among the 30 management employees who also
will lose their jobs in the closing.

Details of the contract extension were not released and neither union
nor company officials could be reached for comment Monday evening.

Lowell Junkins, director of the Lee County Economic Development Group,
said he continues to work with the company and remains optimistic that
something can be worked out to keep Sheaffer Pen manufacturing in Fort
Madison despite the closing announcement.

"As late as last week, they told us this has been a major money?losing
operation for them," Junkins said. "Frankly, it's been a problem since
the day they bought it. Bic doesn't market high?end niche products.
They do 29?cent pens; they don't do $129 pens."

Junkins said he offered last week to help Bic officials sell the Fort
Madison plant to local investors or venture capitalists "to do
whatever we can to keep this state icon in Fort Madison and southeast
Iowa."

Junkins said he doesn't believe Bic officials have decided whether to
keep using the Sheaffer name on products produced elsewhere.

"I don't think they know," he said. "If they already knew that, my
guess is they would have shut her down, not agreed to a two?year phase
out. We're still at the table. They haven't closed the door."

Junkins said Gov. Tom Vilsack and Michael Blouin, director of the Iowa
Department of Economic Development, also are involved in negotiations
and incentive offers to keep the plant open.

Bic Corp. spokeswoman Jill Klimack of Milford, Conn., announced March
10 that the company was seriously considering closing the plant
because competitors can produce similar products at a lower cost.

UAW Local 1551 president Vonda Scull said after the March 10
announcement that starting wages at the plant are $8.31 per hour and
more than half of the union workers are currently earning an average
of slightly more than $11 per hour.

The plant has been a fixture on the city's east end, sitting along the
riverfront just west of Iowa State Penitentiary, since it was founded
by Walter A. Sheaffer in 1908 after he invented and patented the
world's first self?filling fountain pen.

"It's been a rock in our community for many years, but it was a
decision between the union and the company," Mayor Joe Kowzan said
Monday evening. "We were not privy to their decision?making. It was a
decision made in Connecticut and Paris, France."

Bic Corp.'s international office is in France.

Kowzan said local economic development and city officials were
surprised to learn earlier this month that the company was seriously
considering closing the plant because they had been working with Bic
officials as late as last fall to find a new plant location.

"We were caught off guard. We were going in one direction, and
apparently they were going in a different one," he said.

Kowzan said he thought the company was looking for a more efficient,
modern facility in which to operate and possibly downsize slightly,
but closing was never discussed.

"This is a very sad and difficult chapter in Sheaffer's history for
our employees and our community," Bob Kuskowski, Sheaffer's director
of marketing said in a press release. "Every employee ? union and
management ? gave his or her best to make the Fort Madison facility
successful, and our government and community leaders have been
tremendously supportive of our operation for a very long time."

Bic Corp., which makes lighters, stationery products and shavers in
addition to ink pens, bought the Fort Madison company in 1997. The
company was sold by the Sheaffer family to Textron in 1966. In 1976,
Textron merged Sheaffer with Eaton Paper Co. Eleven years later,
Textron sold Sheaffer?Eaton to Gefinor, which returned to the original
name of Sheaffer Pen Co.

The problem herein is the changing tastes of Americans. Years ago,
having a good fountain pen was a sign of wealth for the owner. Today,
the PDA, wireless telephone, laptop, pager compete for one' attention
and usually win over the fountain pen as a means to convey
information.

Like Parker in 1999 when it closed its Janesville Plant and moved
production to Newhaven, England, Sheaffer is in the same quandary -
stay in Fort Madison and run up increased losses as the cost of doing
business or shut down the plant and throw out 300 workers. It is
awfully nice that Sheaffer negotiated a two year termination package
that ensures two years of work for all the workers until the plant is
closed.

People who want luxury pens will always be there to purchase them as
they are available.

Rest assured, there will be plenty of Sheaffers like there are Parkers
floating around until they are made available for sale at home flea
markets or Ebay. Just because the plant is closing does not mean that
there will be no more production Sheaffers made, as there will be
plenty available in coming years on Ebay and other venues for the hard
core fan. But the only problem is the availability of roller ball and
ball point refills along with ink cartridge refills that will be
needed to keep these Sheaffers operational.

James K. Goodwin

"James Goodwin" wrote in part:
|
| Rest assured, there will be plenty of Sheaffers like there are
Parkers
| floating around until they are made available for sale at home flea
| markets or Ebay. Just because the plant is closing does not mean
that
| there will be no more production Sheaffers made, as there will be
| plenty available in coming years on Ebay and other venues for the
hard
| core fan. But the only problem is the availability of roller ball
and
| ball point refills along with ink cartridge refills that will be
| needed to keep these Sheaffers operational.

IF Bic is not going to keep Sheaffer refills available, and I said IF
(as far as I know, no decision has been made), the LEAST they could do
is sell the technology and brand name to someone like Newell
Rubbermaid, owner of Parker/Waterman/rotring, etc. Or, if the patents
are now in the public domain, perhaps Parker and/or Cross could sell
Sheaffer-style refills.

Curiously, those knock-off Parker, Cross and MB refills (some of which
are made in China by a division of Cross!) have never been available
for Sheaffer, as far as I know. Too small a market? But that was when
Sheaffer itself was still making refills.

john cline ii who was afeared of seeing the end for Sheaffer when ink
production moved to Slovenia
|
| James K. Goodwin