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Company boycotts Carrier in sympathy of laid off workers
wishtv.com ^ | February 11, 2016 | By Jeff Wagner

Posted on 02/14/2016 8:25:40 PM PST by 11th_VA

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) - A HVAC company owner is turning his back on one of his biggest suppliers after he said the supplier turned its back on its employees.

Wednesday, Carrier announced it plans to relocate its manufacturing plant from Indianapolis' west side to Mexico, taking 1,400 jobs with it. The decision obviously isn't sitting well with employees but it's also bothering several heating and air companies.

It's a business decision that comes from the heart.

"We're not helping buy a CEO their 5th vacation home, we're helping feed our family," said R.D. Poffenbarger as he installed a thermostat.

He owns 911 Heating and Cooling in Anderson and is loyal to his suppliers.

"I've used Carrier products in my company the whole time," he said spanning 16 years in business. But he said that won't happen anymore, not after what Carrier announced Wednesday.

"They were always promoting that they were made in the U.S. and it just shocked me that they would (relocate to Mexico)," he said.

The out-of-the-country move is part of the reason why Poffenbarger says he'll no longer use Carrier products. "You notice different workmanship…failures," he said. "It just gets to be a cheaper product."

He also sympathizes with the workers. Living in Anderson, he knows what it's like when manufacturing companies skip town.

"Used to be Delco, Guide Lamp, GM, and they all left. So I have friends you know, I have people I went to school with as parents that all of sudden were out of jobs," he said.

Poffenbarger plans to use only suppliers like Goodman or Ameristar going forward. It might hurt his bottom line, but he said it won't hurt his conscience.

"I was talking to my service manager Coby and I said you know, we may take a hit for doing this but I feel it's right," he said.

Earlier in the day, Poffenbarger said he was at a HVAC supply store. He said while there, other heating and air company owners told him they agreed with his decision. He said the supply store was also contemplating not carrying Carrier products.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; Mexico; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: economy; layoffs
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To: nascarnation

If natural gas is available that is obviously the way to go. If natural gas is not available than the best way to go, but not the cheapest upfront, is what I posted in post 27.


81 posted on 02/15/2016 4:25:15 PM PST by BBell
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To: bjorn14

Well, nobody, and certainly not I said you didn’t have the right to buy or not buy anything for any reason you wish. Completely up to you.

I was pointing out the pure thuggishness of our protectionist poster.

As for B&J, I wouldn’t buy any of their products when the stupid little commies owned it and I still won’t.


82 posted on 02/16/2016 1:22:04 AM PST by AntiScumbag
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To: Bryanw92

Bernie hates Carrier and all businesses. He’s an idiotic commie moron.

The vacuous little dope actually thinks that Americans have too many choices of deodorants. That’s the level of sophistication of what passes for his economic “thinking.”

And, no, Carrier didn’t put 1400 people on unemployment. At any given time there are over 5 million open jobs in the US. See the DoL JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) numbers. Now, that’s a lot less than would exist if we didn’t have jug-ears in the White House, but this economy has survived even his idiocy.

Most of the laid-off with a brain will be employed elsewhere in short order. In any case, no job, absent an employment contract comes with any guarantee of longevity.

It ain’t Carrier’s job to worry about anything else other than maximizing their bottom line by making products people want to buy at the lowest possible cost. They do anything else and they will end up in bankruptcy, the opinions of do-gooders and hand-wringers notwithstanding.

And I and everyone else, including Carrier shareholders can complain all we want about the stupidity of people who think socialism is a good idea, layoffs by Carrier or anyone else notwithstanding.


83 posted on 02/16/2016 1:51:08 AM PST by AntiScumbag
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To: 11th_VA
My Trane is no where as good, but I'll never get another Carrier - it's the principle at this point.

Don't worry, it may be principle at this point, but after a month or two it'll be shoddy workmanship as well!
84 posted on 02/16/2016 9:21:10 AM PST by Svartalfiar
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To: bigbob

have the CEO go to a trump rally to make an announcement reversing the decision.

(or if he (or she) is a democrat they can go to a Hillary rally for a good barking)


85 posted on 02/16/2016 9:27:33 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: All

Is this not a case where lower corporate (and personal taxes) are the way to keep business in the USA.

GM products have a lower quality REPUTATION because of their labor costs forcing fewer amenities on their vehicles.


86 posted on 02/16/2016 9:33:33 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Tucker39

remember eastern airlines?


87 posted on 02/16/2016 9:35:07 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: drypowder

My wife and I both drive Fords, but no more. And GM....Gubmint Motors is building schlock junk. Guess I’ll go to Honda or Toyota next time. Ford wants to build crappy stuff in Mexico; they can sell their crappy stuff in Mexico, too.


88 posted on 02/16/2016 10:07:06 AM PST by Tucker39 (Welcome to America! Now speak English; and keep to the right....In driving, in Faith, and politics.)
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To: Tucker39

my next pickup will be a Toyota Tundra


89 posted on 02/16/2016 4:01:22 PM PST by drypowder
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