Posted on 09/10/2009 2:36:39 PM PDT by Kartographer
“He’s a magic man, mamaaaaaaaaa.........”
Deere lays of 367 at Harvester Works - qctimes.com
That's 667 jobs gone, a real blow for the Quad Cities economy.
Hare: Rock Island suitmaker Seaford to close - qctimes.com
I think they're both union shops. Deere has always been for its blue collar workers.
There was a list where a lot of stimulus money (in the millions) was allocated to Moline a few months ago, don't know where I saw it now.
The midwest must be cutting back severely on large equipment purchases, because our little corner of the world has a new tractor/combine/sprayer/cotton picker in almost every field. Heaven knows my family is doing its part to support the green and yellow.
I’m waiting for the Gartner article that states, “Our research indicates that it is probable the sun will rise in the east and set in the west however certain environmental conditions could impact the actual outcome. It is therefore recommended that management maintain vigilance in these dynamic conditions and prepare alternative plans in the event this analysis proves to be incorrect.”
Exactly what I have been saying!
Make it as cheap as you want but if there isn’t a middle-class you won’t have a market for your plastic Chinese crap.
Aren’t these considered durable goods? I know farmers get many years of use out of their farm equipment. That said, wouldn’t Deere, etc. eventually have a saturated market?
But your point about equipment lasting many years is certainly true. We have an International tractor that is a mid-fifties model and, although it has had several engine or transmission rebuilds, it runs hard and strong. That being said, it is no longer the best piece of equipment we have for many tasks. It works around the edges in a stand-in situation, or works in the hay field.
There are also large farms that lease all new equipment every 2-3 years. In one case with a neighbor of ours, he leases 20-30 of the latest and greatest tractors every couple of seasons (worth $200k each). That doesn't work for us, but it is certainly done around here.
LOL! We have a Christmas farm ... red and green. Historically, IH cotton pickers were the best, although at this time we are running green ones. Our largest dual-wheel tractor is red, but the others are green. We have both red and green implements. Unfortunately, I have an entire closet of caps, if you need a couple. ;-)
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