[ContentiousObjector]

“These companies are too embarrassed to acknowledge the real reason that they may be leaving,” says Jack Roney of the American Sugar Alliance. “And that is to flee American workers, to flee the compulsion to have to pay workers a decent wage.”

Whatever Jack, they will be paying more for labour in Quebec than they were in the states.

[Maelstrom]

bump

[rintense]

This has hit the Holland area real hard. Add this to the huge number of layoffs in the office furniture industry. But to say that if they don't move, they are going to be out of business? Please. A local economist did some research and concluded that the profit on a single roll of Lifesavers is staggering. Less than 5 cents of the total cost is for materials, labor, packaging, advertising, etc.- the rest is profit. This isn't about staying in business, it's about making more profits- and shafting American workers in the process. Needless to say, many here in the Holland area will no longer be buying Lifesavers products.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Another manufacturing company out of the US. Soon, we will be consumers of everything and not producers of much of anything. We won't know how to so much as make a lifesaver candy anymore.

[Senator Pardek]

Sometimes steps taken to protect American jobs, however well intentioned, may in fact have exactly the opposite result.

Interesting statement - and it's even more interesting that they did not expand on it, since it's the crux of the whole story.

OK class, I won't give any hints since the answer's so easy - who will be the first to do PMSNBC's job and give me the correct answer?

[Thinkin' Gal]

Lifesavers abandons U.S.<<<

From "SOS" to "SOL", kind of like the saying, "Life sucks and then you die". Ooops...

[Veggie Todd]

I guess we're hearing that "giant sucking sound" from the north, not the south.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

If American manufacturing jobs keep going elsewhere, Americans won't be able to afford a roll of Lifesavers.

[monday]

"Kraft Foods says the high cost of sugar in the United States has forced it to relocate its Lifesavers division to Canada, where sugar is nearly half the price. "

You support tarrifs to protect one industry, you end up hurting others. Protectionists are to stupid and selfish to understand that.

Bush's steel tarrifs will cause many manufacturers that use steel to re-locate over seas and the anti free traders will have only themselves to blame. Idiots.

[TheBattman]

Sugar more expensive in the US than abroad????? What's up with that?

[ml/nj]

Let's not forget that this will mean that Cuban sugar will be used to make Lifesavers. It seems that I can buy Cuban sugar from Kraft, but I cannot buy Cuban tobacco from Padron. (Not that I'm advocating an end to the embargo; I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy here.)

ML/NJ

[edger]

The US is a large scale net importer of manufactured goods and an exporter of hides, grain, farm products, etc. This is not the profile of a manufacturing super power; this is the profile of a Third World Country. And every day the gubmint makes it worse.

I say it again: when the Democrats get in, it gets worse and when the Repubbys get in, it don't get no better.

[rintense]

Some links to the Lifesavers closing history:

State: Keep Lifesavers PLant Open

City Leaders Respond to Lifesavers Plant Closing

Kraft, Union Discuss Plant-Closing Details

State Makes Pitch to Kraft

Lifesavers talks can't lure Kraft

Lifesavers Rescue Bid Sour to Kraft

Lawmakers Request Help for Lifesavers Employees

Lifesavers Employees Denied Goverment Assistance

Lifesavers Caught Up in US Sugar Policy

[Squantos]

The Jolly Rancher Candy Company was founded in Golden, Colorado, by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen in 1949. They called the company Jolly Rancher to suggest a hospitable, western company. The company originally made ice cream, chocolate and hard candy. As hard candy sales grew, however, they began to concentrate on developing their "Famous for Flavor" line of hard candies.

In 1966, the Harmsens sold Jolly Rancher to Beatrice Foods, but the family continued to be involved in the day-to-day operation of the business. Leaf purchased Jolly Rancher in 1983. Hershey Foods Corporation acquired the Leaf North America confectionery operations from Huhtamaki Oy of Helsinki, Finland in 1996.

Lifesavers be damned if they leave America !!!......... Jolly Rancher's.... "FIRE" .... rules !!

Stay Safe !!

[scouse]

Kraft Foods says the high cost of sugar in the United States has forced it to relocate

Of course I'm sure the high cost of compliance with government regulations had no hand in this whatsoever.

[Dialup Llama]

Guess they can retrain and get jobs as web masters. Wait with 1 million tech jobs lost, maybe they should get jobs at Kmart. But wait Kmart laid off 25,000....

[Don Myers]

The main concern of any company is the profit line. If, after taking all things into consideration, they decide they can increase the profit line by moving overseas, they will do it. If they have to make cutbacks for the sake of the profit line, they will do it. The best thing for the individual worker is to go up the food chain. People on the bottom of that food chain get eaten by more people.

[Sabertooth]

(((ping))))

[billbears]

Free trade bump!! It's happening right before our eyes, in every industry. They tried to tell them but no one would listen.