Briggs & Stratton Corp. announced Wednesday a plan to close its Jefferson and Watertown, Wis. manufacturing facilities in fiscal 2010. The power products segment facilities currently manufacture all portable generator, home standby generator and pressure washer products marketed and sold by the company. Briggs officials said the job reductions will occur by the end of the year and are partly the result of poor market conditions and a need to consolidate production at its factories.
About 100 salaried employees in Jefferson will be offered jobs at other Briggs locations, including Wauwatosa. Production at the Jefferson plant will be moved to other Briggs factories, including plants in Alabama and Georgia. The Jefferson facility will be sold, said Laura Timm, a company spokeswoman.
Outside the U.S., Briggs has benefited from low-cost manufacturing plants it opened in the Czech Republic and China. The Czech plants serve Briggs’ European market, including fast-growing Eastern European countries. According to some reports, Briggs has resisted moving all its manufacturing plants overseas because the U.S. plants can reportedly build an engine with 30 minutes of labor, making them very efficient. Having plants in the U.S. also gives the company a competitive advantage in being able to respond to U.S. hurricanes, snowstorms and other power-related emergencies.
4 comments
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Thank you! They mentioned the 100 salaried employees but not the blue-collar men and women on the lines. Once again, we have a large American manufacturer moving overseas and cutting American jobs. I repeat, Thank you Briggs & Stratton. These types of “decisions” make it a whole lot easier for myself, and alot of other American consumers, NOT to buy your product!
I will not wrap my arms around this “good business sense” approach as there are many ways to keep maufacturing in the United States.
By the way, quit using the recent downturn in the overall economy as your reasoning for the sudden move to China and any other 3rd world country you can hire cheap labor and avoid U.S. manufacturing regulations and restrictions when it comes to emissions and pollution. You guys have been in those countries for a long time!
Thank you Briggs & Stratton,
Rob H Cleveland, OH
Rob – You obviously did not pay attention to the details in the announcement. The plant is being closed in Jefferson and the production will be moved to Briggs and Stratton’s other plants in the US. Wauwatosa,WI will continue making home standby generators. Portable pressure washers and portable generators will be made at plants in Alabama and Georgia. If you read the article it stated that Briggs and Stratton has streamlined their processes so that there is less than 30 minutes labor in each engine they build, so consequently,they have been able to compete without having to move production out of the US. Glenn C
Glenn,
I read it three times. It does not state the Wauwatosa plant will continue to make anything, not that it won’t, but your article does not state that unless I am not seeing the whole article?
It also said salaried employees, what about the regular work-force? Are they to move to Alabama and Georgia?
You want me to assume, when it says “other plants” including Alabama and Georgia, means US only? It does not specify US only.
The article “almost” makes it sound like those overseas facilities supply the European and Eastern European markets solely. Does Briggs & Stratton manufacture engines and or power equipment over there? Is some of it shipped back here?
Glenn, I have been part of the outdoor power equipment industry for almost 15 years. I remember when Made in America meant what it said. Not, Made in America with foreign parts and components. The article states that Briggs & Stratton has resisted moving plants overseas? Really?
Anybody else want to comment on my inturpretation of this article? Please do.
Sorry glen, but I agree with Rob. I am a dealer for these companies & at update schools they brag about their cheaper made products. & I mean cheaper not less expensive. As servicing dealers, we see first hand the lower quality from overseas.