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Problems at Camillus - will they survive?
- Thread starter hwyhobo
- Start date
I hope they do ok however, many Company's are asking their employees to take a freeze in salary. This economy we are in just isnt the right time to strike. Also the Chinese are breathing down a lot companys lately & taking jobs out of the USA. I guess if we were willing to live in tents & ride bikes all the time we could be competitive with them. Someone said " all your going to hear is a huge sucking sound as the Factory jobs leave the USA" I was told a long time ago that service type jobs are all your going to have in the future here in the USA. JMHO.
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That appears to be a high probability.
Should not this be in community section?
Should not this be in community section?
pogo said:I hope they do ok however, many Company's are asking their employees to take a freeze in salary. This economy we are in just isnt the right time to strike. Also the Chinese are breathing down a lot companys lately & taking jobs out of the USA. I guess if we were willing to live in tents & ride bikes all the time we could be competitive with them. Someone said " all your going to hear is a huge sucking sound as the Factory jobs leave the USA" I was told a long time ago that service type jobs are all your going to have in the future here in the USA. JMHO.
Right, like the airlines.
Ownership threatens bankruptcy, forcing the union to accept changes to their contract.
We don't know if this particular management is capable of keeping the company in business even if the employees capitulate.
The Becker line seems to be doing well, but the slipjoints, Heat, Sizzle, and CUDA USA products - are they sufficient to keep Camillus afloat?
I think they need new products and more aggressive marketing of the great stuff they already produce.
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Camillus's business has always been primarily an OEM business. Most of what they make they make with someone else's brand name on it - Cold Steel, Remington, Boy Scouts, Buckmasters etc. They haven't been making knives with their name on it for quite a while. Even super sellers like the Western Bowie haven't been available yet this year. I'm sure they've probably retreated back to doing only OEM work for the time being.
I hope they pull out of it. I'd hate to see another American cutlery icon disappear. Schrade's failure last year was pretty depressing. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
I hope they pull out of it. I'd hate to see another American cutlery icon disappear. Schrade's failure last year was pretty depressing. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
i think its a done deal-they shipped some mfg stuff out already-the western stuff i think-
they didnt adapt at all-thats what doomed them and its a shame-
maybe a american mfg will step up and buy the name and rights- be a danm shame if the name ended up in the hands of taylor like schrade did-
they didnt adapt at all-thats what doomed them and its a shame-
maybe a american mfg will step up and buy the name and rights- be a danm shame if the name ended up in the hands of taylor like schrade did-
There a couple of options if the union doesnt take what Camillus offers:
1. They decide to do like Buck and move thier operation to a more economically avantagous location where they can offer lower wages that would be more acceptable to the workers, get tax breaks for bringing new jobs and maybe cheaper overhead such as electricity and property taxes and such. Hmmmm if anybody from Camillus is reading this San Antonio,TX just landed Toyota and we are open to any more manufactureing jobs that may wanna come to our little town we can make it worth your while.
2. Camillus cuts back it's workforce and farms out some of it's work to Japan, Taiwan, or China (yuck) .
3. Bankrupt and sales it's brands to whoever bids the highest. The american made knives become collectors items and we get to remember the good old days when the Beckers werent made out of 420j2 and the Cuda Maxx aus6a
1. They decide to do like Buck and move thier operation to a more economically avantagous location where they can offer lower wages that would be more acceptable to the workers, get tax breaks for bringing new jobs and maybe cheaper overhead such as electricity and property taxes and such. Hmmmm if anybody from Camillus is reading this San Antonio,TX just landed Toyota and we are open to any more manufactureing jobs that may wanna come to our little town we can make it worth your while.
2. Camillus cuts back it's workforce and farms out some of it's work to Japan, Taiwan, or China (yuck) .
3. Bankrupt and sales it's brands to whoever bids the highest. The american made knives become collectors items and we get to remember the good old days when the Beckers werent made out of 420j2 and the Cuda Maxx aus6a
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- Apr 27, 1999
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- 6,117
Here's another artical:
http://www.syracuse.com/business/po...ness-2/1147943015320450.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
It surprises me that they have survived this long using United Steelworkers Union labor. I doubt that the newer outfits like Spyderco or Benchmade have that overhead. One of the big points of argument is that Camillus wants to be able to reduce the work week to fit product demand.
http://www.syracuse.com/business/po...ness-2/1147943015320450.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
It surprises me that they have survived this long using United Steelworkers Union labor. I doubt that the newer outfits like Spyderco or Benchmade have that overhead. One of the big points of argument is that Camillus wants to be able to reduce the work week to fit product demand.
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This is making me think of what happened with the Winchester plant in Connecticut. Now 2 American rifle legends, The model 94 lever-action, and the "Rifleman's Rifle" the model 70, are no longer made in America. Rumor is they will re-start production, but probably in Japan.
Pretty sad to compare how the U.S. was post WW2 to current day U.S., both in terms of the people and manufacturing.
Pretty sad to compare how the U.S. was post WW2 to current day U.S., both in terms of the people and manufacturing.
Personally I think that unions are the problem.
They should do what Firestone did about 10 - 12 years ago.
I can remember driving by the Firestone plant (the main plant) and seeing all the people outside striking. Firestone just fired everyone not working or laid them off or something and then hired in like 500 new people to take their place.
Then all the Firestone people whined.
I guess they shouldn't have gone on strike then huh? 
They should do what Firestone did about 10 - 12 years ago.
I can remember driving by the Firestone plant (the main plant) and seeing all the people outside striking. Firestone just fired everyone not working or laid them off or something and then hired in like 500 new people to take their place.
Then all the Firestone people whined.
I guess they shouldn't have gone on strike then huh? 
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Wow, it just occured to me that, if Camillus tanks, where does Moore Maker get their stuff made? The must be pretty nervous over this. What about the others?
You know, this could be a great opportunity for the folks at the new Buck plant if they were interested in branching out into the OEM business.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Would prefer to see Camillus survive.
You know, this could be a great opportunity for the folks at the new Buck plant if they were interested in branching out into the OEM business.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Would prefer to see Camillus survive.
waynorth
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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The problem isn't with the unions, it's with the lack of unions in places like China, where people work for crap wages and no benefits. Injure yourself on the job, and move out onto the street, just like in America before unions!!
Unions have gotten way out of hand in this country. That's the real problem. I agree with what DaveH said above.
A guy that sweeps the floor at a Ford plant shouldn't be making $50,000 per year. That's just BS.
The point is that there are tons of people that would love to have that guys job and do it happily for $25,000 per year or less.
Unions used to be good but they are just too greedy these days.
If you have a skill that's great. You should be paid well for it. If you simply hold up car doors all day so a robot can screw them on you got no skill and you shouldn't make 50 G's a year.
A guy that sweeps the floor at a Ford plant shouldn't be making $50,000 per year. That's just BS.
The point is that there are tons of people that would love to have that guys job and do it happily for $25,000 per year or less.
Unions used to be good but they are just too greedy these days.
If you have a skill that's great. You should be paid well for it. If you simply hold up car doors all day so a robot can screw them on you got no skill and you shouldn't make 50 G's a year.