The problem is the viewpoint you have is way too idealistic and not at all realistic.  As a business owner, I'm thinking about the best interests of my company.  If the USA needs to stop companies from moving out of the country, the US government need to find incentives for keeping your business here.  (Higher import taxes, significant tax breaks for operating in the USA, etc.)  But that's NOT Brunswick's concern at all!  Brunswick should be worried about themselves, not the greater good of the country.  If they can operate cheaper in Mexico under the current laws, good for them.

All,

Back to the topic heading.

Let me start by asking a couple of questions.

Since all of the automotive companies have moved a portion of their manufacturing outside of the U.S., has the price of a car went down?

Since Dexter moved all over their shoe making to Asia, has the price for a pair of high performance shoes decreased?

Companies do not move some or all of their manufacturing outside of the U.S. to lower the price to consumers. They do it to show/increase their profits.

Being that I was employed by Brunswick during the transition, I have a bit more insight o this than most of you.

Brunswick Consumer Products did not move production to Mexico to INCREASE profits. They moved manufacturing to Mexico to try and SHOW a profit. From 2003-2006, Brunswick was the most popular high performance ball line in the world. During that time, Brunswick Consumer Products was, at best, a break even part of the Brunswick Corporation. We were operating with a skeleton staff of marketing and sales. So what other area can you cut costs in? Manufacturing.

The decision to move manufacturing to Mexico did not come without some very heated debate between Corporate and Consumer Products management.

At the time, moving production to Mexico was the best solution to try and show a profit. Which is what you get into and stay in business for. Once you do not show a profit for a period of time, you go out of business. Which was/is within the realm of possibility.

Just remember to ask yourself this question when some of you bash Brunswick.

Your American brand (not made, BRAND) of car. Why did you buy it? To support an American company.

Brunswick is STILL an American based company. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill. With the bowling division located in Muskegon, MI.

The coverstocks are still provided by American companies (Ashland for Polyester & Bayer for Urethane). The equipment is engineered & tested in Muskegon.

And as many of you know, if anyone has a beef with Brunswick, it would be me. I choose to take the high road because of the friends (Americans) I have left there that I want to succeed.

So by choosing not to support Brunswick because of the moving manufacturing to Mexico, you could be costing even more Americans their job.

Sorry for the rant.

Verbs

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Larry Verble

Please remember something, just because the other manufacturers are still based in the US does not mean they are prospering. Ebonite had a 20% reduction in work force towards the end of last year and they are over 50% of the market. If you actually knew the inner workings, you would know that NO ball manufacturer is 'prosperous', including Storm. Manufacturers are always trying to find ways to cut costs.
Brunswick has not done away with there R and D dept. They have 2 of the smartest/sharpest guys in the industry. Every ball company goes through the ups and downs, it is a very cyclical business. 3 years ago Brunswick had the best line up and a lot of the independants on tour were throwing Brunswick balls. Now it's Storms turn. How many Ebonite brand balls do you see on the shows? And they have over half of the market.
It did suck when Brunswick made the decision to move the ball plant. As Verbs mentioned, I was there as well during this transition and trust me, it was not an easy decision. But they were going to move the plant and is was not like we had input in where it was going. But if they did not make the move, another couple of hundred Americans would have been out of work. They also did not anticipate the move lingering this long, in the buyers eyes.
Every company rebounds. As I was once told, you always want to bowl well between the slumps. Ball companies just try and survive through the slumps, until their next great ball comes along.
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Formerly BrunsRico

Rico: Thanks for the observations. You were there, and you've experienced the pain first hand. Going through downsizing and reorganizations is an incredibly painful experience.

You're current in that no ball company is likely to be 'prosperous' right now. In general, few major companies of any type are experiencing boom times. Still, even with cuts, Storm and Ebonite appear to be making a manufacturing go of it in the USA. I've always wondered how Brunswick, especially with their period of popularity, could experience problems to the degree that they were forced to move manufacturing out of the country. It does suggest that even with a high demand product, there are severe management issues within the company. When that's the case, even short term 'outsourcing' moves like offshoring manufacturing just minimally stop the bleeding.

Professionally, I've been on all sides of the outsourcing spectrum I've worked for a major IT outsourcer, and I've managed major outsourcing contracts from the customer side. The bottom line is that outsourcing is corporate 'fools gold' for squeezing profits and remaining viable. I'm luck enough to work for a company where upper management understands this, and works toward long term strategies that maximize the use of domestic resources.

There are in fact major hidden social costs associated with corporations moving operations to foreign countries. I don't want to support any company that, if managed properly, could be profitable manufacturing domestically.

As I recall, Brunswick also spent a lot of money with state of the art casting machines as well for their equipment (how effective it is, that's another topic).

Combine the upgrade in the equipment, the cost of the land/labor in Mexico, I'd say the decision was based on the company investing in it's future as a leader in the market.

JMHO...
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Inverted 1 and Dead Flush are my Evil Twins...

Edited on 3/18/2009 1:12 PM