Castanet

keith1612 wrote:its now just a empty old building waiting to be torn down.

Equipment is gone?

Fritzthecat wrote:When did you work there and where did you work? You are so much more of an expert than anybody I worked with.

I know you were talknig to Cpt. Awesome, but If it makes you feel any better, I worked there from 1997 - 2001 and have no idea what you are talking about.

Of course, I didn't care about the "business side" of it. I just came, did my job and went home.

-fluffy- wrote:

keith1612 wrote:its now just a empty old building waiting to be torn down.

Equipment is gone?

i think i read they had a bunch removed and some up for sale, i could be incorrect.

-fluffy- wrote:

keith1612 wrote:its now just a empty old building waiting to be torn down.

Equipment is gone?

Gone, scrapped and mleted down into used cars already. O-I made damn sure that building could not be used as another glass plant unless it was totally rebuilt. Consider this: 9 months before they shut it down they invested approx. $3 million into new feeders for the B tank Feeders take the glass from the furnace to the machines. This was to become a giant tax write off! Who says the government has no busniess in busniess?
Capt Awesome grows suddenly real silent....

fvkasm2x wrote:

Fritzthecat wrote:When did you work there and where did you work? You are so much more of an expert than anybody I worked with.

I know you were talknig to Cpt. Awesome, but If it makes you feel any better, I worked there from 1997 - 2001 and have no idea what you are talking about.

Of course, I didn't care about the "business side" of it. I just came, did my job and went home.

Well you were a top VIS attendand as I recall.

Equipment is gone?[/quote]
Gone, scrapped and mleted down into used cars already. O-I made damn sure that building could not be used as another glass plant unless it was totally rebuilt. Consider this: 9 months before they shut it down they invested approx. $3 million into new feeders for the B tank Feeders take the glass from the furnace to the machines. This was to become a giant tax write off! Who says the government has no busniess in busniess?
Capt Awesome grows suddenly real silent....[/quote]

i was told after the last government grants for equipment they didnt even fully bolt them to the floor knowing they were gonna take the money and run.

keith1612 wrote:Equipment is gone?

Not entirely true. We got alot of new "used" stuff that needed constant attention.
The furnaces were on borrowed time for years. It was common to see holes in them and we had a few drips of hot glass here and there. Funny thing, how they replaced and rebuilt the glass delivery on the B furnace 9 months before they shut it down. It was a huge project.

Part of the problem was the CEO (I think it was the CEO?) suddenly dying and being replaced by a slash and burn outsourcer.
More fast money to be made with one time tax write off's for a "failing busniness" although the $1 million per month NET is hardly going broke. The plan backfired but I've been out of there for 4 years so I no longer care about the company politcs.

My concern is the huge, remaining hole left int he North Okanagans economy and the lack of apparent interst in doing anything about it. Lack of interest from people, and all 3 levels of governance. It is shameful. Look at the responses here: No body gives a good *bleep* do they? Point and luagh becasue it isn't you. That's the Okanagan way. Then *bleep* and moan when it catches up to you.

Fritzthecat wrote:Well you were a top VIS attendand as I recall.

First year, yep. Palletized the last 3 though.

Believe it or not, I enjoyed the manual lines. Was a nice work out and kept you busy. The best manual labor job I ever had. Wasn't a big fan of the autos though. Kind of boring up there all day/night by yourself.

Are you struggling to find a job you like after the closure of the plant? Is that why you are so angry? Why the disdain for the VIS personnel? Not sure if you were in the back or a ware inspector or something... but don't act like your job was any more important than theirs. When the plant closed you were probably flat on your butt, just like most of them.

Perhaps your weak spelling/grammar skills and your sense of entitlement have led to your unsatisfactory career transition. Step down off your high horse... it's actually a donkey.

fvkasm2x wrote:

Fritzthecat wrote:Well you were a top VIS attendand as I recall.

First year, yep. Palletized the last 3 though.

Believe it or not, I enjoyed the manual lines. Was a nice work out and kept you busy. The best manual labor job I ever had. Wasn't a big fan of the autos though. Kind of boring up there all day/night by yourself.

Are you struggling to find a job you like after the closure of the plant? Is that why you are so angry? Why the disdain for the VIS personnel? Not sure if you were in the back or a ware inspector or something... but don't act like your job was any more important than theirs. When the plant closed you were probably flat on your butt, just like most of them.

Perhaps your weak spelling/grammar skills and your sense of entitlement have led to your unsatisfactory career transition. Step down off your high horse... it's actually a donkey.

I'm in a better spot now, thank you taxpayers and EI.
I'm *bleep* becasue we (the community) let 300+ good paying jobs evaporate without so much as a whimper.
Oh palletizing...I didn't realize I was talking to someone so high up. Really shot for th e top didn't you?

I hear your pain fritz, but it's not the government's place to tell people how to spend their money. It sounds like the owners didn't have a lot of interest in making the thing a long term going concern, and knew this even while going after government money (translate to 'your money and mine') to help keep the thing afloat. It's not surprising that glass containers are losing ground to plastic and paper, they are fast becoming the dodo of the beverage container industry. I'm thinking that if it wasn't for alcohol the industry would be dead.

Fritzthecat wrote:I'm in a better spot now, thank you taxpayers and EI.

Oh palletizing...I didn't realize I was talking to someone so high up. Really shot for th e top didn't you?

lol At the guy who got laid off and sponged off the taxpayers.

My "life" at Consumers was to make money so I could pay for the college degrees I have. I just got a nice government job with said education and loving life right now.

Looks like I've made it higher up the mountain than you did... how was EI?

I'm in a better spot now, thank you taxpayers and EI.
I'm *bleep* becasue we (the community) let 300+ good paying jobs evaporate without so much as a whimper.
Oh palletizing...I didn't realize I was talking to someone so high up. Really shot for th e top didn't you?[/quote]

so you expect the community and government to bail out every slime company that wants to pull out?
consumers glass decided it was cheaper to get foreign workers to make their product obviously so they left.
companies come and go and its not the responsability of the government to assure your place of employment was secure.
maybe the 300+ very well paid union employee's should have negotiated and purchased the building and started a business instead of collecting EI.
the bottom dropped out of the pulp market (you will notice very few chip trucks running through Vernon) a few months ago so should i demand the community all pitch together and help all the drivers effected?
its sad when there is a large loss of employment on any community but its not uncommon and not a taxpayer problem to fix.

I don't know if they are, but the local government SHOULD be pitching ideas to companies and investors for the property. No it isn't up to them to get people jobs... but if they can find someone to utilize the space and create jobs, that means more happy people who live there. Maybe a dozen or more people who move there for work.

It stimulates the economy, which all local government officials should care about.

Sure, if there's some kind of business that could make a go of it. That's the big question. Real estate is horrendous here, what are they asking for the property, did someone say 10 mil? Labour is expensive here, raw materials depending on the business? It's easy enough to say the government should be pitching ideas to prospective investors but there has to be an idea that makes this location attractive over other alternatives and that's where the challenge is. The idea.

About 3 weeks before the announcement , I was giving serious thought to quiting my job there. Decided I couldn't justify quiting such a good paying job. A short time later they made my decision for me. Had lots of very positive and rewarding experiences there , challenged myself and succeeded. Was happy to move on , but it was sad to see the place quiet and empty.