Fisher & Paykel - fuc-ing shocking

[rainman]

Focus on our high tech industries (IT) ... which cannot be replicated anywhere else.

I LOL'ed.




Oh, were you serious?

[Ixion]

Interestingly, no one has questioned the moral aspects of F&Ps decision.

We are all familiar with the abuses and exploitation perpetuated by companies such as Nike (if you are not, read URGENTLY Naomi Klein's book 'No Logo' ).

Should we not, as Kiwis, feel some shame that a company as closely associated with NZ as F&P has elected to join such a sordid club?

EDIT OK, OK. Hardly anyone

[SixPackBack]

Interestingly, no one has questioned the moral aspects of F&Ps decision.

We are all familiar with the abuses and exploitation perpetuated by companies such as Nike (if you are not, read URGENTLY Naomi Klein's book 'No Logo' ).

Should we not, as Kiwis, feel some shame that a company as closely associated with NZ as F&P has elected to join such a sordid club?

Moral soul searching played no part in their desicion. Had production stayed in NZ F&P would have eventually gone under. Moving production overseas and keeping R&D here is a logical move, the only move they could make under the current political climate. F&P have in fact taken the moral high ground by protecting the intellectuals in the organisation, and just as importantly the share holders some of who are undoubtedly Kiwi mum and dads.

[Ixion]

Have they protected the shareholders, though, at least in the long term?

Perhaps the most valuable asset a company like F&P can have is their brand name

In our house we have the usual array of appliances . Fridge freezer washer dryer stove dishwasher. Every one of them F&P.

When the last one was replaced about a year ago (the old F&P Gentle Annie finally sprung a leak that forced me to admit that it was uneconomic to repair), there was no discussion or debate about what to replace it with. Mrs Ixion (whooping with delight) promptly shot around to Bond and Bond and bought a new F&P washing machine. The question of how much the F&P model cost compared to any others was never raised.

Hundreds of thousands of Kiwi families have done the same over the years. because F&P was the Kiwi brand, a trusted name

Now, they have written all that loyalty off. They are now just another brand of cheap Asian crap.

Mrs Ixion asked me tonight "When we replace the fridge (she has been angling about that for a while now), is there any reason now why we should buy Fisher and Paykel ?" . My answer, with which she concurred "None whatsoever, they are just another Asian brand of cheap and shoddy".

So now she is talking about Smeg. About which I know nothing, except that it sounds like a character from the Lord of the Rings. A year ago, the notion of buying a Smeg (whereever they are form) would not have crossed her mind. It would have been automaticaly F&P.

Repeat that scenario thousands of times over in the next few years, and tell me that the directors made the wisest decision for the shareholders.

It takes decades to build up a brand to the point where it becomes the recognised symbol of excellence. A single announcment to destroy that.

[SixPackBack]

Have they protected the shareholders, though, at least in the long term?

Perhaps the most valuable asset a company like F&P can have is their brand name

In our house we have the usual array of appliances . Fridge freezer washer dryer stove dishwasher. Every one of them F&P.

When the last one was replaced about a year ago (the old F&P Gentle Annie finally sprung a leak that forced me to admit that it was uneconomic to repair), there was no discussion or debate about what to replace it with. Mrs Ixion (whooping with delight) promptly shot around to Bond and Bond and bought a new F&P washing machine. The question of how much the F&P model cost compared to any others was never raised.

Hundreds of thousands of Kiwi families have done the same over the years. because F&P was the Kiwi brand, a trusted name

Now, they have written all that loyalty off. They are now just another brand of cheap Asian crap.

Mrs Ixion asked me tonight "When we replace the fridge (she has been angling about that for a while now), is there any reason now why we should buy Fisher and Paykel ?" . My answer, with which she concurred "None whatsoever, they are just another Asian brand of cheap and shoddy".

So now she is talking about Smeg. About which I know nothing, except that it sounds like a character from the Lord of the Rings. A year ago, the notion of buying a Smeg (whereever they are form) would not have crossed her mind. It would have been automaticaly F&P.

Repeat that scenario thousands of times over in the next few years, and tell me that the directors made the wisest decision for the shareholders.

It takes decades to build up a brand to the point where it becomes the recognised symbol of excellence. A single announcment to destroy that.

F&P lost no brand recognition or loyalty, it remains a Kiwi company with the 'brains' behind the name firmly planted on our fair shores. Many Kiwi's will recognise this and purchase regardless. Also in terms of a global market NZ is so small as to have little significance.

The company I work for makes hundreds of thousands of units per year with not one sale in NZ. We found that if/when we wanted to expand and roll out new products the lack rather than the cost of the local labour market was a severe impediment to growth. You simply cannot go out and round up a couple of hundred production workers, the labour market is far to tight. This issue alone drove our production overseas.

[Ixion]

F&P lost no brand recognition or loyalty, it remains a Kiwi company with the 'brains' behind the name firmly planted on our fair shores. Many Kiwi's will recognise this and purchase regardless. Also in terms of a global market NZ is so small as to have little significance.

...

.

Well, it is too soon to tell this. Much of the loyalty to F&P has been because it WAS a Kiwi company. Now, spin it as they may, it is not.

The brand recognition will doubtless still be there. But will it be recognised as a Kiwi company making Kiwi products for Kiwis or just another Asian cheapo manufacturer.

You can't have it both ways (they can't , I mean). You can't at the same time claim to be quality driven and , in the same breath, admit that all that matters is how cheap it is.

It seems to me to be quite irrelevant where the "brains" of the company are (I doubt they have been in NZ for many years). What I care about is where it is made. By what sort of workforce , to what standards.

F&P have now publically stated that their product will be made wherever they can get it made cheapest and the standard is whatever costs least.

A company that is based in Thailand and Mexico and wherever the heck else they are going to certainly cannot claim to be a Kiwi company.

If F&P , a a rresult of this move , can sell their product more cheaply than anyone else, then they will undoubtedly gain sales on that basis. But "We're cheaper" is never a good long term market position. Before long some other Asian company will come along which is cheaper. And then F&P will sell nothing.

[Manxman]

Like National would have done any different - both large parties think the China FTA is a great idea, remember.
Don't mind me, I'm an honorary member of the Balance Police.

Buy NZ Made is the legacy of Rod Donald, and is, what's the word, aspirational. Also known as A Bloody Good Idea, although possibly a little optimistic.

Today's job losses are just the fruit of globalisation, and continued population growth, coupled with (yes, still) cheap oil. For as long as you can get a(nother) wage slave in a foreign sweatshop to work for two bowls of rice and a rusty farthing a day, while making a product/delivering a service that's, well, close to the same quality, and it doesn't cost that much to ship lots of them about the place, businesses will do it. Because all they value is money, not people's lives.

So much for the free market dream.

Might be worth having a look at this.

Good watch. This is what politicians are supposed to debate and ponder, not the nugatory shite and petty bickering they currently engage in.

[SixPackBack]

Well, it is too soon to tell this. Much of the loyalty to F&P has been because it WAS a Kiwi company. Now, spin it as they may, it is not.

The brand recognition will doubtless still be there. But will it be recognised as a Kiwi company making Kiwi products for Kiwis or just another Asian cheapo manufacturer.

You can't have it both ways (they can't , I mean). You can't at the same time claim to be quality driven and , in the same breath, admit that all that matters is how cheap it is.

It seems to me to be quite irrelevant where the "brains" of the company are (I doubt they have been in NZ for many years). What I care about is where it is made. By what sort of workforce , to what standards.

F&P have now publically stated that their product will be made wherever they can get it made cheapest and the standard is whatever costs least.

A company that is based in Thailand and Mexico and wherever the heck else they are going to certainly cannot claim to be a Kiwi company.

If F&P , a a rresult of this move , can sell their product more cheaply than anyone else, then they will undoubtedly gain sales on that basis. But "We're cheaper" is never a good long term market position. Before long some other Asian company will come along which is cheaper. And then F&P will sell nothing.

Quality and cost are two seperate issues. You can have both very easily, F&P NZ will have set operating procedures and parameters in place and will monitor quality control very closely.
Manufacturing overseas while controlling from NZ is a standard business practice, and not a particularly new one. It works well.

[Sollyboy]

Interestingly, no one has questioned the moral aspects of F&Ps decision.

We are all familiar with the abuses and exploitation perpetuated by companies such as Nike (if you are not, read URGENTLY Naomi Klein's book 'No Logo' ).

Should we not, as Kiwis, feel some shame that a company as closely associated with NZ as F&P has elected to join such a sordid club?

F and P are certainly a bunch of imoral cunts alright , for decades the government helped their business grow by putting a 30% import duty on any item competing with their product range , they only grew and succecded for this reason ,maybe they hould be wound up and the money redistributed back to the kiwi public .
also I notice there is a lot of call centres going to third world country, surely they should be charged a 30% import tax once the call centre is off shore as they are now importing a service, this might discourage some rich suit type homo outsourcing our jobs

[tri boy]

Have they protected the shareholders, though, at least in the long term?

Perhaps the most valuable asset a company like F&P can have is their brand name

Interesting point you raise.
I could compare it to Bloor, and his decision to move much of Hinkleys manufacturing to Thailand, part keep design n R+D in the UK.
It doesn't seem to be hurting either the Brand Name, or the finished product so far. Time will tell.

[Skyryder]

F and P are certainly a bunch of imoral cunts alright , for decades the government helped their business grow by putting a 30% import duty on any item competing with their product range , they only grew and succecded for this reason ,maybe they hould be wound up and the money redistributed back to the kiwi public .

That's the grattitude you get. I'd nationalize the fuckers. Take back the taxpayers money and flog of whats left for expenses.

Skyyrder

[avgas]

The brand recognition will doubtless still be there. But will it be recognised as a Kiwi company making Kiwi products for Kiwis or just another Asian cheapo manufacturer.

Yes hear hear.
I hate those badly made chinese things by Haier, Siemens, Harley Davidson, BMW, VW, Audi, Suzuki, IBM, HP, Navman, Buick, Lotus......
Unfortunately its not so black and white when you consider all those brands are made by Aisan cheapo factories, but designed elsewhere? Is it?
Its not going to be too long until Jag and Land Rover are made in Tata factories in India.
In fact i think you would find it hard pressed to find ANYTHING made outside of 3 world countries.
F&P knew this was coming many years.

[bikemike]

Other day I rode past a shop called Global Living. Through the window I spied nothing so exciting as some sofas and stuff...

GLOBAL LIVING offers a wide range of contemporary dining, lounge, occasional and outdoor furniture from Europe, Malaysia, China and New Zealand.

I thought to myself, we DO NOT live globally. This is consumerist lifestyle propaganda we have swallowed. We live locally.

What we do do is CONSUME globally. How much we consume locally vs globally, necessities versus luxuries or cheap vs quality is determined partly by consumer choice, but also by the finely balanced price of wages versus the price of goods. It's not random.

As teh economic environment changes, businesses need to adapt. We live in a global economy. Free trade deal will see more of this occuring. We can't compete as manufacturers.

[pete376403]

Wonder if the rebranding (from F&P to Elba) was a precursor of this move. Because F&P is so closely associated with NZ, renaming to something else removes that association?
Perhaps thay are going ot bring out other names, using islands somewhere near the factories

[MisterD]

Wonder if the rebranding (from F&P to Elba) was a precursor of this move. Because F&P is so closely associated with NZ, renaming to something else removes that association?
Perhaps thay are going ot bring out other names, using islands somewhere near the factories

They bought the Elba factory in Italy over a year ago...it pretty standard practice for one company to have several brands at different price / quality points. cf Skoda-Seat-VW-Audi-Bentley...