Atlas Factory Shut Down

The link you give above is from Atlas themselves, not a social media site, so unfortunately this appears to be a fact.

Landsteiner posted:

The link you give above is from Atlas themselves, ….

I guess I wasn't clear. Yes, I posted the link from Atlas. But, I've read that there are posts on social media from other sources indicating the specific factory that closed.

Jim

I am pretty sure that this is an every year occurrence for Atlas-----summer shut down/vacation.

Norm

Norm posted:

I am pretty sure that this is an every year occurrence for Atlas-----summer shut down/vacation.

Norm

No. That's the Chinese New Year which is usually in January.  This is a permanent factory closure.

I can just see it now, a couple of hundred employees each running out the back door with a couple of pieces of production tooling. 

Remember the Sanda Kahn fiasco?

Well Looking on the bright side.... they DID get the Long Awaited [for some] C40-8's!

Absolutely great news and a new opportunity for the factory to return to Hillside NJ.

Trying to find out if this concerns O or HO. Either way …. stinks.

Dennis LaGrua posted:

Absolutely great news and a new opportunity for the factory to return to Hillside NJ.

"Atlas is currently working with our network of suppliers to transfer the projects to others for completion."

In other words, not moving back to Hillside.

What I wonder is:  Was this factory dedicated solely to Atlas or are other companies also affected?

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:

What I wonder is:  Was this factory dedicated solely to Atlas or are other companies also affected?

Rusty

Talking heads on the internet are mentioning other companies being affected …. HO companies like Athearn and Intermountain. Who friggn' knows, though.

Eagerly awaiting some more details from Atlas.

EBT Jim posted:

Trying to find out if this concerns O or HO. Either way …. stinks.

Unfortunately it seems to be the norm there in China Manufacturing. Approximately every 5-7 years one shuts down and another opens up somewhere else. The trick is to get access to your tooling and move it completely to another manufacturing factility.  You [American importer] also hope that no one else has taken it and secretly made your items to be sold by someone else because after all, the government of China owns 53 percent of " your stuff" in their country!

This is certainly getting to be the norm for Atlas. I like their products and own my fair share, but this is getting real old. Regardless of who closed or walked out, etc, etc. it’s still on Atlas’s shoulders. Wonder how much more of this before the customer base will be affected. I know I am tired of it. 

Dennis LaGrua posted:

Absolutely great news and a new opportunity for the factory to return to Hillside NJ.

AS Much as I like the garden state, forget NJ to start up any mfg. here! This tax and spend administration does NOT make it viable for businesses. you might as well set up shop in PA or DE and save some dough!

Really?  Paid Family leave! You are lucky yo get a health care plan and matching in your 401k [if you even have one or are eligible for one] within a year!

Jim Waterman posted:

I can just see it now, a couple of hundred employees each running out the back door with a couple of pieces of production tooling. 

 

Something much like this happened in the plastic kit industry. One manufacture went under/closed. Tooling was to be transferred to another shop. Some vital tooling met with an accident and was beyond use.  This with some other events ended up with the company being sold. FYI

Jim Waterman posted:

I can just see it now, a couple of hundred employees each running out the back door with a couple of pieces of production tooling. 

 

I heard that happened when Lionel was moving to Mexico years ago?

Labor costs are even lower in Mexico but the overall infrastructure of related suppliers isn't there. As I simplically understand these things. But discounting that one imagines the proximity would make product cycles way shorter.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

  You [American importer] also hope that no one else has taken it and secretly made your items to be sold by someone else because after all, the government of China owns 53 percent of " your stuff" in their country!

 

And there is the biggest ignored issue with manufacturing in China. I've worked with manufactures in China and they did good work. BUT this deal where China is the majority partner, like it or not, in your business is a bomb waiting to explode.  If you study up on the Chinese '100 year plan' it will reveal their end game.....if we keep playing along. 

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

EBT Jim posted:

Unfortunately it seems to be the norm there in China Manufacturing. Approximately every 5-7 years one shuts down and another opens up somewhere else. 

 

That's not the case for Mike Wolf. How does he manage too keep the same factory?

"That's not the case for Mike Wolf. How does he manage too keep the same factory?"

I'm pretty sure that isn't entirely correct.  There was Samhongsa in Korea, who did all their diecast locos, and disappeared some years back.  More recently I seem to recall that at least one of the factories MTH was using closed down and there was some delay in finding another facility to use the tooling.

Our importers apparently have very little direct control of the factories in China, at least for these cottage industries, which are small potatoes compared with the likes of Apple, as an extreme example.