NorthWest Kayak Anglers

Kayak Fishing => The Kayak Shack => Topic started by: bsteves on July 01, 2009, 02:18:21 PM

Title: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: bsteves on July 01, 2009, 02:18:21 PM
This really bums me out..   :-[ >:(


http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/corporate/media/News.aspx (http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/corporate/media/News.aspx)

Summary..
Quote
JOHNSON OUTDOORS INC. ANNOUNCES CONSOLIDATION OF WATERCRAFT BRANDS' OPERATIONS

 RACINE, WISCONSIN, June 30, 2009……Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Nasdaq: JOUT), a leading global outdoor recreation company, today announced it is consolidating operations for its paddle sport brands in Old Town, Maine by the end of September 2009 as part of a comprehensive effort to improve profitability of its Watercraft business unit. The decision will result in the closure of the Company’s plant in Ferndale, Washington and a reduction of about 90 positions located there. Consolidation is anticipated to result in annual cost-savings of more than $4 million dollars beginning in fiscal 2010. Costs and charges associated with the action are estimated to have a negative impact on earnings per diluted share of between $0.16 and $0.20 in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2009.


Full pdf...
http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=434 (http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=434)
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: ZeeHawk on July 01, 2009, 02:21:47 PM
Aw man, bummer. Sure it's gonna be missed by a lot of our OK faithful here.

Z
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: surfanor on July 01, 2009, 02:32:08 PM
Say it ain't so!!  I'm gonna miss Dave, more importantly I'm gonna miss paying $380 for T13's!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: bsteves on July 01, 2009, 02:35:56 PM
I'm going to miss Dave too (he sends me nice stuff every so often :) ).

I suppose at some point they might do a major clearance sale before they finally close.

Brian
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: AlfonsoVisaya on July 01, 2009, 03:32:24 PM
That's really a shame since I have two of their factory seconds in my yard for members of the family.  This economy has been hard on everybody including some of my personal favorites.  Here we're just getting into the whole local resources shebang and some of our closest suppliers are imploding.
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: [WR] on July 02, 2009, 06:58:03 AM
damn, this is gonna suck, and not in a good way.

there goes bargain basement blems, heavy savings on paddle gear and clothing, really nice people in customer service, and about 100 local jobs.


anyone have a clue as to when the firesale will be?
 
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: Alkasazi on July 02, 2009, 07:08:23 AM
I suspect the firesale has been going on all spring, judging by the deals I heard coming out of there recently. I got this news yesterday about 5 minutes before Bsteves posted so I don't have all the details, but the read I got was 2010 production is all going to be at Old Town. Johnson's 2010 season started yesterday.

As for scalper retail pricing, yeah. Come take a ride in my pimped-out Hummer sometime down to Depoe Bay. I'm thinking of buying a house there just for the Rockfish Classic. We get real, real rich in this business...
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: polepole on July 02, 2009, 07:12:56 AM
As for scalper retail pricing, yeah. Come take a ride in my pimped-out Hummer sometime down to Depoe Bay. I'm thinking of buying a house there just for the Rockfish Classic. We get real, real rich in this business...

Just make sure your lawn is big enough for us all to camp in.  And that the cove out front is protected from a NW swell so we don't get too hammered when launching.

-Allen
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: [WR] on July 02, 2009, 07:15:13 AM
brian, some exceptions apply to my flip remarks, of course. lately i've just seen too much bad in my fellow humans.. by that i mean too much greed and selfishness.

sorry i stepped on toes. i just see a bad result of this coming is all.
 
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: Alkasazi on July 02, 2009, 08:46:46 AM
hmmm, maybe I'll just buy a campground. room for all my friends!

As for scalper retail pricing, yeah. Come take a ride in my pimped-out Hummer sometime down to Depoe Bay. I'm thinking of buying a house there just for the Rockfish Classic. We get real, real rich in this business...

Just make sure your lawn is big enough for us all to camp in.  And that the cove out front is protected from a NW swell so we don't get too hammered when launching.

-Allen
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: Alkasazi on July 02, 2009, 08:58:35 AM
no worries, it's all good. you can't step on my toes any harder than I stub them every day.

There's always exceptions, but almost everyone I've met in this business is really in it for the love of kayaking, fishing, or both. And here in the NW, we have some very strong shops staffed by great people.

brian, some exceptions apply to my flip remarks, of course. lately i've just seen too much bad in my fellow humans.. by that i mean too much greed and selfishness.

sorry i stepped on toes. i just see a bad result of this coming is all.
 
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: [WR] on July 02, 2009, 10:19:31 AM
i wonder what they are going to do with the molding machnery? and the manufacturing space?? dont care about the molds per se, they own those and can have them...

this might be a great opportunity for one of the local traditional makers to pick up a larger facility and branch out into SOTs...
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: ZeeHawk on July 02, 2009, 10:25:00 AM
i wonder what they are going to do with the molding machnery? and the manufacturing space?? dont care about the molds per se, they own those and can have them...

this might be a great opportunity for one of the local traditional makers to pick up a larger facility and branch out into SOTs...


Molds cost a lot and they're taking them with. Sure they might leave some behind but no clue if and how much.

Z
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: [WR] on July 02, 2009, 11:06:47 AM
very true, Zee. but like i said, they can take the molds, the machinery the molds fit in is what i was referring to. have done plastic mold machinery work as a temp for dell, seimens, rolhm, g.e. and a few others at a round rock texas plant about 14 years ago, i know that the machines, espcecially on that scale, can take just more than that kayak mold. takes about 1 per every 2 outsize semi trailers to move them. and i'm including the ovens here. 

hey, all they really need to do is leave the shop floor cleared of everythign except the electical hookups and the mounting plinths. each mfr has it's own specs anyways. was wishfully thinking it would be a great opportunity for a cheap move to another or a larger facility, for someone like, say, northwest kayaks there in redmond. or the one in tacoma. sorry cant recall the name there. even might come with it's own showroom.

basically trying to preserve jobs. anything else would be icing on the cake.

we now return to lamenting the demise of the ferndale plant.
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: INSAYN on July 05, 2009, 06:09:39 PM
So, not to sound toooo naive, but does this mean that Ocean Kayaks won't be made anymore, or just at a different location after the closer?
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: bsteves on July 05, 2009, 06:11:29 PM
I think this means that Ocean Kayaks will be made in Old Town, Maine where Old Town canoes and kayaks are currently made made.

Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: [WR] on July 05, 2009, 07:51:52 PM
yeh thats the way i understand it too.. oh, well, maybe the ferndale folks will find new lives as conservative Maine-iacs?!?!
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: ronbo613 on July 07, 2009, 07:41:59 AM
That's too bad, the PacNW can't really afford to lose more jobs. The Johnson Corp. income was down $20 mil from last year so something had to happen.
Looks like they will be moving to Maine. I've been to the Hobie plant in Oceanside, even though they are the industry leaders, their factory is relatively small, Ocean Kayaks will probably wind up being a 50 man operation(or less). Less innovation, fewer new models.
I've worked in the watersports industry most of my life. When economic times are tough, discretionary income items like surfboards, kayaks, sailboards, snowboards, etc. are the first to suffer and the last to recover. These are the worst economic times in many decades, so things like this are truly unfortunate, but no real surprise.
I hope Ocean Kayaks can stabilize and hang on for better days.
Title: Re: Ocean Kayak plant in Ferndale, WA set to close..
Post by: polepole on July 07, 2009, 08:08:27 AM
I think this means that Ocean Kayaks will be made in Old Town, Maine where Old Town canoes and kayaks are currently made made.



I suppose Necky is moving as well.

-Allen