"In this economy, this is big," [Mayor] Godfrey said of the firm's expansion. "It will get a lot of families back to work and put bread on the table."
Standard-Examiner
Newell moves 415 jobs to Ogden Industrial Park
October 8, 2010
• Newell moves 415 jobs to Ogden Industrial ParkBoss Godfrey's right. This is BIG.
Even a blind squirrel like Godfrey finds an acorn every now and then.
15 comments:
"This is big."
Yes, it is, but in terms of jobs created, not quite as big as it might at first appear. With respect to jobs, it mostly involves transferring 415 jobs from SLC to Ogden. Most people holding those jobs live in SLC. Remains to be seen if they will commute to Ogden to work, or if a significant number will move to Ogden Weber to be closer to their work.
The announcement lists new jobs to be created "eventually" at 50, which will presumably be largely filled by local Ogden/Weber residents.
Construction workers locally will benefit, the city will gain from property taxes, and over time more jobs will open up for locals via natural attrition in the company's work force and [let us hope] as the company continues to grow and expand.
One more point: Hizzonah gets credit for this one since folks on WCF have been holding him personally responsible when large companies move jobs to other Ogden cities --- more or less blaming the Mayor for not getting them to come here. Not fair, really, but if we're going to criticize him whenever a company locates someplace in Utah other than Ogden, seems to me he's got to get the credit when one locates here.
the job moving is just letting the SLC employees drive all the way to Ogden to go to work - 415 more people in Ogden are not getting jobs. Not That Big, matty ...
js
BB
p.s. Plus side: a new company located in Ogden. Don't know the going rate for mfg jobs, but it's not white collar - hopefully those getting hired will be able to snag a living wage ...
According to yesterday's SL Trib story, the alternate to the Ogden consolidation would have been Mexico:
Newell Rubbermaid Inc. accepts incentive to expand in Utah
Tough luck for SLC, but at l;east the jobs stay in Utah.
Newell ought to establish its own shuttle service from FrontRunner station to the Industrial Park. Will they? Do they care?
Good news.
I'm just shocked Matty didn't try to sell them as "high-adventure window furnishings."
In reading the news on this in the Tribune I have the impression that this company enlarging it's Ogden presence was a function of the State give away of tax incentives as well as Weber County kicking in another pile of cash. Very little was said about Godfrey or Ogden City playing a part.
Regardless, this is the kind of growth Ogden really need, not another 5 employee High Adventure Retail outlet whose bottom line is covered by Ogden tax payers.
If this deal does bring 400 or so jobs to Ogden it will be more new employees than all of Godfrey's high adventure BS combined in the last 8 years - high adventure efforts incidentally that have cost the citizens of Ogden many many millions in squandered tax dollars chasing them.
Dont get too juiced up on the construction end of this....it likely all internal equipment....the Ogden plant is a ghost town....this is consolidation not net new jobs...great they are coming here, but are the people going to live here and spend here...how do real dollars on this get in the Ogden loop?
Latest IRS data (2007-2008) show net population migration from Salt Lake & Davis to Weber:
http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/broker?_PROGRAM=websas.irsmig_profile.sas&_SERVICE=appdev&st=49&co=057&yrs=08&minreturns=100&_debug=
Looks like the link didn't paste correctly. Here's the base address:
Missouri Census Data Center
Before we go to hurrahs and applause for the report of 415 potential jobs some followup reporting would be helpful. Has anyone talked to the workers about what they were told in regards to their jobs? How many are new jobs and how many are jobs already filled by current employees? How long until the transfer is fully accomplished? Who will determine the number of construction jobs created? Will the construction jobs be permanent or temporary? What is the total cost on incentives offered to the company? How long are they obligated to stay? How many new jobs are they obligated to create? What will be the salary range of these jobs? Will employees move or will they commute?
Here's some more good news for Ogden:
Feds helping Ogden health center expand
BR:
"Will the construction jobs be permanent or temporary? "
Construction jobs for new plant are necessarily temporary.
Most of the questions you asked were answered in the article, I think.
BR: one would have to take the time to go to SLC, find a worker go to or getting off of work, and then ask heim some questions about this "expansion" into Ogden. Just picking up the phone and asking to speak to an employee, in order to get his or her opinion, is folley, ever since the new Privacy Laws went into effect. So, I doubt that anyone has taken the time to drive to the SLC plant and wait for the workers to come in or go out in order to ask them----WHAT?
As for the rest, it's just amazing what you'll find if your really do READ the article. Your questions' answers are already there. Have been from the git-go.
Herein lies the problem with a blog, then. Anyone can write or post anything, unless, of course, it is censored by the blogmeister. Facts don't need to be checked, data doesn't need to be correct, research can come from the labarynth of one's memory, either being biased or prejudiced, all depending on that person's opinion. Now, in real journalism there comes (1) the source; and (2) TWO (2) sources of confirmation. This is then written in galleys and passed on to the editor, who looks it over to ensure that all of the reporter's "i"s have been dotted and "t"s have been crossed. No libel, no malice, just pure, factual telling of a story. No opinion, either--that should be found on the Editorial page.
At least that's the way it should be done, and was in an age not long in the past. I doubt that ANY of this is done before posting in some blog and so I'm very careful about what I take to the bank when I acquire it from a blog.
But, man, can it at times be entertaining.
Fence sitter
Great observations!
It is interesting that very little of what you described in the "normal" news gathering process applies to the Standard's, and Schwepke's, reporting on Ogden City Hall and the perfidy that goes on there. Instead of following those sound processes, both simply revert to writing up a story straight from a Godfrey's press release.
Therefore, I submit an addendum to your fine observations, that being any given blog comment is every bit as valid as any given Schwepke article about Ogden government.
Ozboy, I agree....thanks for the addendum. Between the 2 of us, I think we got it right AND complete.
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