Detroit lost cars, Hawaii is losing pineapples

[donsu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060203/ap_on_bi_ge/del_monte_pineapple;_ylt=AobF5bcaki9qOCtj5Qm2rHqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ

Del Monte to Stop Hawaii Pineapple Growing

Del Monte said it was no longer economically feasible to grow pineapple in Hawaii because it can be produced for less elsewhere.

"As a result of increased planting of pineapple at lower costs in other parts of the world, the company believes that it will not be economically feasible to continue to produce pineapples in Hawaii," Del Monte said in a statement. "In fact, today it would be cheaper for Del Monte to buy pineapples on the open market than for the company to grow, market and distribute Hawaiian pineapple."

Del Monte also cited difficulty in obtaining a long-term lease extension with landowner Campbell Estate.

Planting at Del Monte's Kunia plantation on Oahu was set to end Feb. 19 and the current crop will produce fruit through mid-2008, the company said.

The scene in Kunia this week, with a company executive announcing the planned closure to hundreds of plantation employees, was eerily similar to ones over the decades involving the dying sugar cane industry, which also cited the high cost of doing business in Hawaii.
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so goes business

[Deja Q]

1. Always about money.

And when the current structure falls apart; they'll make a new one that's no different.

Just like how history keeps repeating itself too.

[Kagemusha]

3. Sometimes the market really does shout info at companies

In this case, it's shouting that there's no real point growing pineapples in Hawaii anymore, unless that operation is going to be supported by really ridiculous levels of trouble, either by Del Monte itself or by the US government (protectionism) or whatever. Del Monte asks itself what the point is. Well, there isn't one; there's no impending pineapple shortage justifying these efforts.

And if it's this bad, Del Monte could've made a move-to-Mexico style argument long, long ago, but is only doing it now because such a move is long overdue.

It's not always about the money. Sometimes it's about what the money represents. In this case, societal energy.

[Poppyseedman]

2. Your comparison is apples and oranges

Detroit lost cars and subsequently jobs because Detroit built cars that were pieces of crap that nobody wanted to buy. It was not a matter of cost to produce, but quality of the product.

Pineapples are pineapples anywhere you grow them.

[donsu]

4. I don't quite buy your 'not a matter of cost to produce, but quality of

the product.'

you have to add to the mix Detroit didn't want to pay medical or pensions, or deal with the unions.

[Popol Vuh]

10. Actually I think

It had everything to do with how much the auto manufacture was willing to pay to to produce their cars.

I think the "pieces of crap that nobody wanted to buy" are a result of cost cutting in the engineering department.

[Botany]

5. Click on the link and look @ what the execs earn.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=DLM

The CEO makes $ 939,000

Nicky Santoro from the movie Casino, "It was always about the dollars, always the dollars."

And guaranteed that land has already been divided up ready to be sold to "developers."

[donsu]

8. when I said so goes business I was being sarcastic

and I'm sure the people of Hawaii will be shafted

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. LOL! It's ALWAYS about the money.

n/t

[Rigby Reardon]

7. Been happening for decades

The case mills closed first. I think the last to go may have been the one in my hometown, Waialua. The pineapple fields have been folding up slowly for years and years.

[donsu]

9. has anything been taking it's place? how are the displaced workers

making money?

[TankLV]

11. Nothing. They are moving away in the THOUSANDS, like I did 10 years ago.

More Hawaiian people have now lived AWAY from the Hawaiian Islands than reside IN the Hawaiian Islands, for over 15 years now.

Lots of us moved to Las Vegas, like I did, at the urging of Hawaiians who made the move earlier.

I was lucky - I only have TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars in debt, but I didn't go bankrupt like too many did and lost EVERYTHING.

You can't eat beauty.

Hawai'i has become what we all worked so hard to avoid - a land of haole millionairs and their local servants.

[bperci108]

12. I can't remember where I saw it...

But years ago I saw a sign someone made in the Hawaiian language that translated

"Death to yuppie mainland scum; leave your money."


:rofl:

[NYC]

13. Aside from more Americans without jobs,

what about the "putting all your pineapples in one basket" problem? Isn't it better, safer to spread pineapple growing around? If one geographical area has a catastrophe or bug problem, the other one may still have edible pineapples???

Just me. I thought Hawaii grew pineapples because the climate was right.

[doc03]

14. Too difficult to get illegal labor to Hawaii