Fort Madison Closing

[DRP]

It is my understanding that the last remaining Sheaffer employees will be terminated as of the close of business this date, March 31, 2008. Remaining staff in Fort Madison, Iowa will be removed from the payroll.

 

Employees who draw a check from Bic/Bich will continue to produce items with the Sheaffer name stamped on them.

[rroossinck]

This is truly a very sad day in Iowa history.

[rufius]

Thats quite depressing. I have a family friend that used to play with the Scheaffer kids when he was growing up in Fort Madison.

 

I guess if/when I get a Sheaffer Legacy or Targa, I'll be sending it to Mr. Binder for repairs rather than Scheaffer.

 

:-/

[Blade Runner]

Sheaffer has always made a good product.

So why is the plant closing?

[FrankB]

This is sad news indeed. Thanks for the up date.

[randyholhut]

Here's what Sam at Pendemonium wrote in her weekly "Midnight Madness" post today:

 

"Today, March 31, 2008, marks the last official day that the Sheaffer plant in Fort Madison will be in operation. Sheaffer will continue to manufacture pens, inks and refills in other locations, but no more Fort Madison production. This marks the end of an era of the last of the "Big Four" pen makers in the US. While I do understand the economics of Sheaffer's decision to move production from Fort Madison, it still tugs at a lot of emotions and makes me wonder just how long the brand will survive without the people who put their hearts and souls into the making of all those great pens since 1913. I guess time will tell!"

 

Sad, sad, sad.

[rufius]

Sheaffer has always made a good product.

So why is the plant closing?

 

Put simply, costs.

 

Its far more cost effective from a manufacturing standpoint to offshore your manufacturing process to China. Labor is cheap, we don't have to pay our minimum wage which is significantly higher than whatever wage it is that is paid in China.

 

If the Scheaffer family still owned the business, its likely that we'd still have a Fort Madison plant though thats slim since its all about costs.

 

More so in the U.S. than other Western countries, handwriting is going out the window. I'm 20 and I remember having handwriting classes from about 2nd grade to 6th grade but most or even all of my friends' brothers and sisters who are a couple years younger had only a year or maybe even no handwriting classes. Because of the advent of cheap disposable pens and the "get it done yesterday" mentality, there is no time to be bothered with properly learning handwriting or writing a proper note or letter, much less paying the premium for a well made writing instrument.

 

There is of course the mentality that the U.S. has developed in the "disposable" society. If it isn't disposable in the U.S. no one wants it. Granted the U.S. isn't alone in this, but since Scheaffer was based here, that is my present argument base.

 

In summary, there's lots of factors:

* costs

* lack of demand

* lack of interest

* internet / phone messaging

 

Its sad, but its true. Though my handwriting isn't great, its getting better by the day as I use my fountain pens more and more and I fully intend on teaching my children proper handwriting techniques. I'm a computer science major and even I abhor this focus on electronic communication... to mean it means so little. There is no permanence to it even if you print a piece of paper out.

 

-Zac

Edited March 31, 2008 by rufius

[artaddict]

Very sad. I love Sheaffers.

[Sheaffer USA]

Dear Sheaffer Community-

 

I think that is important that you know Sheaffer is already doing better than surviving. Sheaffer is growing in sales around the world.

It is unfortunate that the US is one of the few countries where sales are flat. The few of you that I have talked with and met in person

know that I/we are fully committed to make Sheaffer a strong brand in the US again. In many countries around the world Sheaffer sales are up-

e.g. UK, France, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, etc. The remaining people employed with the company are Sheaffer

through and through; they are of various nationalities including Americans. Rest assured that Sheaffer will continue to grow this wonderful

brand that we all love. The people who craft Sheaffer pens around the world are just that, people. People that are just like the people in Ft. Madison.

They are not faceless machines who crank out product without any sense of pride. I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with many of the

people who are going to leave the Sheaffer factory for the last time today. They are ready, this has been a long time coming. Some people

are retiring, some are going to move on to other employment. The story does not end here, it is but another chapter in the book of pen history.

 

 

Best Regards,

 

David MacDougall

[satrap]

i could cry

[rufius]

Dear Sheaffer Community-

 

I think that is important that you know Sheaffer is already doing better than surviving. Sheaffer is growing in sales around the world.

It is unfortunate that the US is one of the few countries where sales are flat. The few of you that I have talked with and met in person

know that I/we are fully committed to make Sheaffer a strong brand in the US again. In many countries around the world Sheaffer sales are up-

e.g. UK, France, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, etc. The remaining people employed with the company are Sheaffer

through and through; they are of various nationalities including Americans. Rest assured that Sheaffer will continue to grow this wonderful

brand that we all love. The people who craft Sheaffer pens around the world are just that, people. People that are just like the people in Ft. Madison.

They are not faceless machines who crank out product without any sense of pride. I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with many of the

people who are going to leave the Sheaffer factory for the last time today. They are ready, this has been a long time coming. Some people

are retiring, some are going to move on to other employment. The story does not end here, it is but another chapter in the book of pen history.

 

 

Best Regards,

 

David MacDougall

 

Admittedly thats good to hear. I'm still disheartened by the change from a lifetime warranty to the 3-year warranties I've seen advertised for the Valor. That shakes my faith a bit in the product to be honest.

 

No less, I hope Sheaffer continues to do well.

 

- Zac

[Sheaffer USA]

Dear Sheaffer Community-

 

I think that is important that you know Sheaffer is already doing better than surviving. Sheaffer is growing in sales around the world.

It is unfortunate that the US is one of the few countries where sales are flat. The few of you that I have talked with and met in person

know that I/we are fully committed to make Sheaffer a strong brand in the US again. In many countries around the world Sheaffer sales are up-

e.g. UK, France, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, etc. The remaining people employed with the company are Sheaffer

through and through; they are of various nationalities including Americans. Rest assured that Sheaffer will continue to grow this wonderful

brand that we all love. The people who craft Sheaffer pens around the world are just that, people. People that are just like the people in Ft. Madison.

They are not faceless machines who crank out product without any sense of pride. I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with many of the

people who are going to leave the Sheaffer factory for the last time today. They are ready, this has been a long time coming. Some people

are retiring, some are going to move on to other employment. The story does not end here, it is but another chapter in the book of pen history.

 

 

Best Regards,

 

David MacDougall

 

Admittedly thats good to hear. I'm still disheartened by the change from a lifetime warranty to the 3-year warranties I've seen advertised for the Valor. That shakes my faith a bit in the product to be honest.

 

No less, I hope Sheaffer continues to do well.

 

- Zac

 

Valor has always been 3 years. It's just a matter of keeping the stock to repair pen pens. I can tell you from experience that almost 100 years of

pen parts is hard to keep track of. The Valor is made by the best pen manufacturer in Italy, have faith in the quality, it is there.

 

Thank you for your encouragement. I hope that we (the distributor) will help more people understand what is special about Sheaffer.

[Skyppere]

I sent Sheaffer an E mail Saturday and a targa nib they'd sent me that leaks. I haven't heard back from them. I wonder if this tumult is to blame. Or maybe I'll hear a bit later...

skyp

[Sheaffer USA]

I sent Sheaffer an E mail Saturday and a targa nib they'd sent me that leaks. I haven't heard back from them. I wonder if this tumult is to blame. Or maybe I'll hear a bit later...

skyp

 

I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. As of right now the repair center is in an 18 wheeler that should

arrive into our Philadelphia facility some time today. Give us a couple of weeks to get this setup and

running effectively and we'll get your repairs turned around quickly. I have engaged a group of Sheaffer

experts to get this setup next week and to help with vintage repair (Pre-1988).

I know that there are Targa nibs in the stock. Shoot me an email if you have a specific question.

 

Announcements will be soon regarding the Vintage Repair Centers.

 

David

[TYoung]

I heard that Sheaffer might re-introduce the Targa - any word on this?

[Univer]

I keep telling myself that it's pure folly to form emotional attachments to what are, after all, essentially mercantile enterprises. I should be used to this stuff by now: I've watched the neighborhood candy stores, five-and-dimes, movie theaters and bakeries close down, one by one. I still remember, in vivid detail, the "fancy" drug-and-gift store where I used to ogle the expensive Sheaffers: a long-gone landmark on a Main Street that is itself nothing more than a memory.

 

But this event - maybe not the ending of the story, but certainly the end of a story - saddens me terribly.

 

Listen, I believe in "brands"; I work in an industry that's all about developing, protecting and building them. When a company creates a brand, that's one thing. When a company becomes nothing more than a brand - cut loose from a living heritage of artisanship, innovation and knowledge - that's something else again. Sometimes such brands prosper; sometimes they don't.

 

From the little I know, I gather that the day-to-day connection to company history, at Fort Madison, was much more than lip service. For example, I have read that certain design issues in the development of the Limited Edition Balance were resolved by consulting the engineering drawings for the original Balance. Now that that connection has been severed...well, let me just say that I nurture high hopes for the Sheaffer brand...while mourning the company. Time will tell.

 

Of course, as others have observed, the real story here is the story of the men and women who have lost their jobs. I know them through their work, naturally; and I've been lucky enough to have personal dealings with several of them over the years. Wonderful people, every one. They have been part of something important, and I wish them the very best.

 

Jon

[Sheaffer USA]

I heard that Sheaffer might re-introduce the Targa - any word on this?

 

Nope. Not yet.

[Ray-Vigo]

The overall cost of doing business in the production or manufacture of goods in the United States is distressingly high.

[adyf]

I'm very sad. I own more Sheaffer pens than any other brand.

[Deirdre]

I'm sorry to all those who are losing their jobs. It's a sad day in American history, that's for sure.

 

I don't buy Chinese-made pens. I realize the cost temptation, but I'm just not going there any more. (I have a few, but the ones I bought were the last I am going to buy.)