Just heard today that the Rubbermaid plant in Centerville, IA is closing. Over 500 people will loose their jobs. There is a shortline railroad that serves the plant (Appanoose County Community Railroad). Since Rubbermaid is their biggest costomer, I assume it will probably die off as well. The line links Centerville with the BNSF in Albia via old Burlington Northern, Rock Island, and Norfolk Southern trackage. Every July the railroad has excursion rides. The plant is supposed to close this summer. Maybe I’ll be able to ride the excursion train one last time. I would be real suprised if this shortline can survive after Rubbermaid is gone. [:(]
Sorry to hear about that. It’s to bad if one company supplies a railroad and then it goes out of business leaving the railroad nothing to haul. Thats is pretty sad.
James
Sounds like another off-shore move…
Off shore? No, but out of country, YES. VIVA MEXICO! They get us coming or going!
[:(!]
That is depressing. While I lived in Cedar Rapids I made a trip down to Centreville
to photo the APNC. I called the railroad a few days before and asked if there was a
good place to shoot and the lady said they’d leave the GP parked outside the
engine shed for my convenience. Now that’s some nice people for you. I got some
great shots of their high-nose GP7 and I’ve got one framed on my wall. That’s also
the first (and last) time I ever tried a Maid-Rite sandwich there in town (not my kinda
sandwich but I had to try it).
i hate when shortlines disappear. if only BNSF could supply those people with jobs on their railroad. maybe if they’re lucky, they’ll find a new customer. anyone who is that generous to railfans should NEVER go out of business
May be someone will buy the plant and use it for something that generates rail traffic?
Just heard the local news talking about the closing. Jobs are moving to a Kansas facility and 150 jobs at the Kansas location will be offered to anyone willing to transfer. At least the jobs aren’t going out of the US. Yet.
They interviewed someone from the APNC. He said 75% of their revenues came from Rubbermaid. He said it will be a big blow to them but they expect to survive. Of course, what else can he say?
Jeff
[%-)]Great…they send us illegals…we send them jobs…[banghead]
and just think…they are all here to “work” funny how all the jobs are down THERE but they are HERE to work… yea right…
csx engineer
So if the illegal immigrants are coming here, and the jobs are going there, what the heck are all the illegal immigrants going to do? [banghead]
thats an EZ one… they come here… and collect the welfar check… as well as all the “free” healthcare…
csx engineer
Time to do a boycot on Rubbermaid products than-clearly they are anti American and unworthy of American money. Let the Mexican people buy their products.
CSX engineer you are right and the best engineer CSX has next to my friend that works the yard at Charlotte.
APNC is owned by the County. I dont think they will have a problem staying open. Tax breaks for someone to move to that building and voila!Also we do give them tons of buisness at BNSF. I do believe there is a loco rebuild shop on their line in Albia.
Yes they do have a re-building Shop at Albia on there own line but Relco owns it.
Junctionfan, read the posts! The plant is moving to Kansas, considerably north of the Rio Grande and Iowa employees willing to relocate will transfer.
i dont know if i should be taking that as a compliment or not…lol… since i strive to do as little as humanly possable while on duty…lol after all…from the top down, csx is a melting pot of meetiocroty (sp)… they dont pay you to go above and beyond the call of duty, becouse if you do it once…they expect it out of you for the rest of your railroad carrier…lol
csx engineer
I’m sure by “best,” he meant most mediocre! [:D]
Its not Rubbermaids fault, or their choice…
its because of Walmart.
Walmart is forcing Rubbermaid to move these jobs out of the US…
because Walmart demands that rubbermaid (and lots of companys) sell to them (Walmart) at lower and lower prices…the companys are forced to use cheaper (non-US) labor to meet Walmart’s price demands…
and if Walmart is your largest buyer, you have to do what Walmart demands or go out of business…
So these companys, like Rubbermaid, are forced to go with cheaper labor just to stay in business…
because Americans demand cheap junk at Walmart…
so boycott Walmart…not Rubbermaid.
google “walmart rubbermaid” (without the quotes)
and you can read tons about this…
Scot