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Jobs moved from Attleboro, Leach & Garner to close
 Plans by the British firm Cookson, which also owns Leach & Garner in North Attleboro, have local officials concerned. (Staff photo by Mike George)
Top Headlines According to the British company's annual report, 200 local jobs will move to the Caribbean nation and its property in North Attleboro - Leach & Garner - will be closed this year. The report says in creating the Dominican Republic facility, the firm will benefit from low wages and make the company more competitive. The move mirrors the company's transfer of jobs from England to Thailand. The annual report also states the company has already eliminated 60 jobs in Attleboro which it considered "redundancies." The job losses come at a time when the city is financing the environmental cleanup and renovation of the former Swank factory on Pearl Street, which Cookson has purchased from the city for $800,000. The company has promised to locate hundreds of jobs there while the city has taken responsibility for the cleanups. The city has also guaranteed a $2.4 million loan for Cookson while the federal government has committed another $1.9 million to refurbish the former Swank site. The city has also closed Hazel Street to create a campus for Cookson at the site. Richard Powers, chief executive officer of Cookson's precious metals division, said the company is still committed to bringing jobs to the Swank building and a neighboring facility on Hazel Street. He said operations from other facilities are being consolidated in Attleboro. "We're here for the long term, that's for sure," he said. News of the job losses came as a surprise to many Attleboro officials who have been banking on Cookson to create more local jobs. Max Volterra of the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority said he toured the Swank building recently and saw Cookson making preparations for housing more employees. He said there are about 75 workers at the site already and another 100 are on the way from the Leach & Garner plant in North Attleboro. Cookson is well on the way toward fulfilling its commitment to put 300 jobs into the building, he said. The transfer of jobs to the Dominican Republican is not worrisome as long as Cookson meets its commitment of eventually bringing the 300 jobs to Attleboro, he said. "As long as they keep sending people to Attleboro, I'm fine with that," he said. "Who knows how these international companies work." But, Attleboro City Councilor William Bowles, chairman of the council's finance committee, said he was disappointed to hear that jobs were being transferred out of the area. "Both the city and Cookson have been working hard on a joint venture that will aid both parties," Bowles said. "I look forward to hearing from Cookson management what this will mean in Attleboro. I am still expecting them to honor their job creation pledge made to the city council at the former Swank facility." At least one North Attleboro official was equally dismayed. "I am very sorry to see anybody leave North Attleboro," Selectmen Chairman John Rhyno said when reached Monday night. He mentioned North Attleboro's single tax rate being business friendly. "Why would anyone leave a community that is supposed to be pro business?" Rhyno asked. "No one wants to see any jobs go from the United States overseas." In a statement from Cookson's precious metals division, Cookson officials said most of the 200 jobs going to the Dominican Republic will come from the facilities in North Attleboro and the Virgin Island, as well as reductions in overtime, temporary employees and outside contractors. Powers said he could not say how many full-time jobs will be lost from the North Attleboro operations. But the annual report states that Leach & Garner in North Attleboro will be closed this year and its functions transferred to either Attleboro or the Dominican Republic. Powers said a number of North Attleboro positions are being moved to Attleboro this week. The transfer of the equivalent of 200 jobs to the Dominican Republic is expected to save the company about $4 million a year, according to the annual report. The company said Attleboro will continue to be the center of its precious metals business. "Cookson Precious Metals has made a strong and long-term commitment to establishing Attleboro as our principle place of business within the USA, and continues to integrate all of our USA employment into our Attleboro campus," the statement read. Earlier, the firm transferred about 70 jobs from a New Jersey facility to Attleboro. Cookson is an international firm with more than 17,000 employees in 35 countries. It has three divisions for dealing with ceramics, electronics and precious metals. In recent years it has bought up local jewelry firms such as Leach & Garner, Masters of Design and Swank.
Post Your Comments mmarcia wrote on May 20, 2008 10:54 AM: " ""I am very sorry to see anybody leave North Attleboro," Selectmen Chairman John Rhyno said when reached Monday night. He mentioned North Attleboro's single tax rate being business friendly." Rhyno is a LIAR! NA has had a dual tax rate for the past few years, and doesn't give tax breaks. It's a given that Attleboro gives business tax breaks to lure them in. The BoS in NA is ALL in favor of a dual tax rate, punishing business property owners while residents get freebies. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 22, 2008 5:01 PM: " you got it Drew " drew wrote on Apr 22, 2008 4:26 PM: " So let me make sure I have this right. Cookson gets a 2.4 million from the city and 1.9 million from the Fed. They move in 175 jobs but move out 260 that's a lost of 85 jobs by my math. And they get thousands of Sq Ft of manufacturing space for a $1 At the last city council meeting Mr. Smyth said they were leasing the building for a dollar. I am sure they will pay the $800,000 sale price once the enviormental issues are resolved if there still here. And now the ARA needs 175,000 of the CDG grant to keep projects like this moving. Maybe the ARA board members should be looking at ARA payroll $109,000 salary just for the Executive Director seems excessive with results like this. " kevin h. wrote on Apr 22, 2008 12:32 PM: " BIG DIG II " doug wrote on Apr 22, 2008 10:20 AM: " When early discussion of a new business park in Attleboro began our then mayor Robbins was informed that TI stood a very good chance of leaving town. She said it "would never happen." It did...in less than a year. The next advice given was to reconsider the commitment to the proposed new city business park because there would be private development of the TI complex into a business campus....in direct competition with the ARA project. Presently we have the ARA and city hall fighting over limited funds, HUD is saying we have produced zzip as far as projected job creation and the ARA could not meet it's promise to be self funded 18 months ago. Honestly ...what does all this look like to you? " doug wrote on Apr 22, 2008 10:07 AM: " Commitments by business are always based on economics. When business is good commitments are honored, when business goes bad...you guessed it, economics first! I certainly hope that our city leadership, including the ARA, are not so nieve as to believe otherwise. When business runs out of money or a plan is no longer financially sound everything stops. Unlike governments there is no where for business to go whinning for more money. At the time when decisions had to be made regarding the proposed business park this writer warned of the possible economic downturn we are presently experiancing. The decision to go ahead with the project was not based on good judgement as much as it was .....a dream. Not that it is a bad idea, the timing is off!
Cookson will do whatever it needs to do in the best interest of those who profit from the company's business. All others, including the communities it resides in, will come second. Our world is changing....I hope for mercy on those still stuck on stupid!!! " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 22, 2008 9:30 AM: "
ARA's Max Volterra said "The transfer of jobs to the Dominican Republican is not worrisome as long as Cookson meets its commitment of eventually bringing the 300 jobs to Attleboro," he said. "As long as they keep sending people to Attleboro, I'm fine with that," he said. "Who knows how these international companies work." I would think the ARA should know ,the ppl giving them 2.4 mil should know ..please tell me you got more than a handshake & a photo op out of it ARA. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 22, 2008 9:06 AM: " Max Volterra of the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority said he toured the Swank building recently and saw Cookson making preparations for housing more employees.
He said there are about 75 workers at the site already and another 100 are on the way from the Leach & Garner plant in North Attleboro. Cookson is well on the way toward fulfilling its commitment to put 300 jobs into the building, he said. The transfer of jobs to the Dominican Republican is not worrisome as long as Cookson meets its commitment of eventually bringing the 300 jobs to Attleboro, he said. "As long as they keep sending people to Attleboro, I'm fine with that," he said. "Who knows how these international companies work." WHO Knows how this companies work? THE ARA should KNOW the CITY should Know ..the guys givivng them 2.4 mil & cleanin up the property for squat should knoW! Thats who .As far as as long as 300 ppl end up in that building they could all move acorss the street to meet the number if thats the only requirement for the 2.4 City & 1.9 state & a steal for a that building at 800k . Please tell they got more than a handshake please " Harry Hindsight wrote on Apr 22, 2008 8:19 AM: " Cookson is sending 200 jobs to the Dominican Republic from two different facilities. If I read this right, 60 have been already eliminated from the N.A. location. Then it states the 75 employees from N.A. are in the Swank building and another 100 are comming soon. So that is 175 jobs comming to Attleboro from N.A.. I know the math doens't add up, but it looks like our area is only short 25 jobs from the ones being sent to the Caribbean. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 22, 2008 6:33 AM: " "The city has also guaranteed a $2.4 million loan for Cookson while the federal government has committed another $1.9 million to refurbish the former Swank site." Not a bad deal even if there were 300 jobs coming.So what if they dump 200 of the jobs plus 60 redundancies .big deal right?? The Ara are shrewd business men !They must have been in their pre-Feather Ruffle phase when they cut these deal! " or
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