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ARA: Firm committed to city plan
 The Swank Cookson facility on the East side of Attleboro. (Staff photo by Mike George)
Top Headlines The comments came the day an article appeared in The Sun Chronicle that raised questions about the project because of a Cookson plan to open a facility in the Dominican Republic. Michael Milanoski, executive director of the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority, said the article contained "inaccuracies." He said the impact of the company's moves on local employment won't be as severe as reported. He went on to say the company has brought 343 jobs to facility on the corner of O'Neil Boulevard and Pearl Street. That number is more than the number originally promised in a complicated deal set up about three years ago to bring Cookson to the city, he said "Several hundred new net jobs are on the campus," he said. The number includes 75 jobs from the Leach and Garner plant in North Attleboro which was bought by Cookson in September. "Some of the Leach and Garner jobs will be moved to the Dominican Republic, but that has nothing to do with our deal," Milanoski said. About 60 jobs duplicated by the transfer of some Leach and Garner operations to Attleboro were eliminated without a net loss, he said. The creation of a plant in the Dominican Republic does not include the transfer of full time jobs from the Attleboro facility according to a press release from Cookson. The 200 jobs at the Dominican plant are culled from overtime equivalents, temporary employees, outside contractors and employees from the Leach and Garner facilities in the Virgin Islands and North Attleboro, the press release said. Cookson is in the process of combining the former Swank property and its Stern Leach plant located next door into one campus by the closing of a part of Hazel Street. The company has already spent about $6 million in improvements on the former Swank building, which is owned by the ARA. Swank sold its property in Attleboro to the ARA, which intends, in turn, to sell it to Cookson. Swank remains as an independent company. Other jobs transferred into the city include 90 from Cookson's Excel Co. in Providence, 106 from Masters of Design in North Attleboro and 72 from the Inverness Co. Cookson will take ownership of the building once environmental cleanup is complete.
Post Your Comments kittycat wrote on Apr 24, 2008 5:36 PM: " how do you consider the hireing of new jobs when most of these jobs are just transfered from the company they just bought " jose21 wrote on Apr 24, 2008 1:20 PM: " So RI people shouldn't be allowed to work in MA? Sweet, I'll finally get a seat on the train. " MA not RI wrote on Apr 23, 2008 6:51 PM: " Why is this that about 70% of the employees at Cookson are not MA residence but RI residence? When our tax dollars are used to pay for Cookson to employ local workers (MA residences; not out of state) The Stern-Leach building has laid off about half of their workers, and has made it so that the current employees are only aloud to work a maximum of 32 hr./wk. Is that fair? I know the reason for that has to do with the rise of the price of gold; but is that fair? Inverness, on the other hand, cares a great deal about their employees. No lay-offs. In my opinion, the more the company expands nationally. The better. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 23, 2008 10:42 AM: " The problem with all three ARA projects is they are funded with public funds.As the Realist has mentioned in the past not one private nickel is being truely invested in any risk taking way. The Cookson investment is backed by 2.4 mil & 1.9 mil of public funds and they lease the build ing for 1 dollar until the cleanup is done.At which point they get it for 800K and yet they are spending 700,000 euros on the DR facilty .Why would you spend so much on a building for only a limited amount of jobs? Does anyone know how far 700,000 euros goes in the DR? " realist wrote on Apr 23, 2008 10:25 AM: " attlebrockton is correct. As folks in the DR get more experience the company will be hard pressed to find reasons not to move jobs there. They have the interest of their stockholders as the priority not the ARA. The whole ARA plan seems built on some overly optimistic premises. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 23, 2008 10:21 AM: " the New DR facility being built & ramping up now will continue to drain jobs over time ,it is the economics of the times.The bottom line is do yuo trust the ARA with your City's economic future? " realist wrote on Apr 23, 2008 10:15 AM: " A net gain in jobs is wonderful. As long as your job isn't on the list of those moved. " Harry Hindsight wrote on Apr 23, 2008 7:54 AM: " ".. has brought 343 jobs to facility...", would these include the site prep work, the equipment movers and the those doing work in the building to get it ready for when Cookson moves into the Swank building. " Several hundred new jobs are on campus", of course, you can count the sub-contractor as a job when you bring him on site to re-plumb a drinking fountain. All these jobs transfered to Attleboro, yet it never states how many people will be employed. Once again it seems the ARA is doing the "new" math. " attlebrockton wrote on Apr 23, 2008 6:00 AM: " Don't worry be happy it's a net gain !!!! Cookson said yesterday: The 200 jobs at the Dominican plant are culled from overtime equivalents, temporary employees, outside contractors and employees from the Leach and Garner facilities in the Virgin Islands and North Attleboro, the press release said. Cookson's annual report said: Results from the European operations benefited from the restructuring undertaken in the UK in the first half of the year and the move of some production to a new low labour cost facility in Thailand which started up in August. A similar move is being made in the US operations through the creation of a low labour cost facility in the Dominican Republic, where we will transfer the equivalent of 200 jobs from our Attleboro (Massachusetts) facility during 2008. Who do you believe Cookson or Cookson ? 200 jobs are 200 jonbs ,unless of course as Milanoski said they are L&G jobs ,thats not part of their deal.I hope he doesn't wear the soles off his tap shoes ,he needs them. " or
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