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Re: (erielack) Hornell Depot closing : Alstom moving its offices



If anyone at Alstom had any self respect they would have thrown themselves
of a high bridge long ago (perhaps Moodna [list content]).

Steve
- --
Chauffeur to the masses
www.ble272.org

> From: <DChristang_@_aol.com>
> Reply-To: <DChristang_@_aol.com>
> Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:41:25 -0500 (EST)
> To: <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
> Subject: (erielack) Hornell Depot closing : Alstom moving its offices
>
>     Depot closing: Alstom moving its offices to be more  efficient, local
> leaders are surprised     By LAWRENCE HOVISH - STAFF WRITER            LYNN
> BRENNAN
> Alstom announced Wednesday it plans to move its  offices out of the Depot on
> Loder Street in an attempt to be  more efficient.
> HORNELL - By May, Alstom's offices at the Depot on  Loder Street will be
> deactivated as the company tries to reorganize its  Maple City structure to
> meet
> project demands.
>
> John Mousaw, Alstom  Transport's NAFTA communications manager, said the
> company is preparing  for its new fiscal year in April. As part of that
> process, it
> determined  selective hiring and co-locating customer directors, project
> controllers  and human resources with project teams will improve  efficiency.
>
> “We're making necessary adjustments to ensure that we  meet the delivery
> commitments we've made to customers such as New York  City Transit and WAMATA
> for
> example,” Mousaw said. “Alstom continues to  grow in Hornell during this
> important period and will be employing  further.”
>
> The decision surprised Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan and Jim  Griffin, executive
> director of the Hornell Industrial Development  Agency.
>
> “They told us they were considering it as late as a month  ago,” Griffin
> said, adding he'd been told it could be used a training  space. “They've
> talked
> about, but I'd think, being their landlord, they'd  at least notify us.”
>
> “I don't know anything at this point,” Hogan  added. “Something was
> mentioned (Tuesday) at the chamber (of commerce)  meeting.”
>
> Hogan could see why the company would want to connect  some of its offices at
> the place of manufacturing. Still, he said a lot of  federal, state and local
> money went into rejuvenating the Depot and making  it meet the company's
> needs.
>
> “The thing is, they added almost $1  million in extra costs for the project
> because of demands they wanted for  hard wall offices and different things
> they
> wanted over there,” he said.  “If they're willing to honor the agreement
> and
> pay what they're supposed  to be paying, that's their decision. If they
> attempt to break the lease  then there are other problems.”
>
> Fortunately, Hogan said when Alstom  moved into the Depot in late 2003, the
> company signed a 14-year  lease.
>
> “They're in there,” Hogan said. “Financially we're  fine.”
>
> Griffin said the IDA owns the Depot, but leases it to Alstom  for $1 a year.
> Alstom must pay $86,000 in taxes, as well as maintain and  heat the building.
> Empire Zone benefits, he added, rebate the taxes back  to Alstom.
> (http://adsys.townnews.com/creative/eveningtribune.com/news+middle/6917.gif?r=
> http://w
> ww.elsenheimer.com/)
> When the Depot renovations  began Griffin said the IDA, city, state and
> federal governments put up  $2.6 million for the approximately $3 million
> project.
> Hogan estimated the  company has put more than $1 million into the Depot
> itself.
>
> Griffin  also pointed out the IDA borrowed $650,000 to customize the offices
> for  Alstom. The mortgage, he added, is paid for with the $800,000 annual
> payment Alstom makes to the IDA for its master lease on all the Maple City
> facilities.
>
> The IDA, he said, has also borrowed $1 million for the  company's new
> building by the car shop. Griffin said it's a little scary  to hear about the
> move,
> but he also understood the tightness Alstom needs  to fulfill its contracts.
>
> “We've done a lot of things to help  them,” Griffin said, adding the IDA
> even forgave $150,000 on a Transit  Drive parking lot. “I'm a little
> disappointed. If the depot has been a  problem, I wish them well.”
>
> According to Mousaw, the future of the  company's lease with the IDA has not
> been determined yet.
>
> “The  point is we might need space again,” he said, “and if we need it,
> we'll  consider reopening it.”
>
> In the meantime, Mousaw said the company  will investigate the possibility of
> having others make use of the  facility.
>
> According to Mousaw, every year as the company closes out  one fiscal year it
> looks toward the next. The company has begun and will  continue moving
> departments out in phases through about May, Mousaw said.  Because it has
> sufficient
> space in other buildings, he said it became  clear the Depot would be
> under-utilized, and the decision was made to  deactivate the building.
>
> Besides establishing a more efficient  staffing structure, Mousaw said the
> company also will save about $50,000  per year. Decisions, he added, are made
> with the long-term perspective in  mind. Alstom's focus is on producing
> quality
> products on time, he  said.
>
> “It's not a bad sign,” Mousaw added. “We're going to do what  we need to
> do
> to make sure that  happens.”
>
>
>
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