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



Walt,
If you want to be really upset try running the garbage they put out as
passenger cars and locomotives, truly the Yugo of the transportation
industry. They should be banned from bidding on railroad equipment.

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

> From: Walter Smith <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:54:34 -0500
> To: <s.kay4_@_verizon.net>, <DChristang@aol.com>, <erielack@lists.elhts.org>
> Subject: Re: (erielack) Hornell Depot closing : Alstom moving its offices
>
> It should come as no surprise that Alstom says one thing & does another.
> TYPICAL OF CORPORATE BEHAVIOR. ENRON comes to mind. Just lie to everybody.
> What really burns me is they want the city & state to rehab the building to
> their specs then say "I guess we won't use it after all. But by the way,
> we'd still like those tax breaks". These cities are desperate for indstry
> after their old standby (the ELRR) folds up & corporate scum take advantage
> of them to extort money then bail.
>     Sorry to be so upset.
> Regards,
> Walt Smith
>
>
>> From: Steven Kay <s.kay4_@_verizon.net>
>> Reply-To: Steven Kay <s.kay4_@_verizon.net>
>> To: <DChristang_@_aol.com>,        The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
>> <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
>> Subject: Re: (erielack) Hornell Depot closing : Alstom moving its offices
>> Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 04:37:26 -0500
>>
>> 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.”
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
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>>> http://www.elhts.org
>>
>>
>>
>> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
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