Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
the world we live in favors capitalists over producers, has since the days when morgan bought out carnegie but this era of rock bottom interest rates makes it especially easy to justify buying companies.
I hope they keep simply ketchup. there's nothing to be happy about this transaction even if there isn't a lot to fear. the chances are better for heinz than they were for breyer's when unilever bought them and moved them to massachusett's after 130 years in Philadelphia, the home of American ice cream. 16 years later they close the mass. plant and moved it to TN. quality is worse as well.
the chances are better for heinz than they were for breyer's when unilever bought them and moved them to massachusett's after 130 years in Philadelphia, the home of American ice cream. 16 years later they close the mass. plant and moved it to TN. quality is worse as well.
The reason Breyer's ice cream is bad now is that they added tara gum to it several years ago.
IIRC there was a nasty little internet rumour that US Steel was considering relocating their HQ to Houston which is a major location for their tubular steel production, not to mention the usual arguments about the more business friendly environment and better air service.
As far as the suburban campus vs downtown debate, I'd love to see another skyscraper built downtown anchored by US Steel. Having said that, suburban campuses certainly are still "in", and for good reason. Westinghouse, Dick's Sporting Goods, Consol Energy, FedEx Ground, and now Chevron and perhaps USS... they can't all be wrong. Not everyone wants to live and/or work downtown. Even though they are just across the river from downtown, I'll add Alcoa to the list as they settled for a low rise structure with open floor plans instead of a downtown skyscraper.
An airport location would be an easier commute for those who already live north, south, and west of the city; it would be a reverse commute which would decrease overall rush hour congestion on the Parkway West.
I haven't yet met anyone at Dick's Sporting Goods who doesn't love their new work environment.
It's an inefficient use of land and space that, in the long run, will undermine their usefulness. The car-based transportation will not last forever, besides the sense of isolation that a campus environment creates. And Dick's employees liking Dick's location doesn't mean much, really. I wouldn't apply to a job at Dick's because of where it's located.
Have you seen statistics about what percentage of U.S. Steel's downtown workforce lives in the East End? Likely a small portion. The eastern suburbs, yes, they'd have some way to go. But it may be a better commute for many others, and without the hassle/expense of downtown parking.
Downtown is a CENTRALIZED LOCATION for those who live in the west, north, south, or, yes, the east also, and it makes it easy for those living in all directions to access by public transit since PAT, which is a sub-standard transit agency to begin with, still uses Downtown as its core for transit. By moving their HQ to the far west of the county that makes the commute a breeze for those in the west while making the commute unfairly longer for those in the east. How will someone who lives in Swissvale now and takes the East Busway to work Downtown for U.S. Steel commute via public transit to Findlay Township? They won't. They'll have to drive, and they'll add even more congestion to our already overcrowded roads.
A company is socially- and ecologically-regressive, in my mind, if they transition from an existing transit-friendly location to one where 100% of employees MUST drive with no logical explanation for doing so. It's extremely frustrating to have your employer relocate out from under you. When I first moved to Northern Virginia in May 2009 I was supposed to report to work in Herndon, VA and selected an apartment within walking distance of the office, signing a lease for a year in the process. Two weeks after I started work I was moved to another office in another part of the county and found myself "stuck" in an undesirable area for commuting purposes. If I moved to Pittsburgh after accepting a job with U.S. Steel and bought a house anywhere east of Downtown I'd be LIVID at my employer's plans to relocate to the far west side of Downtown for questionable motives, just as I was livid in Northern Virginia after the abrupt site relocation.
You of all people should NOT want to encourage even more traffic congestion on the Parkway West, given where you live. I've hit traffic jams there around the Fort Pitt Tunnel on WEEKENDS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIRefugee
It's an inefficient use of land and space that, in the long run, will undermine their usefulness. The car-based transportation will not last forever, besides the sense of isolation that a campus environment creates. And Dick's employees liking Dick's location doesn't mean much, really. I wouldn't apply to a job at Dick's because of where it's located.
^ What he said. In my current job search I have the luxury of making a comfortable "underemployed" living and am being selective about WHERE I apply as a result. I see promising career opportunities in places like Cranberry Township and Southpointe that I am promptly skipping over. It's insulting to see so many employers decentralizing like this at a time when we already have some of the nation's worst gridlock and a terrible transit system to the suburbs/exurbs.
It's an inefficient use of land and space that, in the long run, will undermine their usefulness. The car-based transportation will not last forever, besides the sense of isolation that a campus environment creates. And Dick's employees liking Dick's location doesn't mean much, really. I wouldn't apply to a job at Dick's because of where it's located.
The sky is not falling. Fuel efficiency is going up. People are buying more hybrids.
Furthermore, a metro of 2 1/2 million people cannot have everyone working downtown. The congestion would be enormous.
The sky is not falling. Fuel efficiency is going up. People are buying more hybrids.
Furthermore, a metro of 2 1/2 million people cannot have everyone working downtown. The congestion would be enormous.
Of course it's not falling, it'll be decades before auto dependency is no longer practical. But it's foolish to think it will last indefinitely and plan as if it will.
In any case, my major objection to campus-like environment is the disconnection from community. Sure, not everyone can work in a small triangle of land, but we also cannot pave 1/3 of available land with parking lots, and it's a poor use of land to create many discontiguous clusters that are isolated from everything else.
Downtown is a CENTRALIZED LOCATION for those who live in the west, north, south, or, yes, the east also, and it makes it easy for those living in all directions to access by public transit since PAT, which is a sub-standard transit agency to begin with, still uses Downtown as its core for transit. By moving their HQ to the far west of the county that makes the commute a breeze for those in the west while making the commute unfairly longer for those in the east. How will someone who lives in Swissvale now and takes the East Busway to work Downtown for U.S. Steel commute via public transit to Findlay Township? They won't. They'll have to drive, and they'll add even more congestion to our already overcrowded roads.
A company is socially- and ecologically-regressive, in my mind, if they transition from an existing transit-friendly location to one where 100% of employees MUST drive with no logical explanation for doing so. It's extremely frustrating to have your employer relocate out from under you. When I first moved to Northern Virginia in May 2009 I was supposed to report to work in Herndon, VA and selected an apartment within walking distance of the office, signing a lease for a year in the process. Two weeks after I started work I was moved to another office in another part of the county and found myself "stuck" in an undesirable area for commuting purposes. If I moved to Pittsburgh after accepting a job with U.S. Steel and bought a house anywhere east of Downtown I'd be LIVID at my employer's plans to relocate to the far west side of Downtown for questionable motives, just as I was livid in Northern Virginia after the abrupt site relocation.
You of all people should NOT want to encourage even more traffic congestion on the Parkway West, given where you live. I've hit traffic jams there around the Fort Pitt Tunnel on WEEKENDS.
^ What he said. In my current job search I have the luxury of making a comfortable "underemployed" living and am being selective about WHERE I apply as a result. I see promising career opportunities in places like Cranberry Township and Southpointe that I am promptly skipping over. It's insulting to see so many employers decentralizing like this at a time when we already have some of the nation's worst gridlock and a terrible transit system to the suburbs/exurbs.
So, as usual, it is all about you. You choose to skip over applying to places outside of your comfort zone. That's fair and that is your personal choice. But don't act like everyone else is in the same position you are.
Have you even, for a second, considered the positives for a company to move to the suburbs? Or do you just immediately go into doom-and-gloom-invoking-Soviet-Russia mode? You say there is no logical reason for them to move, but I don't think you've considered that for a minute. Have you been inside any of these corporate campuses? Some of them are fantastic!
There is something to be said for having most of your employees in a centralized location, instead of piecemeal around downtown. There's no fighting with various landlords. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to pay sky-high prices for downtown Class A realty then have to fight with the landlord to even get them to stock your toliet paper properly? I'm not kidding- we have this problem constantly. We pay a fortune for our lease and have to be bothered with a lot of ridiculousness. Negotiating leases, trying to have enough space to grow but at the same time not paying monthly rent on space you're not going to use is a huge concern for growing companies.
These companies can design the facilities that best suit them and their business instead of working around old, out of date buildings. They can offer better amenities to their employees. Free parking, cafeterias, reverse commutes for many.
Locations near the airport are a huge deal if you have employees or business contacts that travel frequently to your offices, or if you have employees that are always on the go. Locations for companies at places like Southpointe (and also Robinson) are also key because of the fact that many of those businesses (oil & gas is an example) have many dealings in WV and OH. Both of those locations are more convenient for employees and business dealings in those areas.
These businesses are obviously not having any problems attracting talent. Their locations actually make them MORE attractive to many. I'd LOVE to work at Southpointe or Robinson. Heck, I'd even prefer Warrendale/Cranberry over the commute to and from downtown. They're not going to make the move it it wouldn't be the most beneficial for them. And if someone wants the job badly enough they will either deal with the commute or move closer to the location.
And because of your habit of always bringing other people's personal details into your posts (Do you keep a file on people? A very troubling habit- you'd think in light of what happened with your prior job you'd take a step back in posting everyone else's personal business), additional traffic heading to Robinson doesn't really have much of an affect on me, but thanks for your concern.
54% of city residents live in the East End, and as evidenced by the gridlock around the Squirrel Hill Tunnels for hour after hour after hour each day I'd argue that there's also a substantial residential population to the east. If the area's center of population largely skews towards the east, then why build a new major corporate "campus" in the west, away from everyone?
The percentage of city residents who live in the east end isn't really a moot point. Unless you're trying to say all city residents are also employees of US Steel. I hear your worries that moving the campus will cause more traffic congestion from those workers who live on the east side, but the good news it will create less traffic congestion from those workers who live on the west side. Plus, I gather the campus will bring together several work sites that were in different locations downtown. If so, that means workers won't need to drive from one office to another, which will also cut down traffic congestion.
So, as usual, it is all about you. You choose to skip over applying to places outside of your comfort zone. That's fair and that is your personal choice. But don't act like everyone else is in the same position you are.
Have you even, for a second, considered the positives for a company to move to the suburbs? Or do you just immediately go into doom-and-gloom-invoking-Soviet-Russia mode? You say there is no logical reason for them to move, but I don't think you've considered that for a minute. Have you been inside any of these corporate campuses? Some of them are fantastic!
There is something to be said for having most of your employees in a centralized location, instead of piecemeal around downtown. There's no fighting with various landlords. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to pay sky-high prices for downtown Class A realty then have to fight with the landlord to even get them to stock your toliet paper properly? I'm not kidding- we have this problem constantly. We pay a fortune for our lease and have to be bothered with a lot of ridiculousness. Negotiating leases, trying to have enough space to grow but at the same time not paying monthly rent on space you're not going to use is a huge concern for growing companies.
These companies can design the facilities that best suit them and their business instead of working around old, out of date buildings. They can offer better amenities to their employees. Free parking, cafeterias, reverse commutes for many.
Locations near the airport are a huge deal if you have employees or business contacts that travel frequently to your offices, or if you have employees that are always on the go. Locations for companies at places like Southpointe (and also Robinson) are also key because of the fact that many of those businesses (oil & gas is an example) have many dealings in WV and OH. Both of those locations are more convenient for employees and business dealings in those areas.
These businesses are obviously not having any problems attracting talent. Their locations actually make them MORE attractive to many. I'd LOVE to work at Southpointe or Robinson. Heck, I'd even prefer Warrendale/Cranberry over the commute to and from downtown. They're not going to make the move it it wouldn't be the most beneficial for them. And if someone wants the job badly enough they will either deal with the commute or move closer to the location.
And because of your habit of always bringing other people's personal details into your posts (Do you keep a file on people? A very troubling habit- you'd think in light of what happened with your prior job you'd take a step back in posting everyone else's personal business), additional traffic heading to Robinson doesn't really have much of an affect on me, but thanks for your concern.
1.) I don't keep a personal file on City-Data members. I just happen to have an excellent memory. If you don't want people knowing where you live, then stop mentioning it on the forum. I may have erred in judgment revealing my employer, but I was miserable at my underpaid position and feel more liberated now earning more money with less stress to endure. You're quite welcome for the concern. Anytime!
2.) Neither you nor Caladium have addressed my concerns about how it's better for the region to decentralize employment centers at a time when we're unlikely to receive more transit funding, are growing in population, and commute on highways that were outdated shortly after they were constructed. Job decentralization makes commuting by anything other than your own car nearly impossible. As LIRefugee said it's asinine to presume promoting a car-dependent lifestyle is sustainable for the long-term.
3.) You're in the minority of people who would prefer to work on a "campus" in Cranberry or Southpointe over the city. Want to socialize with colleagues for lunch? You can't. There's nowhere to walk to. Want to socialize after work with colleagues at a bar? You can't unless you want to encourage buzzed driving. Want to do some work on your laptop while riding on a bus or train to and from your "campus"? You can't because you need to drive back-and-forth. I'm by far not the only young professional in the region who has snubbed exurban employers for these reasons and others. I'm not even the only one in my own circle of friends who has done so. You don't move to the nation's "Most Livable City" in order to buy a car and commute thirty minutes each way into suburbia because the city's corporations have no connection to the city.
4.) I lose respect for any company that prioritizes it's bottom line over the happiness of its employees and over the well-being of its host city. I am then inclined to NOT patronize their lines of business. I've successfully boycotted Wal-Mart for many years now due to how they treat their employees. I make a habit of shopping at Wegman's whenever I'm in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due to how they treat their employees. I started buying more American Eagle products when they moved their HQ into the city from the exurbs. I will research the lines of business and subsidiaries of U.S. Steel and make every effort to boycott them if they leave the city.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
