Tag Archives: pocatello

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? As I warned; Idaho Hoku silicon factory going under, announcing layoffs, violated stock market trading rules

March 6, 2012, Hoku International announced they will layoff about 20 employees at their Pocatello, polysilicon plant.

This comes after many delays in finishing the factory, and threats by Idaho Power to cut off electricity because Hoku hasn’t been paying its utility bill.  Also, Hoku lost big money in 2011.

Officials with Hoku said the layoffs are necessary to keep the company going.

On February 23, 2012, Hoku International was notified that trading of its stocks were suspended, for violating NASDAQ’s Listing Rule 5250(c)(1).  On March 5 (the day before the layoff announcement) Hoku claimed they were now in compliance with NASDAQ’s rules.

CORPORATE INCOMPETENCE: HOKU MATERIALS BEGS FOR MONEY TO PAY ITS OVERDUE IDAHO POWER BILL

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Opinion, Technology, U.S.

Black Horse & Apple computers: Apple rakes in huge profits, thanks to slave wage labor! Apple’s China factory installs anti-jumping nets to keep workers from leaping to their deaths. Idaho, Ohio, Michigan & Pennsylvania Republicans hoping China will build similar slave cities in the U.S.

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

January 26, 2012

Apple reported their 2011 fourth quarter profits at a record $13.06 billion!  That would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that Chinese workers are being pushed so hard to make Apple products that they’re literally going over the edge to their deaths!

I love my Apple computer (it’s lasted longer than any other computer I’ve had, and with far less glitches), but, one of the factors in me buying an Apple was that I thought they were made in the U.S.  Apparently after (evil) Bill Gates became a major investor in Apple, production was shipped overseas.

Around the time Apple was reporting their record profits, Chinese media was reporting on a factory that made Apple products.  Turns out the workers there threatened suicide because of slave labor conditions.

It’s so bad that a Catholic Online article says Chinese factories are spending money to put up nets around their buildings, to keep workers from jumping to their deaths.

You see, working in Chinese factories is not like working in a U.S. factory (not yet anyway): “Chinese factories are self-contained cities with workers living side-by-side in dorms. Workers spend an average of 10-12 hours per day working, six days a week.” Also: “…life in a Chinese factory is unpleasant, boring, repetitive, and workers have little to no privacy, and few rights-if any. The food is nothing to write home about either. Employers can set workers to task at any hour, force them into overtime, and arbitrarily fire them if desired. It’s as near to slavery as one can get without the chains.” -Catholic Online

When I realize how much I paid for my Mac (more than double what I was paying for cheapo IBM types) it sickens me to know that it could have been made by wage slaves!  I thought one of the reasons for the higher price was that I was supporting U.S. jobs!

This month Apple’s contracted factory in China, run by a company called Foxconn, reported that workers threatened to commit mass suicide.  To give you an example of the crowded working conditions, Foxconn admits they have at least 32,000 workers living on their factory ‘campus’!  That’s not a factory, it’s a self contained slave city!!!

But guess what? The state government of Idaho has been toying with Chinese contractors to build such a slave city right here in Idaho, U.S.A.  They call it an “industrial complex”.

In 2010, the Idaho Statesman reported that state officials were working on a project that would allow the China National Machinery Industry Corporation (aka SINOMACH) to build huge a slave labor camp south of Boise.  It could cover up to 30,000 acres, and is “…based on a concept popular in China today…”.

That camp would include retail shops and homes for workers, and some reports say the ’employees’ will come from China.

SINOMACH also got involved with a fertilizer project near American Falls, but since then all has gone quite on that project.

Lobbyists working for the Chinese say Idaho Republican leaders are great to work with: “One thing these Chinese see is we have a governor here who has a great big open door policy, and I think that’s making a difference in this SINOMACH project.”-Pat Sullivan, lobbyist

The Idaho Republican’s open door policy for China is part of their Project 60 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plan.

Idaho Republican leaders love China: “Idaho’s the last state that should say we don’t want to do business with Asia. Asia’s where the money is.”-Brad Little, Idaho Lieutenant Governor

I’ve also reported on how most of Idaho’s Republican politicians are in the pockets of for profit prison labor operations.

SINOMACH is also dealing with officials in Ohio, Michigan (is there a connection to the union busting going on in that state?) and Pennsylvania.

Also this month, SINOMACH announced they will increase their efforts to set up operations in other countries: “We encourage our subsidiaries, including scientific institutions and design, construction and industrial equipment manufacturing companies, to go overseas and explore and develop new services and markets.”: Ren Hongbin, chairman of SINOMACH

SINOMACH (short for Sino Machinery) reported a revenue increase of 17% in 2011, for a total of $30 billion.  I wounder how much was from cutting costs with slave labor?

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Some Hope for 2012: East Idaho finally gets its first two Carl’s Jr! Part of 51 store expansion!!!

December 31, 2011, and I just ate at the first Carl’s Jr burger joint in eastern Idaho! Love those Western Bacon Cheeseburgers (been eating them since the early 1980s!), and those luscious teriyaki burgers!

No more finding excuses to travel more than an hour to get Carl’s Jr.  Although I still have to drive 45 minutes to Idaho Falls, but pretty soon, I hope, there’s gonna be Carl’s Jr in the Pocatello area.  That’s according to a 2008 press release.

carl's jr

New Carl's Jr Resturant, Grand Teton Mall, Idaho Falls

One of the new east Idaho Carl’s Jr is located in the Grand Teton Mall parking lot, across from the Barnes & Noble.

There is a second Carl’s Jr in Idaho Falls, located at the intersection of Holmes and Northgate mile. I think they were a little overwhelmed; they were out of large size cups, and they just ran out of five dollar bills on the day I tried them out.

According to a 2008 press release eastern and southeastern Idaho will get five more Carl’s Jr by 2014.  The new restaurants will be spread from Pocatello to Idaho Falls.

carl's jr

Carl's Jr, Idaho Falls, Idaho

The new restaurants are part of a huge expansion by California based Carl’s Jr.  In December, 2008, Carl Karcher Enterprises announced they signed franchise deals for 51 new stores!  Those new stores will be concentrated in Nevada and Idaho.

East and southeast Idaho will get a total of six restaurants, southern Idaho (Twin Falls area) will get three, and the Boise area (southwest Idaho) will get three more on top of the stores already there.

I noticed east Idaho’s local media paid no head to the new Carl’s Jr, but was all over the new Chick-fil-A (I’ve eaten at a Chick-fil-A in Georgia, never again).

Mmmm, how many Chick-fil-A stores will open in east Idaho, oh just the one in Ammon? (I checked Chick-fil-A’s list of future store openings) Lets see, Carl’s Jr opening a total of six stores in east and southeast Idaho (as well as new stores in south and southwest Idaho), I can see who’s gonna be helping the local economy more.

(By the way you can print off coupons from the Carl’s Jr website)

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? More trouble for Idaho’s Hoku polysilicon factory, looks more and more like the deal is off!

“If service is terminated, these high value systems may freeze, causing irreparable and material damage to Hoku’s plant assets. Any damage would need to be repaired, at additional cost, prior to continuing with the commissioning and operation of the plant.”-Hoku Corporation complaint to Idaho Public Utilities Commision

“The fact of the matter is, Hoku has missed a payment it owes to Idaho Power and has failed to provide….any assurance that such a payment will be forthcoming. Idaho Power has concerns that if the commission allows the Hoku complaint to run the usual course….Hoku could potentially become millions of dollars delinquent in amounts it owes.”-Idaho Power response

Pocatello, Idaho’s, polysilcon factory, run by Hoku Materials (which is a subsidiary of Hoku Corporation, which is 60% owned by China’s Tianwei New Energy Holdings Company Limited) has run into trouble with Idaho Power, again.

Hoku failed to pay its electric bill, and Idaho Power says it will discontinue service.  Hoku was served with the disconnect notice on December 22.  This is not the first time Hoku has had trouble with their electric bill.

Earlier this month, Chinese media reported that Hoku had started operations, but now it’s clear that was just wishful thinking by Tianwei New Energy Holdings Company Limited.  The Chinese claim was based on Hoku CEO Scott Paul saying things were ready to go back on November 21.

This just adds to the ever growing problems with Hoku:  Their CFO resigned, they lost nearly $8 million in their last reporting quarter, they had to sell majority shares to Chinese companies (as well as take Chinese loans) to raise enough money to finish construction of their factory, and the ongoing tit for tat trade war between the U.S. and China (involving U.S. made polysilicon and Chinese made photo voltaic products) could mean curtains for a company that has hundreds of people in the Chubbuck/Pocatello area hoping to get a job with Hoku.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC WAR: IDAHO POLYSILCON PRODUCER, HOKU, QUIETLY STARTS OPERATIONS,  LOSES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AGAIN

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Sears post partial list of store closings. Idaho, Oregon, Colorado & Washington makes the list

It’s only been two days since Sears Holdings announced they were closing up to 120 Sears and Kmart stores, and now they have named 79 of those stores.

I already explained why their Chubbuck and Pocatello, Idaho stores could be closed.

Sears store in Lewiston Center Mall, Lewiston, Idaho, makes this initial list of 79 closings.  The list does not provide details on any timeline for closing.

Some regional media sources have stated that other stores in the area “escaped” the list, however the list is only 79 of as many as 120 total closings (and it could be more).

Other Pacific Northwest Sears stores that made this early list are in Roseburg, Oregon, Longmont, Colorado and Walla Walla, Washington.  Also, the Kmarts in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Spokane, Washington will be closed.

Also, a Sears store in Denver, Colorado, that was formerly a Kmart store, will be converted back into a Kmart store.

You can find out more by going to www.searsholdings.com and looking under their media tools section.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? No big Xmas sales for Sears & Kmart, up to 120 stores will be closed, look out Pocatello & Chubbuck

“While our past practice has been to keep marginally performing stores open while we worked to improve their performance, we no longer believe that to be the appropriate action in this environment.”-Lou D’Ambrosio, CEO of Sears Holdings

Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, said this year’s holiday sales sucked big time!  They’re claiming a big drop in business compared to last year (as much as 5.2%), and they just can’t afford to keep their “marginally performing” stores open.

The cities of Chubbuck and Pocatello, Idaho, are home to such marginally performing stores.

sears chubbuck

Sears at the Pine Ridge Mall in Chubbuck

The Sears is located in the Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall, and has never done well (I used to work for the mall before it was sold to a company out of Chicago, Illinois).  Two other ‘anchor’ stores, that were doing better than Sears left the mall a few years ago, and many people around here have been wondering why the Sears is still open.  Well, it might finally be curtains.

pocatello fred meyer

Fred Meyer at the former Pocatello Mall location

The Sears in Chubbuck used to be located in the old Pocatello Mall, but that mall went down the toilet in the late 1990s, and has since been torn down and replaced with a Fred Meyer dominated strip mall. Even the new Fred Meyer strip mall suffered the demise of the Gottshalks store a few years ago.

gottschalks pocatello

The vacant Gottschalks, in Pocatello, Idaho

In Pocatello, the Kmart has been struggling for years, the customer foot traffic has never come close to what the Chubbuck WalMart, or the Pocatello Fred Meyer gets.  After Sears and Kmart merged to form Sears Holdings (and the Kmart bankruptcy), the Pocatello Kmart was spared from the many closings of Kmarts around the country.  But this might be the writing on the wall for the Pocatello Kmart.

Kmart Pocatello

Big Kmart, with small sales, in Pocatello

Even though business for Sears and Kmart continues to crash, a recent customer satisfaction survey, by Strategic Resource Group, showed that dedicated Sears/Kmart shoppers were happy with the service.  SRG also thinks most Kmart closings will take place outside the North East/Great Lakes region, and that means Idaho is a target.

Speaking of Target, Target and WalMart are the main reasons why Sears and Kmart are going down; they just can’t compete.  (do the economic analysts ever consider the fact that we “consumers” no longer have the cash or credit to support so many retail businesses?)

For Sears and Kmart stores that will remain open, big time cuts are planned.  Sears Holdings wants to cut $300 million, just in inventory.  They hope to cut another $200 million in ‘fixed’ costs (that’s industry code which includes employees and employee benefits).

Happy New Year!

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

Global Economic War & Corporate Incompetence: Idaho polysilcon producer, Hoku, quietly starts operations, loses CFO, loses millions of dollars again

Pocatello, Idaho’s, polysilcon factory, run by Hoku Materials (which is a subsidary of Chinese owned Hoku Corporation), officially and quietly started operations on December 1st.  That’s according to Chinese media citing Tianwei New Energy Holdings Company Limited, the Chinese company that controls 60% of Hoku Corporation.

Interestingly no mention of the start of operations has come directly from Hoku.  Hoku Corporation did announce the resignation of their CFO, treasurer, and secretary, Darryl Nakamoto.  His resignation will be effective March, 2012.

Another loss, this one missed by local Idaho media, is the fact that Hoku Corporation continues to bleed out money.  Its latest report, ending September 30, 2011, showed Hoku with a net loss of $7.9 million (computed in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)!

I’ve posted before about the conundrum Hoku is now in, since it is 60% owned by the Chinese: “…Hoku is set up in a bad position; action by the U.S. government could hurt their new plans to sell Chinese PV products, and retaliation by the Chinese government could hurt their pending polysilicon orders.”

I wonder why Hoku is keeping so quiet about their operations start up in Idaho, while it’s making front page news in China?

GLOBAL ECONOMIC WAR: IDAHO’S HOKU SILICON FACTORY MAY BE ENDED BEFORE IT STARTS. CITY OF POCATELLO GUILTY

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Construction companies say Idaho city driving down the economy with their outrageous construction fees. Is Pocatello violating state law?

“It’s gone up in a period of ten years from about $300 connection fees to about $5,000!”-Al Tetz, BCASE

The Building Contractors Association of Southeast Idaho (BCASE) says the city of Pocatello is charging outrageous, and illegal hook up fees.  And they believe it’s one of the main reasons for the drop in local construction jobs and home sales.

BCASE members also say the huge jump from $300 to $5,000 could be an attempt by city officials to try and make up for lost tax revenues, and millions of dollars generated from those fees have been placed in Pocatello’s general fund, which violates Idaho state law.

The construction organization is suing the city.

Officials with the city of Pocatello have no comment, because they haven’t been served with any notification of a lawsuit (as of December 13).

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

Global Economic War: U.S. continues investigation into Chinese PV companies. Idaho’s Hoku silicon factory may be ended before it starts. City of Pocatello guilty of the same claims being made against Chinese government. U.S. is new battle ground between Chinese and European companies

The trade war between Chinese photovoltaic companies, and their supposed ‘U.S.’ rivals heats up as the U.S. International Trade Commission votes to continue the Department of Commerce investigation.

I say “supposed ‘U.S.’ rivals” because it turns out the gang leader is owned by a European corporation. Likewise, at least one supposed ‘U.S.’ polysilicon producer is owned by a Chinese corporation.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is set to render a judgment on January 19, 2012.  It could mean that actions will be taken to reduce photovoltaic (PV) products (solar power) coming into the U.S. from China.  China has responded by investigating polysilicon producers in the United States.  Polysilicon is used to make the solar power products.

Hawaii based Hoku International (owned by China’s Tianwei New Energy) announced they will be selling Chinese made photovoltaic modules through a subsidiary called Tianwei Solar USA.  Hoku is about to start up a polysilicon plant in Pocatello, Idaho.  Their silicon buyers are Chinese companies.

So Hoku is set up in a bad position; action by the U.S. government could hurt their new plans to sell Chinese PV products, and retaliation by the Chinese government could hurt their pending polysilicon orders.

But while looking into this mess, I discovered that what’s really going on is an economic war between China and the European Union, with the United States the battlefield.

The U.S. investigation was started by complaints from CASM (Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing).  The lead company in the complaint is SolarWorld Industries Americas.  Their U.S. base of operations is Oregon, but they’re actually a German corporation (SolarWorld) headquartered in Bonn.

CASM’s web site says six other companies operating in the U.S. have joined their organization, but they refuse to name the other members. They also have a interesting slogan (being that SolarWorld is a German company): “Solar technology was invented here [meaning the U.S.], and we intend to keep it here!”

CASM, through the U.S. Congress, recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama (sign by dozens of members of Congress), outlining what they call illegal trade practices by the Chinese government. Some of those practices were employed by the city of Pocatello, in trying to get Hoku to build its long delayed polysilicon factory in Idaho.

One of the claims is that “…cheap or free land from local or provincial governments; extensive tax breaks…”  This is exactly what the city of Pocatello did to win over Hoku.  The land was, in a round about way through huge property tax breaks (equaling the value of the land), given to Hoku.  Union Pacific Railway even got involved.

Union Pacific is going to be the main transporter of the finished polysilicon products.  Recently it was discovered, by Idaho officials, that in the rush (ironic ’cause it’s years behind schedule) to build the factory, that Hoku forgot to build the required double access roads!  Currently the only access to the factory is at the end of a dead end residential street (it was the residents, tired of the traffic jambs, that brought the issue up with officials)!!!  Hoku worked some magic with Union Pacific, who’s agreed to build the access roads.

By the way, one of the individuals credited with bringing Hoku to Pocatello, Gynii Gilliam, is now working at the state level as Idaho’s chief economic development officer.

So, the Europeans (specifically Germans, through CASM) are using the U.S. to launch an economic war with Chinese PV makers, but the charges they’re making against local governments in China are also applicable to local governments in the U.S.!  The pot calling the kettle black.  Unfortunately many ‘mericans (‘specially those working for Hoku, and other polysilicon producers) could actually end up losing their jobs if CASM is successful.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC WAR: CHINESE OWNED HOKU ABOUT TO START OPERATIONS IN IDAHO. WILL U.S. INVESTIGATION INTO CHINESE SOLAR PRODUCTS PUT THE BRAKES ON HOKU’S OPERATIONS?

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Voter Incompetence: Obama supporter blind to Obama’s stance on shutting down the U.S. Postal Service

At a recent Obama rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a blind faith Obama supporter asked the President about stopping postal processing center closings, because the closings would have drastic affects on local economies.

The response: “Let me look into it.”-Barack Obama, President of the United States

This is not a case of Obama not knowing the issue, rather it’s a case of Obama blowing off a blind faith supporter who doesn’t realize that Obama is all for the closings!

Back in September Obama issued his official suggestions for how to deal with the U.S. Postal Service (a self supporting service, does not rely on taxpayer funding).  Amazingly Obama’s suggestions are in line with what the Postmaster General, Patrick Donahoe, wants; things like ending Saturday delivery and closing down post offices and processing centers across the country.

Here’s how the blind faith supporter of Obama reacted to the President’s response: “…just his willingness to look into it spoke volumes to me. I could definitely tell he cared.”-Corey O’Brian, Lackawanna County Commissioner and blind faith supporter of Barack Obama

Here in southeastern Idaho the only processing center on this side of the state, in Pocatello, is targeted for closing.  Local postal workers explained to me that if I wanted to send a letter to Idaho Falls (just an hour’s drive from where I live) it would end up going to Salt Lake City, Utah, to be sent back into Idaho before getting to Idaho Falls!

The problem, for us ‘customers’ of the USPS, and for our local economies, is that whether Obama and the Postmaster General get their way, or the U.S. Congress actually comes up with their own plan, or, the U.S. Congress allows the USPS to default, the results are going to be severe: Thousands of postal workers laid off, post offices closed down, processing centers closed down, etc.  As I’ve said before, what economic recovery?  And stop being so blind to what ‘our’ elected officials are doing!!!