Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>Hard to understand all right, the thing is that apart from Michel Auriou's side of the situation we have no information whatsoever. Before throwing the blame at the employees and/or French labor laws I'd like to get feedback from all sides...

What's sad in the end is that a maker of fine tools went down. Our loss...

DC

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>My initial response was that this was a fine way to treat the few workers left in the world who earned more or less fair wages and weren't expected to work around the clock. Just like our corporate pigs (note, only the pigs behave this way) who declare fake bankruptcies to remove their pension fund responsibilities.

On second thought, maybe, just maybe, Auriou had some recalcitrant employees who spoiled it for everyone, including woodworkers; but I doubt this. My bet is that he will "resolve" this bankruptcy and come out of it in fine fettle, ready to (re)hire employees at much more favorable conditions to Auriou.

Pam

Well, you're right, it's speculative

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>what really happened. I am personally very sorry that this organization capable of producing such fine work has shut its doors.

Meantime, I ordered two rasps from Joel.

Wiley

Please no more re corporate etc etc

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Michael Pilla

>from the text:

"Perversely, through his actions Michel Auriou has protected his 16 strong workforce who, under current French employment law, will get paid for the next 23 months."

Sounds like a decent guy to me.

Michael

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

joel -( tools for working wood)

>I can comment:

It sucks. I have no idea what actually went on, I do know that in any small business any problem can become fatal.

But it really sucks when such a wonderful line of tools becomes unavailable. I hope Michel gets going again and the tools become available again. If the delay is too long the loss of knowledge and the tradition will be permanently lost.

We are really proud to have been at the forefront of the introduction of Auriou into US market and it was great to see their success. As I just said - let's hope this is just a small glitch in the cosmic range of things.

Joel

Praise for small business owners

jim reed @ tallahassee

>Running a small (or medium sized) business is difficult and not for the faint of heart. For every reward, there are a hundred pitfalls and traps. My hat if tipped to the Rob Lees and Thomas LN and Ron Hock and Anne Rockler and others who have put in more than just a 40 hour week to give us excellent woodworking products.

Re: Please no more re corporate etc etc

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Why is that, Wiley? There's nothing political or religious about what I said. I didn't even disparage all corporations. And I know I'm not supposed to question the Word (yes, the "W" is a religious allusion) of those in charge, but I'm real tired of being treated like a stupid child. Maybe you should kick me out now before I get real angry.

Pam

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Don't know for sure, but I think this is French law. I also don't know whether he'll be paying the employees or the French gov't.

Pam

I let yours stand. Trying to avoid big subthread

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Doug Reynolds in Seattle

>So, I just ordered three from Joel's. Hope I won't need more any time soon.

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Jim Shaver - Oakville, Ontario

>Oh Wow Wiley,

I have two of their files, they are excellent, I just jumped over to LV and spent some money on the ones I had on my wish list, I hope they figure it out over there .... but if they don't I feel that somewhere else it might be resurected....an excellent product that has demand...

Take care,

Jim

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Jim O'Neal

>You are way out of line with your comments about corporate pigs. Whetehr you like it or not large corporations are the life blood of this company. Most business owners start out wanting to grow their businesses and grow as large as they can. Socialism won't cure this contry's problems. Socialism is about to wreck France's economy.

That's what's so mind blowing,

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>they have customers at the asking price! Am sure Joel is grinding his back teeth together.

Wiley

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>large corporations are the life blood of this company

Too true, and while we're at it why not bring up the old, tired, fear mongering "socialism" moniker. We'll see who's happier once the corporations actually take over, own all the drinking water in the world, and everything else. It's capitalism run amok.

See, I'm a capitalist, even started and ran my own software development company for 23 years; but it never would have occurred to me to treat my employees as Auriou seems to be. If you have enough orders you don't declare bankruptcy. You hire some more people if you need more work. After all, there are 3000 workers in Auriou's town, and he only employed 16 of them.

Maybe you're one of the few who's accumulating more wealth than the rest of us? Run a corporation? Congratulations. How does it feel?

Pam

Thank you; but don't we want big subthreads?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

MikeW

>On all points your response is what has run amok, Pam. To be fair, I don't think the post above yours should have been written in its entirety.

I'll be very discouraged if the post above yours, yours and mine remain.

Take care, Mike

And I have 6 more coming from Joel ; )

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>

A friendly answer

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>Pam,

We want big subthreads, but not big subthreads that are brought about by phrases such as 'corporate pigs', that are calculated to offend. And that do offend. Many people reading this forum work for corporations, or are suppliers to corporations, or perform various services for corporations. They may have personal relationships based on these business relationships. Or they may see corporations as being a major part of this Nation's economy. They will naturally be offended.

In this particular subthread, I didn't censor your initial comment, because Ellis is a tolerant man who allows a certain amount of latitude for give and take. But I am suggesting that Ellis' tolerance is based on the expectation that we will also exercise restraint and respect for the opinions and sensibilities of those who disagree with us.

In this regard, my own initial comment tended to cast an aspersion on Auriou's labor force. Denis Chenard pointed this out in a nice way, and was restrained in his counter argument--and he was correct. I had spoken too quickly without thinking it through. Pam, I'm asking you to think it through before continuing to spar over this matter.

Wiley

Re: Auriou shuts doors, with full order book

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Just curious as to what hardware you wrote software for in the late 70's

I had just bought an Apple II about then and there wasn't much out there as I remember. Were you involved with mainframe systems?JR

Re: A friendly answer

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>You forgot the accent :-)

Alt-0233 on the numeric keypad...

Cheers,

DC

Here because it has to be somewhere

Wiley Horne -- So. Calif.

>Mike,

I'm gonna try to let all this stand for the moment, because Ellis tries to have a slow hand at censoring remarks. Jim's comment above Pam's was understandable in the circumstances, because I had let her initial post stand.

Please see my post above entitled 'A friendly answer'. That's where I hope we can let the heated part of this thread come to rest, and then continue to talk about the substance of Auriou all we want.

Wiley

Two practical questions

wilbur

>1. At this point, I don't really need a rasp. So should I splurge now and buy some Auriou rasps, knowing that if I ever would want more or replace them I might have to be looking at switching to a different brand? Or should I get some, say Gramercy Tool rasps, confident that they will still be around in the future, should I want more or need to replace them?

2. On a lighter note, a quick check of Joel's site shows Auriou rasps in all sizes in stock. Any guess to when they start to go out of stock? Maybe we could have a Auriou rasp out-of-stock pool.

Re: A friendly answer

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I truly appreciate it that you didn't censor anything, but I would like to respond to your comments that I intended to offend with the "corporate pigs" description. I did not and do not have anything against the normal corporation that operates in an honorable manner. For crying out loud, I owned a corporation and ran it for 23 years.

I did intend to offend those CEO's running predatory corporations that behave badly; although I didn't expect to find any of them here. Maybe you (impersonal) should ask yourself how you feel about Worldcom, Enron, Arthur Anderson, et al.

I have found that there are a few here who seem to enjoy taking offense whenever I open my mouth. Or so I assume, since they seem to prefer complaining in private. I can't and won't do anything to ameliorate or console them. If someone takes offense, at least say so like Jim did, so we have a chance to communicate.

I don't know, guess I was just tired of hearing all the "Oh, I better rush out and buy some now" messages all over the woodworking fora; which to me equates to rewarding Auriou for being a bad actor, if indeed he is. I'm glad that Joel and Rob will make a nice pile of windfall profit.

Pam