Say Good Bye To The Parker Factory Newhaven...

[penrivers]

Well, lets take it in perspective, its just a brick and mortar factory, the inmense prestige of Parker trademark is untouched, and like the fenix I am absolutely sure it will fly again, as a matter of fact somebody is still doing it in France.

[richardandtracy]

It is a real shame to see.

 

The thing I can't get over is the inherent silliness of the management. They have closed a plant that was cheap to run & fired workers that were cheap to fire. Due to French employment laws, keeping the French workers on in the medium to long term will cost them vastly more than the cheap hire/fire British (why else are quite large numbers of French businesses relocating to the UK in an opposite trend to Parker). So not only was it a sad decision on sentimental grounds, but closing Newhaven is also a bad decision on business grounds too - unless the only business decisions concern 1-2 years ahead rather than looking ahead to a more profitable strategic view.

 

Numpties. Total numpties.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[erpe]

  On 5/15/2014 at 12:39 PM, penrivers said:

... as a matter of fact somebody is still doing it in France...

 

I have some experience with companies relocating to France, it never ends well.

[Dutchpen]

Was the time capsule also in newhaven?

[kpyeoman]

  On 5/15/2014 at 12:25 AM, pen2paper said:

scratch a line through my comment yesterday about lands across the sea keeping historic sites intact.

 

 

...discussion about a real life "Filed of Dreams" scenario.

 

Interesting comment. I have a bit of a background in heritage planning, and I've found that industrial heritage is the most difficult to conserve. The buildings are so often deemed "obsolete" and "in the way" of re-development/intensification. Industrial heritage matters -- consider the significance of former plants like this in the development of the community. Sometimes we're fortunate to find progressive re-purposing opportunities as loft apartments/office space, but most of the time the best that can be done is pictures, memories and stories to share in the future about "what we once were."

 

Thanks for posting this. It helps spread the experience, knowledge and commemorates the significance of the place. Hopefully, someone has taken pictures that will wind up in some archive...but with our modern preference for digital images vs. physical photographs, we may be challenged with maintaining the historical record in the future. But that's a side beef and a soap box moment for another day.

[OcalaFlGuy]

  On 5/15/2014 at 9:59 PM, Dutchpen said:

Was the time capsule also in newhaven?

 

(It took awhile for this to burble up through my cranial gook.)

 

Hahaha! You're right DP. I thought they dug it up in Janesville and moved it to Newhaven.

 

France now?

 

[EDIT] Bottom of the page. http://www.parkerpens.net/archives-1.html

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl-That's a Tony question right there

Edited May 16, 2014 by OcalaFlGuy

[JotterAddict62]

Well at least all the former Parker buildings are still up and around in at the birthplace of Parker in Janesville WI U.S.A. being used for other businesses . Maybe next time when I go to Janesville I'll take a few photos of them.

[Dickkooty2]

A great facility that carried the company for many years. The board room was a very nice place for lunch with Stan and Jacques.

[Albinoni]

Sorry guys but is Newhaven in the USA or UK, my apologies I should know better.

[richardandtracy]

UK, south coast, East Sussex.

Put BN9 0AU into Google earth and it'll take you there. The street view shows boards over all the ground floor windows.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[martinbir]

  On 5/15/2014 at 1:15 PM, richardandtracy said:

It is a real shame to see.

 

The thing I can't get over is the inherent silliness of the management. They have closed a plant that was cheap to run & fired workers that were cheap to fire. Due to French employment laws, keeping the French workers on in the medium to long term will cost them vastly more than the cheap hire/fire British (why else are quite large numbers of French businesses relocating to the UK in an opposite trend to Parker). So not only was it a sad decision on sentimental grounds, but closing Newhaven is also a bad decision on business grounds too - unless the only business decisions concern 1-2 years ahead rather than looking ahead to a more profitable strategic view.

 

Numpties. Total numpties.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

Businesses looking 2 years ahead? Major US & UK corporations seem to look no further than the next set of figures, so 3 months is about it.

 

Still I have a few Newhaven pens. I think the New Duofolds of the 50s & 60s are superb.

[richardandtracy]

  On 5/16/2014 at 10:47 AM, martinbir said:

 

Businesses looking 2 years ahead? Major US & UK corporations seem to look no further than the next set of figures, so 3 months is about it.

 

...

I know. But it doesn't need to be that way.

I work for a company that makes boxes. On a box for generator parts, we have had it going as an evolving job for 20 years, we hoped 7 years out of the design in 1994. We are now tooling up again to make another large batch of a box designed in 1997. It was anticipated to be a 10 year job, but has grown a bit.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[pajaro]

  On 5/15/2014 at 4:43 AM, erpe said:

Seeing this makes me want N-R to just close down the brand so somebody with some cash and more love for the product can pick it up in a few years and resurrect it like it was done with Onooto or KaWeCo.

 

This is a good point. I have wondered if Parker tried out some of their pens to see how the average person would get on with them doing so-so maintenance? Ever try to post the cap on a Carene? Well, you can jam it on with the fountain pen, but the rollerball cap just falls off. Eventually I went back to the Sonnet.

[OcalaFlGuy]

  On 5/16/2014 at 12:42 PM, pajaro said:

 

Ever try to post the cap on a Carene? Well, you can jam it on with the fountain pen, but the rollerball cap just falls off. Eventually I went back to the Sonnet.

 

You have slighted and PO'd your P-51s.

 

They have put The Hex on the rest of your wannabe contendahs...

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Darryl.k]

  On 5/15/2014 at 9:59 PM, Dutchpen said:

Was the time capsule also in newhaven?

 

They dug up the time capsule when the site closed in fear of it being stolen. If you are familiar with the Newhaven reception door handles, big brass Parker arrows, one of those got hacksawed off and stolen! I was more interested in locating and digging up the hidden Swastika pen!

 

Darryl

[pen2paper]

  On 5/16/2014 at 3:27 AM, kpyeoman said:

 

Interesting comment. I have a bit of a background in heritage planning, and I've found that industrial heritage is the most difficult to conserve. The buildings are so often deemed "obsolete" and "in the way" of re-development/intensification. Industrial heritage matters -- consider the significance of former plants like this in the development of the community. Sometimes we're fortunate to find progressive re-purposing opportunities as loft apartments/office space, but most of the time the best that can be done is pictures, memories and stories to share in the future about "what we once were."

 

Thanks for posting this. It helps spread the experience, knowledge and commemorates the significance of the place. Hopefully, someone has taken pictures that will wind up in some archive...but with our modern preference for digital images vs. physical photographs, we may be challenged with maintaining the historical record in the future. But that's a side beef and a soap box moment for another day.

not quite the same vein as my comment in "The Field Of Dreams" discussion, but maybe? fits here..

perhaps not thE solution, but a worthy attempt. nayy

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671171/how-an-upstart-company-in-detroit-is-building-an-american-heritage-brand#1

they do make journals... again nayy though 'someone' suggested a matching > fountain pen... not sure if they noticed.. perhaps they ought to have an invite to a pen show?

[penrivers]

  On 5/15/2014 at 9:59 PM, Dutchpen said:

Was the time capsule also in newhaven?

The only way we can take this is with a grain of humor. Tears wont move macroeconomics.

[OcalaFlGuy]

  On 5/16/2014 at 6:25 PM, Darryl.k said:

If you are familiar with the Newhaven reception door handles, big brass Parker arrows, one of those got hacksawed off and stolen! I was more interested in locating and digging up the hidden Swastika pen!

 

Darryl

 

I'm not but it sounds really neat.

 

If I had been nearby and I knew that Parker was completely divested of the site, I would have taken the door handles myself.

 

I would have gone on a late night Search and Scarf mission(s).

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Darryl.k]

  On 5/17/2014 at 3:29 PM, OcalaFlGuy said:

 

I'm not but it sounds really neat.

 

If I had been nearby and I knew that Parker was completely divested of the site, I would have taken the door handles myself.

 

I would have gone on a late night Search and Scarf mission(s).

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

The handles were very desirable, made from solid brass and well made. I think there were 2 or 3 pairs at Newhaven. There was also a pair at Bush House, London when the head quarters was there.

 

http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af350/darryl_k/Brasshandle_zpse346af7a.jpg

 

Regards,

Darryl

[white_lotus]

I know of someone who visits an abandoned distillery near Philadelphia. He apparently worked there for a while as a young lad. So he's able to go in and pick some some memorabilia some of which he's donated to a local museum.

 

Wonder if someone had gone through and maybe found old bottles, pens, etc. in the years between it being closed and its demolition.