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By SARAH E. MORAN , Staff Writer
August 8, 2002
SADSBURY -- The Hoppe's manufacturing and distribution plant here
will move to Idaho in early November.
The
company, which makes molded gun cases, trap throwers for sport shooting and
firearm cleaning products, employs 72 at its plant, and will soon begin the move
to Meridien, a Boise suburb.
When he announced the move to employees, Dennis Pixton, president of Michael's
of Oregon Co., which bought Hoppe's last year from the Brunswick Corp., said the
move is necessary to keep making products in the United States.
Said Steve Rowe, Michael's of Oregon executive vice president, "We now have four
facilities -- in Pennsylvania, Idaho, Montana and Oregon -- and we needed to
consolidate.We're trying to be efficient and keep 300 jobs in the United States
instead of moving manufacturing to China, Taiwan, Indonesia or Thailand."
The company is offering jobs in Idaho to all 72 employees, as well as financial
help with a move, Rowe said. Workers have until Aug. 29 to decide.
If they opt to remain here, they'll get severance pay and benefits and help with
finding a new job. Rowe declined to be more specific.
This puts the Hoppe's plant and its five acres in the Airport Industrial Park on
the selling block.
The plant has been in Sadsbury since 1978. Prior to that, it was in Parkesburg,
where it moved in 1960 from Philadelphia.
Company founder Frank A. Hoppe, who started Hoppe's in 1903, was a Philadelphia
native.
Hoppe's parent, Michael's of Oregon, is based in Oregon City, Ore. Its brands
include Uncle Mike's, Uncle Mike's Law Enforcement and Butler Creek in addition
to Hoppe's. Among its products include holsters, slings, swivels, gun cases,
belts, gun cleaning products and other hunting, shooting and law enforcement
gear.
İDaily
Local News 2002
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