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Yvette248
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Username: Yvette248

Post Number: 395
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 1:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

After crushing the morale of its 2,100 employees with news of downsizing, it looks like many are planning to fire Pfizer instead by jumping ship to local companies rather than allowing the company to relocate them elsewhere.

Firms pursuing Pfizer workers

The rush has begun to snatch up Pfizer workers who will lose their jobs as the drug maker closes its doors in Ann Arbor by the end of 2008.

Pfizer spokesman Rick Chambers said the company will be "actively recruiting colleagues" to stay with Pfizer, and will give them information about other sites, other communities and job opportunities. "We have wonderfully talented people in Ann Arbor, and we want to keep as many as possible," he said.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/B IZ/701250370

Is there really still justice in this world?
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 2408
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 2:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As with any downsizing, Pfizer will lose the employees it most wants to keep. Pfizer's most desirable workers are the workers who have the greatest opportunities outside to company. It will cost them extra to keep the best workers.
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Yvette248
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Username: Yvette248

Post Number: 396
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 10:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Seems pretty stupid to risk losing such valuable assets for no apparent reason. Since they wanted to keep 70% of their workforce, there is no reason for them close all of their facilities in Michigan.
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Wazootyman
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Username: Wazootyman

Post Number: 186
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So, why in the hell are they closing the Ann Arbor facility? They don't want to lose the people, and they just spent a lot of money to expand the building. It doesn't make any sense to me. It seems to me a company in their position should be investing in all the R&D they can - because it's the lack of new drugs that is hurting them, right? They're not exactly in the red, so it doesn't seem like there should be any urgency to dispose of the building.

As I understand it, they're probably in a position to lose money selling off their building anyhow. I can't imagine such a large complex would be snatched up immediately, especially with such a soft commercial real estate market.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 3493
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If "people are their most important asset" (boy has that line been overused by corporate America)... then the head honchos at Pfizer aren't very smart, are they?
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Yvette248
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Username: Yvette248

Post Number: 400
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 9:58 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Apparently, they feel the location in Connecticut is more valuable to them. My question: who in the heck wants to move to Connecticut???
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Cambrian
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Username: Cambrian

Post Number: 535
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 11:03 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's a smart move by the AA employees. They would have a terrible time offloading thier houses in this sucky market. I'm sure that Pfeizer expects them to eat the losses associated with selling a house way under value or having to keep making payments on the AA house while renting / purchasing another in CT.
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Emu_steve
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Username: Emu_steve

Post Number: 110
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 11:31 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I too don't understand the move.

I'd think that Pfizer would want to be located very close to a prime source of very highly skilled workers and that would be UofM.

A tangent note. I heard that EMU had expected to apply to Pfizer for a grant to help stock their labs in the new science building that EMU wants to build.

But if Pfizer doesn't care about UofM graduates I'd guess they aren't too interested in EMU students trying to get an education.

Side note: I haven't followed the DETAILS of this story closely. Is Pfizer get any kind of sweetheart deal from the the state of Connecticut????
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El_jimbo
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Username: El_jimbo

Post Number: 39
Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 11:35 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yvette,

I agree. My gf is from Connecticut. I visited there with her one time. To me, it is just one big suburb for Boston and New York.
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Queensfinest
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Username: Queensfinest

Post Number: 14
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 5:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't know, I wouldn't necessarily choose Connecticut initially either, but like Jimbo says, it is right in the middle of NYC and Boston.

The state is a couple of hours or less by car or rail to either of those two world class cities. CT includes some very nice beautiful old historic housing, and several vibrant cities like Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich, and the largest, Hartford, which has really started to come back, all with viable downtowns equal too and larger than Detroit's center.

A large portion of the state is on the ocean with easy access to resort towns in Long Island, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, including Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. There are also mountains and all of the activities you'd associate with mountains very close by.

I don't know, most of America could do a lot worse than Connecticut. Just my two cents...
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Yvette248
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Username: Yvette248

Post Number: 406
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, January 26, 2007 - 5:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So I'm gonna uproot myself from all of my friends, family, and history for the privilege of living 2 hours from Boston???

Ummmm, I don't think so.
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Mcp001
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Username: Mcp001

Post Number: 2411
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 9:46 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As I understood it, part of the decision to move was based upon Lansing's push to remove immunity from lawsuits for drug manufacturers.
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Yvette248
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Username: Yvette248

Post Number: 407
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 9:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

And the bad public relations begins....


Ann Arbor folks added a couple of new words to their vocabulary this week, in the wake of Pfizer's announcement Monday that it would shutter its massive research and development facility on Plymouth Road.

Seen on several T-shirts around town: "Pfired."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/B IZ/701270351

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