Boone County's gain is our loss. U.S. Playing Card has been big part of our manufacturing history. They have been good neighbors in donating thousands of dollars since 1917 to charities. They have provided jobs to thousands of Norwood residents.
I recommend people read "The Early Days of Radio in Norwood" found at the Norwood Public Library to see just how important the USPC president and company was to our city and region.
I'd like to know, what happens to the empty buildings?
It's a shame something couldn't be worked out to keep them in Norwood - it's obvious they need more space but there is/was space behind the current factory on Beech. It's also obvious it has to do with taxes and tax abatements. A 107 year old company, with world headquarters here - will be difficult to replace, but Norwood Officials should get STARTED NOW, hit the ground running, and work on re-developing and marketing the USPC property to lure in another firm. Not in late 2009 or 2010 AFTER USPC has moved. Get to work on it now. Don't sit around waiting for the "redevelopment fairy" to do it.
I'd be interested in hearing how many actual jobs were still in the Norwood facility. The number quoted in the article included people from that other division:
"The campus will also serve as the headquarters for Loew-Cornell, a respected leader in the art and craft supply market and also part of Jarden Branded Consumables, whose corporate functions will be relocated to Boone County from Englewood, NJ."
Everything I've heard in the last ten years has pointed to the fact that the core playing card business is in a long, steady decline. See a lot of upscale kids playing card games anymore?
Who knows what this could mean for Norwood down the road? It's a prime piece of business property that would make a great corporate office/headquarters some day with a lot more revenue than what's there now.
So how much revenue is Norwood losing, NBD?
REgardless of how many jobs the new USPC will have (reportedly 500), even 100 jobs lost in Norwood is bad. Let's stay on our elected Officials to make sure they are working to replace those jobs, and redevelop the Beech Street property, immediately. Also, does anyone know how the XU redevelopment is going re: Norwood's interests/property inside Norwood?
i'm sure the mayor will get right on it - AS SOON AS HE GETS BACK FROM VACATION AGAIN. city officials have known about this possibility for quite some time now and have done nothing to prevent it. pretty much the same story as getting our streets repaired - hasn't happened and won't happen. nothing but a bunch of liars who are no match for what their job requires.
Speaking of streets, didn't a councilman and Mayor state LAST SUMMER that if the earnings tax renewal passed, our streets program would pick "right back up". The damned thing passed in November - this is July. Have I missed street work being done? I have travelled throughout Norwood and cant find a single resurfaced street. Does anyone know of any?
Yes, they pledged money from the renewal levy would be used for street repairs, but I didn't hear them say WHEN, did you? With USPC taking their earnings taxes out next year, maybe could be a good long time before we see street improvements? They're having a hard time just getting the potholes done from winter.
Regardless of what occurs with USPC, a certain amount of the earnings tax should have been "earmarked" for street replacement. Street repairs is an ongoing expense which should be budgeted every year. By the way, the person on here who stated they called PW and a pothole was fixed the next day - that poster must have been a city official. I called two weeks ago and left a message with phone number and no one called back and the potholes are still there.
Nope - I'm not a city official. The day I called the P.W. about the potholes, I was told the guys were out
that day repairing them and they would be told about the ones I reported and they fixed them. It was just a coincidence. I have no idea how often they repair potholes, do you? Maybe the ones you reported will be fixed next time they do them. I recently reported another batch that's getting worse. I'll give them about 3 weeks, and then I'm calling back. We can always call our council rep. if we don't get action.
There newspaper article about Playing Card moving implied the City was informed only 2 months ago. However, there was an Enquirer article bout a year and half ago (2006-2007) stating USPC was looking into expansion options including moving out of Norwood.
I'm sure that the city officials will lure a big business to that property with permanent tax breaks that will create further problems for our city down the road. With all of the development from Rookwood and the TIFs that the city gave them we really lost out on seeing that revenue. Now our city schools are in jeopardy. Hopefully they can generate a win-win for all.
U.S. Playing Card had branched out in recent years to hologram / silver wrapper / collector baseball, football, NASCAR, etc. all sorts of sporting cards, as well as the well known Bee, Bicycle, Aviator, etc. brands used worldwide by consumers and casinos. They were, and are, the Cadillac of cards. They also produced related materials such as posters, chips and booklets. There were alot of jobs. The number of jobs is important, but more important - how much was the total income of the company? It had to be huge - and it was all in Norwood. Anyone who minimizes the loss is either not informed or a public official trying to downplay the loss. This is not a doomsday outlook: perhaps the City can attract another business there to replace the jobs. But anytime a world headquarter manufacuring plant is lost, it is a big deal.
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