Ah, poor Dyslexia. His favorite art form is disappearing from this planet. How will he survive the traumatic shock? ---BBB
Friday, September 22, 2006
Pink flamingo fading to black
Leominster maker of lawn icon to close Nov. 1
By Martin Luttrell
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]
LEOMINSTER?- The iconic pink flamingo, which has adorned millions of American lawns since 1957, may go the way of the dodo, a victim of rising plastic resin and energy prices.
Dennis L. Plante, president of Union Products Inc., which manufactured the famous plastic birds, said the Lancaster Street injection molding firm will close its doors as of Nov. 1. PHOTO:
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060922/NEWS/609220342/1002
"The plant's pink flamingo will be an endangered species," he said.
Union Products ceased manufacturing on June 9, laying off 30 full-time production workers and some temporary employees, he said.
There are still employees taking care of getting back orders out, he said.
"Little by little, there will be less and less," he said. "It's mainly sales and shipping people. We're shipping the inventory that I have."
The company, which also produced plastic watering cans and birdbaths, as well as a host of specialty lawn items, saw the price of resin double in the last two years, Mr. Plante said.
That made it particularly difficult when dealing with large retailers, which require ordering a year ahead, he said.
"Mass. Electric's bills skyrocketed," he added. "It's killing me. Think of your electric bill going from $47,000 to $90,000."
Mr. Plante said he is in the process of selling off the company's assets to pay a lender. He currently does not plan to file for bankruptcy, he said.
He said that adding to his problems were retailers who would take delivery of shipments, but then balk at paying, saying they weren't notified of the shipment, or that there was no bar code printed on the shipment identifying it coming from Union Products.
The pink flamingo, put into production when newly hired art school graduate Donald Featherstone sculpted the original from clay ?- using a photograph from National Geographic as a model ?- has been called "classic treasured kitsch" and the nation's "unofficial national backyard bird."
An estimated 20 million or more flamingos produced by the company have been sold.
Three companies from outside the area, specializing in lawn and garden items, are negotiating with Mr. Plante for the machinery, molds and other equipment used in producing the long-stemmed lawn ornaments, he said.
"I've had a lot of sleepless nights over this," he said in a telephone interview.
Mr. Plante said he wants to rent or sell the property at 511 Lancaster St., which comprises 8 acres and five buildings. Meanwhile, he doesn't know what the future holds after the company closes.
"I don't know what I will do," he said. "It's hard to see through the forest when you're standing amongst the trees."
Leominster Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella said he fielded several calls yesterday regarding the plant's closing, along with requests to obtain some of the avian ornaments.
He said the community is not ready to let go of the plastic icon, and that the Center for Technical Education is considering making a mold to produce a version of the flamingo if a local company does not inherit it.
"We'll see what happens with the sale of it," he said. "We don't plan on giving up the designation of the birthplace of the pink flamingo.
We can use it as a fundraiser. We don't plan on letting that slip away."
Mr. Featherstone, who lives in Fitchburg, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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