Pall Corporation announces it will close Ann Arbor business operations this summer
Company officials have announced that business operations at Pall Life Sciences at 600 S. Wagner Rd. in Scio Township will cease this summer.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo
Employees at Pall Life Sciences at 600 S. Wagner Rd. in Scio Township were notified Friday that the company would be ceasing operations, said Doug Novarro, corporate director of public relations for Pall.
Novarro would not give the specific date for when business operations would end at the Ann Arbor facility, but stated that the closure would occur in phases, starting in July.
A WARN Act notice filed with the State of Michigan and sent to employees said 55 of 71 employees at the site would experience an employment loss.
About 12 have been offered transfers to other Pall Corp. offices, Novarro said.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires companies to notify employees who will be affected by plant closings, mass layoffs or certain other employment loss conditions
Employees will begin transitioning out of Pall's Ann Arbor operations beginning in July, Novarro said. The notification filed with the state gave July 9 as the date for the first layoffs.
Pall Corp. has its headquarters in Port Washington, N.Y. It has 14 facilities in the U.S., as well as international operations in 32 countries.
According to its 2012 earnings statement, Pall had a net earnings of $319.3 million. Most of its 2012 sales of $2.67 billion were from foreign markets: 38 percent in Europe and 30 percent in Asia.
The company manufactures a variety of laboratory equipment materials, including filters and membranes used in research, medical and biopharmaceutical operations.
Employees at Pall's Ann Arbor facility work in a number of different arenas that support the company's life sciences business, including the manufacture of lab products and separation of cells for research purposes.
Pall Corp. is reviewing the structure of its business operations worldwide, Novarro said. The company has closed operations in some of its holdings in the past two years, Novarro said.
The closure is a part of Pall's effort to deliver its services cost-effectively, Novarro said.
Pall Life Sciences in Ann Arbor was formerly Pall-Gelman. Gelman Sciences was responsible for a plume of 1,4 dioxane that contaminated groundwater in the Ann Arbor area between the mid-1960s and mid-1980s.
Environmental monitoring and remediation efforts are ongoing and are being tracked by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
"This was strictly a business decision," Novarro said, noting that the environmental contamination at the site did not factor into the company's decision to close the facility. "It's a part of an effort to ensure we're appropriately structured worldwide."
The environmental team will remain at the Ann Arbor facility to continue remediation efforts, Novarro said.
"The closure does not affect the environmental remediation effort at the site," Novarro said.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
Mike
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:18 p.m.
With the earnings status of this company and over halfof the earnings coming from foriegn markets there is no way that this property will be cleaned of all the contaminates that they have deposited. The parking lot would be a great idea, too bad a park and ride would haveto be cleaned up before making the adjustment. Should the taxpayors be charged 30 million dollars for a parking lot? The best thing to do is to put a hold on all of their holdings until this is cleaned up.
Thoughtful
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 11:26 a.m.
So maybe sell Balas and buy Pall for that $1 and move Balas there? Just a thought.
Jay Thomas
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:31 a.m.
Well... bye. Enjoy all of your profits. Thanks for the Dioxane.
Kai Petainen
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:31 a.m.
The way I see it... If they want to be a leader in water treatment... then they need to fix the problems here. Ann Arbor is their chance to show the world how they can lead, innovate and fix a problem. Clean the dioxane and then brag/market about how great you were in Ann Arbor. Instead, they close up shop and leave for the bottom line and for areas with less regulation (even though enforcement by the MDEQ actually sucks in Michigan). That's not how a socially responsible leader, leads -- but, that is how unfortunately the bottom line, leads. But, perhaps we saw some of this coming... look at all the insider selling by major players at Pall.... that's not a good sign for a stock....
Julia Herbst
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:09 a.m.
My aunt Wanda worked here for many many years before her passing, I fondly remember "Bring your kid to work day" And she would always take me, the plant would give tours, we got to test specimens and watch them grow in petri dishes, See how the things were made, Don and Doff gowns, ran relays outside and learned how to use fire extinguishers. I still have a Pall T-Shirt upstairs in my bedroom. The workers there are truley a 'Family', The plant sent a charter bus full of employees to my aunts funeral so they could say their respects to our family, I will never forget that. Thanks for the Memories Pall.
Tom Joad
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:08 a.m.
This toxic plume continues to migrate and potentially reach the Huron River, where this extremely hygroscopic organic chemical threatens the water quality of not only Ann Arbor but communities downriver. Once again a corporation fouls the nest of shifting the burden of clean-up and health risks on society.
Arboriginal
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 1:17 a.m.
See, Snyder's plan is working!!!
say it plain
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:46 a.m.
how about AA.com does some articles on that whole dioxame plume thing?! Haven't seen anything about it for the longest time. Is it finished? Will it ever be? Should we be concerned? Tell us! It would seem a rather high priority public issue...
KathyMac
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 5:52 p.m.
I agree 'say it plain'. The poor people that live in the area of the plume have had a hard time getting someone to get this cleaned up quicker. Why not do a story/stories about what is happening and why hasn't it been addressed lately. This is our water source we are talking about. I live on the opposite side of town but I don't want it to move closer...
MichU
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:58 p.m.
APALLing.
clownfish
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:42 p.m.
If they are opening facilities across the globe, why are they closing this one? What a fall. Gelman used to employ hundreds of people at all skill and income levels, now it be will three rusting hulks. I know a few people that still work(ed) there, I wish them well and hope they can remain in this area.
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:36 p.m.
They have a terrible history here, of toxic dumping and pollution. It still isnot cleaned up.
Seasoned Cit
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 10:12 p.m.
For all the people who have blamed Gelman all these years, A little check of history will show that Gelman actually applied for and was granted permission to use deep wells for disposal of their chemical waste from the same State of Michigan that has since been monitoring the cleanup process.... of a "suspected" carcinogen. Sort of like the EPA declaring CO2 a pollutant...and disregarding that every human on the planet exhales it.
JimmyD
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 9:26 p.m.
Wguru - Thanks !
Wguru
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:08 a.m.
@Seasoned Cit. Gelman's deep waste well was not licensed to receive all of the hazardous waste that Gelman Sciences was injecting. The well was permitted by the EPA (not the MDNR/MDEQ), but the EPA apparently was not informed that Gelman was injecting carcinogens like Benzene. When the well permit was up for renewal in 1994, the company suddenly decided that it had become too expensive to operate... here's a link to the article about its closing: https://www.box.com/s/lrh01a3m6e468jk9nhca. !,4-dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and suspected human carcinogen, one that the EPA ruled more dangerous that previously thought when it issued steeper slope factor for it... which should have resulted in Michigan's dioxane cleanup standard to be tightened from the current 85ppb to about 3-5ppb... if Michigan had been due diligent about following the EPA ruling like many other states: CA: 1ppb IL:1ppb MA:0.3ppb MI:85ppb. Instead, MDEQ delayed the change until December 2013 when site specific criteria might give Pall a complete pass on doing more cleanup. As for history, here is the original DNR complaint against Gelman Sciences: https://www.box.com/shared/vy7pk2txp5 Like with the deep well, Gelman violated every discharge permit the State issued.
seldon
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:23 p.m.
Yeah, except people don't exhale dioxane. Where are we getting these commenters?
Wguru
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.
@Mike et al: regarding a more friendly business environment... maybe you're not aware that Pall walked away from a $4.1M MEGA grant and $1.3M tax abatement agreement to stay in Michigan and add jobs ... and do a proper cleanup... soon after they acquired Gelman Sciences in 1997. It's B.S. that Pall's decision to leave Michigan was prompted by Michigan's business tax policy. We want socially responsible companies here who understand that high tech employees demand living in an environmentally safe community. Keeping Michigan "Pure" and "livable" can be more effective in attracting good jobs than sacrificing our habitat for a quick buck. Pall seems ready to walk away from its cleanup responsibility leaving an unknown amount of 1,4-dioxane to spread to where ever it happens to go... perhaps even to Barton Pond where Ann Arbor gets 80-85% of its water. The DEQ reassures us that Pall has a 30-year financial commitment to continue the cleanup but enforcing that once Pall moves out will be difficult... and who pays to finish the cleanup after 30 years? The cleanup hasn't been completed after 20 years of cleanup (after the company claimed it could be done in 5 years), so who can guarantee another 30 is enough? You're 2/3 Water, Act Accordingly.
Tesla
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 9:03 p.m.
Good for them. The company is in business to satisfy it's customer base and investors. Not the hippies in Ann Arbor. Sorry for the employees but thats the breaks of being an "employee" The majority of their sales are over seas so I don't begrudge them opening ops there while closing them here. I would do exactly the same thing.
clownfish
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 5:43 p.m.
Mike, time to stop making assumptions about people based on your ideology. I search out and purchase locally made products and USA made products and buy them when available, even when they cost more then imported products. Do I do this 100% of the time? Probably not, but certainly more than 1%, much, much more. I also own and run a business.
Mike
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:29 p.m.
Ah... This from a person who probably purchases 99 % of all they own from foriegn companies that sell most of their good in the USA... Kind of hippicritcal if youask me. Not meaning to put anyone down, but just take a look at all of what Americans do for the rest of this world. It seems that with your logic the USA purchases most of the worlds products, they should be here producing those products.
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:34 p.m.
They are in business to clean up the contaminated groundwater mess that they created and are responsible for.
clownfish
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:10 a.m.
And people wonder why all the jobs go away. Morals and ethics have no place in America. I know this because the GOP has been running on that platform for a long time. At one time they even had a moral majority so they could set the example for all to eschew morals. Profit for stockholders is more important for communities than strong families with good incomes and values.
Fishermon
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:55 p.m.
It is a surprise that they stayed in AA this long after buying Gelman's operation.
djacks24
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:31 p.m.
That's okay. There will be at least 70 low wage customer service positions open at (insert name of restaurant, fast food joint, or big box store) to absorb these losses and at least (skewed) numbers wise, make it look like the economy is on the up swing like the Left wants us to believe.
Catasetumkid
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4 p.m.
I thought it was our governor that said we here in Michigan were on the upswing. He laments that so many jobs go unfilled, when most of the jobs on his website are minimum wage, or jobs people used to be trained for while ON THE JOB. Funny how all this has changed now that CEOs have become so extra specially greedy and costs have been cut so much to fuel those big bonuses.
Tesla
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 9:05 p.m.
Good. I'll take a whopper with cheese and fries. The numbers don't lie unless you're Karl Rove. If "your" economy isn't improving you're vested in the wrong vehicles dude. I'm making money hand over fist.
John of Saline
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:57 p.m.
That casts a pall over Ann Arbor's jobs picture.
OLDTIMER3
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:49 p.m.
What has right to work got to do with PALL, as far as I know they were a non union shop.
djacks24
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:13 p.m.
It's called a union supporter grasping at straws.
Amy Biolchini
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:04 p.m.
You're correct. Employees at Pall's Ann Arbor office are not represented by a union.
BioWheels
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:36 p.m.
I sure hope that the current state of the Michigan legislature - the poor business climate generated by Governor Synder and his colleagues, was not the reason for Pall Corporation deciding to leave the Ann Arbor/Michigan area. Hopefully the poor business climate, and the anti-unionism that is being perpetrated in the Michigan government, will change and allow for a healthy economic recovery once these officials are voted out of office.
ThinkingOne
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:36 p.m.
Amy I don't want to speak for BioWheels, but there is no claim in that statement that Pall was unionized. And, I think that the fact that you think it did perhaps reveals a little too much about your personal biases.
Jay Thomas
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:26 a.m.
It wouldn't matter if they had a union, except to maybe pack up and leave sooner.
djacks24
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:12 p.m.
What do you consider "business friendly"? Pro-union legislature? LOL...
Amy Biolchini
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:04 p.m.
Employees at Pall Life Sciences were not represented by a union.
Barzoom
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:33 p.m.
Once they have safely moved beyond the reach of the State of Michigan the remediation efforts will evaporate.
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:14 p.m.
""This was strictly a business decision,' Novarro said, noting that the environmental contamination at the site did not factor into the company's decision to close the facility. 'It's a part of an effort to ensure we're appropriately structured worldwide.'" But the fact that it "did not factor into the company's decision" tells us a lot about this firm's approach to corporate ethics. Awful!
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:08 a.m.
@Tesla: As a global company Pall has locations literally all over the world & can choose where those are at will. Are they really losing money doing business in Michigan when the U.S. is the lowest cost location in the world to manufacture & Michigan is a low cost place in the U.S. to do business? I sincerely doubt it. Even if their manufacturing plant in Ann Arbor were equal to another facility down the list in profitability as a company that screwed up the local aquifer they ought to consider that as one consideration among many in making decisions as to where they keep or close locations. The Financial Times had an interesting essay today about the most successful business man of our era. "If you had invested $1 in 1965, it would be worth almost $6,000 today... His name, of course, is Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and he is perhaps the most successful business person ever... Reading his letters, it dawns that what Buffett is describing is a version, refined and updated, of the inclusive capitalism that was the norm until the late 1970s. Continuing to retain and reinvest profits to fuel future growth to benefit all stakeholders, including investors, Berkshire is the last great standout against the "downsize and distribute" policies that now dominate – policies privileging outsourcing, downsizing and the slashing of research and development and capital investment in favour of massive dividend payments and share buybacks to shareholders (including managers who thus allocate the resources). With almost half a century of comparison to go on, we can now safely judge which approach is more successful. The conclusions contain some towering ironies. Berkshire confirms shareholders do better – much better – under a regime that optimises returns to overall wellbeing than under one that focuses on shareholder value alone." See:www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/2a9be5ca-ae83- 11e2-8316-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2TE8VLTR4
Mike
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 6:02 p.m.
Create a more friendly business environment and you won't have to run ads like New York to try and attract businesses to come to your state. You know the old saying; "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig", New York has taxed and regulated a lot of big companies out of their state and they think a PR campaign will bring companies to a state that is not business friendly......can you say Texas?. Businesses move to other states or countries for business reasons because if they don't make profits they can't offer good paying jobs or survive. I tried to write this slowly so that all could understand.
ThinkingOne
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
Seldon No the UK doesn't have 'Obamacare'. They just have free healthcare without all the restrictions that the GOP put up about requiring private insurance carriers be a part of the mix.
Audion Man
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 1:20 a.m.
Taking big risks makes you paranoid, apparently.
clownfish
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:03 a.m.
If I have this right Gelman Sciences was born and raised in Michigan, under both republican and democrat governors. It went through various tax codes and rates through various state and federal administrations. It employed hundreds of people, most of whom had medical benefits. It was purchased by PALL, a New York (high tax state) based company, in 1996. As Pall/Gelman it survived through two state administrations and a decade of republican control of the state congress. Now it is opening facilities in Massachusetts (Romney Care and high taxes) and the UK (socialized health care and high taxes) . They most likely supply medical benefits to all salaried employees and offer it to many hourly employees and have for decades. They make a good share of their income, or did, on the manufacturing and sale of medical equipment. The state of MI just got rid of the onerous MBT and has lessened taxation for business. Federal taxes have been at decades long low rates for years, even corporate taxes. Millions of people are now going to have access to medical care that previously may not have. And it is high taxes and Obamacare that is causing them to leave to go to Massachusetts, the UK and Saudi Arabia ( a dictatorship ruled by an inherited monarchy)? Wow. OK. Sure.
Audion Man
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.
I am unclear what, exactly, the @Mike's and @NoPC's of the world are after. We are now a glorious Right to Work state. We have reworked our tax code. We cut all that nasty wasteful money going to public education. And yet, all of these selfless job creators are butt-hurt and are still leaving. Despite the fact that Obamacare is gift to health-insurance sector, it is the most evil thing ever. But what else? Do employers need the "flexibility" to start indenturing employees? Cut the minimum wage to nothing? I already spend a good deal of my time navigating my time through the shark-tank that is the investment community trying to protect my meager retirement savings, should I prepare myself to have all of the food I buy tested because any form of regulation is just too damn onerous?
seldon
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
They're getting rid of the Ann Arbor office, and opening two new Life Sciences centers. Want to know where? Massachusetts, and the United Kingdom. If you guys want to take that as an indication that they left Michigan because it was too pro-labor, go right ahead, but it's pretty funny. Though I guess the UK doesn't have Obamacare, huh?
djacks24
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Unless your comment essentially says "Business BAD...Government GOOD", you will get all kinds of votes down with this Kool-Aid crowd.
Audion Man
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:52 p.m.
@NoPC I'm convinced. Michigan is too business hostile. Let's adopt Texas' business policies. And given you are such a supporter, we can stick a big ol' fertilizer plant next to your house. Let the businesses leave. They can set up shop in Bangladesh, and after they laissez faire themselves to death under pancaked buildings, they can come crawling back.
NoPC
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:42 p.m.
@Seldon-- What kind of fool thinks they are moving because of Obamacare??? The kind of fool that knows how to read a BALANCE SHEET!!! Ask almost any business what their biggest expenses are and they will tell you 1) Labor 2) Benefits. Michigan has long been a very expensive Union State (Labor). Even with Right to Work, it's rap will be the same for quite a while. With the like of Washington DC, the same can be said for the entire country. Now, with Obamacare (Benefits), Golly! $17 trillion in debt. You're right.... Foolish thinking.
alternativeview99
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:24 p.m.
Well, I just travelled from Michigan to Washington and all along the way I saw ads (Pure Michigan) about Michigan. But, word is out that Michigan is NOT a friendly state to people who work for a living, have worked for a living, or will work for a living. And, businesses move to other states or countries for business reasons that concern CASH FLOW. They often want to avoid the true costs of doing business with subsidies, tax reductions, and exemptions from regulations concerning pollution, or any law or agreement that will have taxpayers foot some of the expense of their operations. Go ahead, call that profit if you like. But, we all know what it is. I don't have a problem with communities entering into relationships with businesses that over the long term will provide benefits to the communities. But, all I have seen so far under Snyder's regime are businesses that are attracted to perks that lower their expenses with not much resulting benefit to the communities involved and especially not to the middle-class taxpayer. Time will tell. Oh, and I didn't try to write this slowly. So, excuse a possible typo. I think most of us get it.
NoPC
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 7:23 p.m.
@Audion Man-- hate to pull you down off your soap box, but what Mike is saying is not about dioxane in your drinking water. Pall is still responsible for the clean (if it's still going on). What they are leaving for is the cost of doing business in the United States just got a lot more expensive due to Obamacare. And with all the other unanswered questions about future tax liabilities, the line of tail lights leaving the State of Michigan as well as the United States will be very, very long. We may be unemployed, but hey, we'll have healthcare, right???
David Briegel
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 6:18 p.m.
You mean the genius nerd business tax cut didn't accomplish it's stated goals? In Texas things go boom!
Audion Man
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 6:07 p.m.
Golly, you are right. We should demand more 1,4 dioxane in our drinking water for the sake of being friendly to job creators. To celebrate, let us toast our Randian paradise with a couple of tall cold glasses of water. You first.
Audion Man
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 6 p.m.
http://news.pall.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4682 I'd hate to think what would happen to our water if they weren't a "Top Green" company. Of course, consider the source...
Craig Lounsbury
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 6 p.m.
Meanwhile across town the DEQ is using a million bucks of our money to tear down a shopping mall
David Briegel
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:54 p.m.
It is tragic what Charles Gelman did to that land, and now what Pall is doing. Corporate responsibility is an oxymoron.
Jay Thomas
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:23 a.m.
No, they bought it knowing all the facts. I blame them too! Gelman really got away with it though. :(
sellers
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:48 p.m.
Can't blame pall
Audion Man
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:52 p.m.
So, sorry about your ruined aquifer- kindly accept this batch of now-unemployed people as our parting gift. Any further comment would offend our suffocating commenting guidelines.
Kai Petainen
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:45 p.m.
71 employees. 55 are fired. 12 move to other places. That's 67. So 4 will stay in Ann Arbor and all 4 will do Dioxane clean-up? I doubt all 4 will do it - some of those will supervise. Sounds to me like Pall hardly cares about Ann Arbor....or Dioxane. Pretty sad for a company that is the 'expert' in 'water filtration'. You know what's also insulting about this? They... a water filtration company... moves to Khobar, Saudi Arabia... .. and Khobar has only 2.6 inches of rain a year. If I had a water filtration company, I'd want to place it in a spot with lots of water... so I could refine and improve on the technology. Instead a water filtration company goes to a place without water. Odd.
Jay Thomas
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 4:32 a.m.
This reminds me of that other company buying Handylab for the purpose of moving it to N.J.
clownfish
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:44 p.m.
How about filtering out the water they contaminated? Seems like it would be a good site for research into mass filtration of chemically polluted water.
David Briegel
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:53 p.m.
They'll be working on the desalination programs which are turning Saudi Arabia into a garden.
kmgeb2000
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:23 p.m.
"Environmental monitoring and remediation efforts are ongoing and are being tracked by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality." --Wouldn't they need access to the data for that to be completely accurate? Being that PALL has removed the MDEQ staff's access to PALL database (which previously has been accessable to them for nearly a decade) with the monitoring data would suggest something else. Being that MDEQ Admin and Govenor are good with that also suggest something else. The fact that they are purging less than half the volumne of water from just two years ago - again "something else". This news may not relate to the environmental remediation efforts but this are a changing nonetheless.
Kai Petainen
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:18 p.m.
So basically, Pall moved from Ann Arbor to Saudi Arabia. This month they announced a new office in Khobar, Saudi Arabia and partnered with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology -- where they will take part in joint research with them on filtration, separation and purification.
maallen
Wed, May 15, 2013 : 12:36 p.m.
jns131, Here is a short list that you no longer can do business with because these companies do business with Saudi Arabia (assuming you are a person of your word): 3M AIG Amoco Apple AT&T Bank of America BlackBerry/RIM Boeing Chase Chevron Cigna Citi Coca Cola Eli Lilly Exxon Ford GE Holiday Inn IBM J.P. Morgan Marathon Oil Morgan Stanley Motorola Mobil Merck Navistar Pepsi Pfizer Phillips Petrol Proctor & Gamble SBC Communicat. Texaco Shell TRW Westinghouse Again, this is just a short list. All of a sudden your world just got a lot smaller!
Kai Petainen
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
Amy, thanks for the clarification. Most appreciated. Sorry to bug you about that, but Pall is a sore spot in Ann Arbor. Just look at how they issued a press release that they were going to Saudi Arabia. They only issue press releases for good stuff -- they fail to issue press releases for bad stuff. If you look at Yahoo finance and look at the press releases, then you'll see "Pall Corporation Opens Office in Saudi Arabia" -- a press release that only says the good stuff. But, this is an example of selective disclosure, as they only list good things. Soon, if they don't put out a press release, then I'll put out one myself that states, "Pall Corporation Closes Office in America -- When Companies Don't Issue Press Releases"
Amy Biolchini
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
Kai, I apologize; the Sept. 12 date was a typo on my part. As for the other information: No, the company didn't give that to me. I sought it out after I saw your comment regarding Pall moving from Ann Arbor to Saudi Arabia. I posted the other dates of their announcements to give a little more context to Pall Corp.'s operations, and that they're expanding in multiple markets.
Kai Petainen
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:26 a.m.
jns... human rights watch http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/saudi-arabia "Saudi Arabia has stepped up arrests and trials of peaceful dissidents, and responded with force to demonstrations by citizens. Authorities continue to suppress or fail to protect the rights of 9 million Saudi women and girls and 9 million foreign workers. As in past years, thousands of people have received unfair trials or been subject to arbitrary detention, and public and other executions continue. Human rights defenders and others regularly face trial for peaceful expression or assembly, or for demanding political and human rights reforms."
Kai Petainen
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 2:23 a.m.
Amy... "Sept. 12, 2012, the company announced the opening of a state-of-the-art Life Sciences Center of Excellence in Westborough, Massachusetts." Did Pall give you that info and you're giving us their marketing spin? And/or did you make a typo? Normally I wouldn't pick on you (you do a great job), but all the press releases that I see with regards to that indicate Sept. 19th and not the 12th. Press releases also indicate 'state-of-the-art'... "Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL), a global leader in filtration, separation and purification, today announced it will be opening a state-of-the-art Life Sciences Center of Excellence in Westborough, Massachusetts. " -- press release, Sept. 19th.
jns131
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:44 a.m.
I would boycott any biz that does biz in that country what with the womens rights violations they have. Would not find me relocating as a female in that country. Sad they do they biz there.
Amy Biolchini
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:11 p.m.
It's not all about Saudi Arabia, Kai. The company announced the opening of that new office in Saudi Arabia April 28 -- which does not immediately appear to be a part of the company's Life Sciences division, as Ann Arbor's office is. April 4, they announced the opening of a new Life Sciences Centre of Excellence in Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. Sept. 12, 2012, the company announced the opening of a state-of-the-art Life Sciences Center of Excellence in Westborough, Massachusetts.
a2citizen
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
You would deny a desert country water purification research?
NSider
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:17 p.m.
This location is in a perfect spot for the UoM to purchase and create a park and ride spot... commuters from the west could park here and take city buses into and around town. Dave says the property is worth only $1? Okay, good, then that way making it a parking lot wouldn't be a great loss, would it?
jns131
Tue, May 14, 2013 : 12:42 a.m.
I am not sure if anyone would want to stand on that site knowing what is in the ground.
sellers
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 11:47 p.m.
Very interesting thinking.
Dave
Mon, May 13, 2013 : 5:08 p.m.
This property is probably worth about $1 with what is in the ground. Why not stay instead of writing this property off? No one will want to buy it. Sad.