Golf Ball Factory Fire

[fixyurdivot]

This just in from HQ.  Pretty sad story with loss of life . Geezz, and just when things were getting back to normal after Covid. Stock up before the price goes crazy.

[BallsLeon]

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/fire-at-launch-technologies-golf-ball-factory-kills-10/

[KC Golf]

This is really tragic.

I think it’s a bit appalling that Callaway uses a ball factory that skirts safety rules by that extent with flammable chemicals.  Especially if it is supposed to stored in a separate building.  Hard to suggest that Callaway could not have known that on even a basic site tour.

 

[BIG STU]

Thanks for the 411-- I had seen it on one of my news feeds and wondered who they made balls for.

[Shrek74]

Hopefully my 6 dozen balls will last me well into next year.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

I just read about what material caused this. Organic peroxides are no joke. They are a shock explosive and highly reactive. In grad school I heard and organic peroxide explosion on the floor I was working on. The guy was lucky to make it out alive. put a hole in the wall that his fume hood was connected to and shattered all the windows in that lab. This was on a 100g scale. I can only imagine what thousands of tons of this material would do. I feel bad for the families of those who perished and the negligence of the factory and to some extent the OEMs that didn't try to make sure their inventory was being made in a safe facility.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

 

[tony@CIC]

6 hours ago, BallsLeon said:

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/fire-at-launch-technologies-golf-ball-factory-kills-10/

Perhaps Snell as well?  

[storm319]

1 hour ago, tony@CIC said:

Perhaps Snell as well?  

I believe Dean has the MTB Prime produced in one factory and the MTB Prime X in another, but has never disclosed which factories those are. Given that these are TPU, Foremost isn’t one of them. That leaves Launch Technologies, Feng Tay, and SM Parker as the most likely culprits. I guess if Snell experiences a shortage for one of these in the next year that likely points to Launch bring the manufacturer. 

[BIG STU]

4 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

 

Just speculation here but I wonder how much of the destroyed factory as far as materials and processes supports the making of the Callaway balls?

[BIG STU]

6 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

I just read about what material caused this. Organic peroxides are no joke. They are a shock explosive and highly reactive. In grad school I heard and organic peroxide explosion on the floor I was working on. The guy was lucky to make it out alive. put a hole in the wall that his fume hood was connected to and shattered all the windows in that lab. This was on a 100g scale. I can only imagine what thousands of tons of this material would do. I feel bad for the families of those who perished and the negligence of the factory and to some extent the OEMs that didn't try to make sure their inventory was being made in a safe facility.

I can tell you this and it is blunt. The manufacturers do not care if it is safe or not all they care about is their bottom line. One of the reasons they use foreign companies is they can make stuff cheaper because they do not have OSHA or the EPA breathing down their necks. Not saying it is right by any means but it is the cold hard truth.

[GolfSpy_APH]

So sad to see for all the people and families involved. 

Don't really care about the golf implications. Just hope that the companies learn from this and make the appropriate changes to make sure it doesn't happen again.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

Sounds like there will be implications for the company. From the way it reads there was some serious shortcuts that endangered people. Not a good situation. I hope this stems a reaction to bring this manufacturing back to the states where there are safety plans and actual standards. 
 

[fixyurdivot]

2 hours ago, Lacassem said:

Sounds like there will be implications for the company. From the way it reads there was some serious shortcuts that endangered people. Not a good situation. I hope this stems a reaction to bring this manufacturing back to the states where there are safety plans and actual standards. 
 

Looks like they wasted no time in issuing a fine... which at first glance looked fairly significant... until one does the conversion to USD.  The article lists safety related fines from prior years (also a joke).  With a butter-knife like this looming over their necks, I'm surprised they'd risk such maneuvers .

11 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I can tell you this and it is blunt. The manufacturers do not care if it is safe or not all they care about is their bottom line. One of the reasons they use foreign companies is they can make stuff cheaper because they do not have OSHA or the EPA breathing down their necks. Not saying it is right by any means but it is the cold hard truth.

In addition to lower labor rates, companies can save tons of money in safety related costs... and, apparently, fines.  Some of the manufacturing operations I witnessed around the globe, when Boeing was infactuated with offshore operation "opportunities", were simply appalling.  Ever seen two workers seated inside a die forming press, while forming takes place? 

[Placasse61]

This is so sad! This is all about greed. I am sorry but bottom lines are not as important as humans!!!! I agree with Lacassem, as my father said back in the late 70's and 80's, that we need manufacturing to stay in the U.S. for quality and humanitarian reasons. His quote was "you can pay the higher price now or pay a greater price later." 

[fixyurdivot]

2 hours ago, Placasse61 said:

This is so sad! This is all about greed. I am sorry but bottom lines are not as important as humans!!!! I agree with Lacassem, as my father said back in the late 70's and 80's, that we need manufacturing to stay in the U.S. for quality and humanitarian reasons. His quote was "you can pay the higher price now or pay a greater price later." 

No argument except to say the pendulum can and does swing too far in the other direction.  Finding a reasonable balance point can prove challenging when ulterior motives/interests are in work behind the scene.  

[Placasse61]

18 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

No argument except to say the pendulum can and does swing too far in the other direction.  Finding a reasonable balance point can prove challenging when ulterior motives/interests are in work behind the scene.  

Very true fixyurdivot! Life in general is about finding the elusive balance. 

[IndyBonzo]

This is so sad and troubling.  To think that the person who had a hand in making the ball we play in our next round died or was injured in that fire.  It sounds as if they worked in a casually managed fireworks factory.

I'm also a pragmatist, and anticipating the price of golf balls (including used ones) increasing due to scarcity, or balls at least becoming harder to find in the short term even if sellers hold the line on prices, I ordered 4 dozen Maxfli Tour X last night (with the special pricing for that volume, and a $10 Dick's/Golf Galaxy reward in play).  The invisible hand is already going to work.

 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

22 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

No argument except to say the pendulum can and does swing too far in the other direction.  Finding a reasonable balance point can prove challenging when ulterior motives/interests are in work behind the scene.  

I would just like to see production done in areas that have protocols and occasional audits to keep folks honest. I think that’s the middle ground. Doesn’t have to be here. Standards are so important 

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, Lacassem said:

I would just like to see production done in areas that have protocols and occasional audits to keep folks honest. I think that’s the middle ground. Doesn’t have to be here. Standards are so important 

They probably do have protocols and audits.  A couple of articles stated that there are regulations prohibiting the storage of the organic peroxide in the amounts they had in the production facility.  It will be interesting to know whether this had been a routine practice or someone's major screw-up.  

[Hacker60521]

Just found this thread and like many of you I’m shocked and appalled by what happened and how management was able to essentially ignore safety rules because of nominal fines. Sadly, I’m not surprised though. US companies have been overseas a long time to reduce costs and remain price competitive. But I’d imagine that labor conditions in China and smaller countries (including Middle East,  India, etc) are even worse — remember the suicide nets that were installed at the Foxconn facility that makes iPhones? 
 

Anyway, I’m not sure how we solve this. But like @IndyBonzo I’ll probably stock up now — although I’m sure prices have moved already. I’m guessing even unaffected manufacturers will raise prices because they can. 

[barney_bogey]

Micro chips all over again...

Time to buy some bulk balls at a discount and brace for the storm.

There is a price we pay for cheap Chinese labor.

B

[Wozgolf]

I wonder if the companies effected have a domestic factory that could pick up some of the slack.

[cnosil]

1 minute ago, Wozgolf said:

I wonder if the companies effected have a domestic factory that could pick up some of the slack.

doubtful; I don't believe there are any independent US based ball manufacturing plants 

[Wozgolf]

I meant if Callaway or TM has an US plant, they could switch production.

I know the DTC’s are SOL.

 

[cnosil]

2 minutes ago, Wozgolf said:

I meant if Callaway or TM has an US plant, they could switch production.

I know the DTC’s are SOL.

 

Callaway has a plant in Chicopee, Massachusetts and Taylormade in Liberty, South Carolina.   

[Wozgolf]

Thanks. I thought so.

[GaDawg]

12 hours ago, barney_bogey said:

Micro chips all over again...

Time to buy some bulk balls at a discount and brace for the storm.

There is a price we pay for cheap Chinese labor.

B

Very true statement. Years ago I found my production machine shop up against China. They were selling finished products cheaper than I could purchase the raw material for. The customer found out the hard way, when the quality was very poor and they started having major warranty issues.

[Hacker60521]

16 hours ago, Wozgolf said:

I wonder if the companies effected have a domestic factory that could pick up some of the slack.

Probably not domestic, but there are other golf ball factories that they could go to I suppose. But no idea if they have enough excess capacity to cover 20% of the market. Hopefully, with the winter season coming up that demand will go down a bit and manufacturers can figure it out 

[BIG STU]

18 hours ago, GaDawg said:

Very true statement. Years ago I found my production machine shop up against China. They were selling finished products cheaper than I could purchase the raw material for. The customer found out the hard way, when the quality was very poor and they started having major warranty issues.

My Old Man always stressed you get what you pay for