HARRINGTON, Maine — Maine-based retail giant L.L. Bean has been ordered to pay Washington County wreath producer Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington just under $1 million to settle a contentious and long-lingering dispute over balsam product production during the 2008 holiday season.
In a complicated, 79-page finding that details how the wheels came off a 26-year business relationship between the two firms, Maine Business and Consumer Court Judge A.M. Horton ruled, in effect, that L.L.Bean had ordered more wreaths and other balsam products for the 2008 Christmas season than it was ultimately able to sell.
As a result, Horton ruled, Worcester is entitled to compensation for ramping up for anticipated production of products ordered and for purchase of components needed to produce those products — balsam tips, decorations and wire wreath frames — that were ultimately never sold.
L.L. Bean spokesperson Carolyn Beem said Thursday that no decision has been made on appealing the ruling.
“We attempted to resolve this situation without the need to litigate,” she told the Bangor Daily News late Thursday. “Worcester was seeking exorbitant sums, which it failed to recover. We feel corrections need to be made, in terms of seeking an adjustment, but no decision has been made on an appeal.”
Tim Woodcock, a Bangor attorney who represented Worcester, described the whole legal and financial scenario as a “sad story that is ultimately ending in a positive situation.”
“This was a 26-year dream relationship in which L.L. Bean was using Maine materials to make Maine products that were literally sold throughout the world,” he said. “L.L. Bean and Worcester pioneered this whole market together. Worcester is a long-standing presence in the economy of Down East Maine, and L.L. Bean couldn’t just walk away, in terms of Worcester’s obligations to the bank. It’s a very positive decision in that Worcester is now able to use this payment to fulfill its obligations to its bank.”
The business relationship between the two companies dates to 1983 and was continued without interruption through 2008, with new negotiations each year over how many balsam products — wreaths of various sizes and decor, balsam centerpieces, kissing balls and other fresh and perishable balsam products — would be required that year to meet L.L. Bean’s anticipated customer demand.
By 2008, L.L. Bean purchase orders accounted for 90 percent of Worcester’s business, the ruling states. During the 2007 Christmas season, L.L. Bean sold 478,000 units of Worcester products and had anticipated even higher sales while negotiating a business agreement for 2008. Due to economic recession in 2008, those higher sales never materialized. That year L.L. Bean placed orders from Worcester for 74,085 items that were never sold.
Horton’s analysis of the chapter and verse of the civil action details a complicated morass of legal, accounting and just-in-time manufacturing issues during the run-up to the 2008 holiday season. It also details the nuances of negotiations that followed over who was owed what during a litany of disagreements that resulted in L.L. Bean ending its relationship with Worcester in May of 2009. Ultimately, Horton concludes that “L.L. Bean has failed to show that Worcester intentionally or willfully breached its contract.”
Complicating the whole impasse was Worcester’s effort at the time to leave a long-established line-of-credit banking relationship with Machias Savings Bank while forging a new banking relationship with the Chittenden Bank and the Massachusetts Business and Development Bank. Making that transition required Worcester to settle up with Machias Savings Bank, and Worcester looked to L.L. Bean to front the funds required, with Worcester promising to repay the outdoor outfitter once the new line of credit was established.
L.L. Bean negotiators termed such a financial arrangement “extremely rare,” also expressing concerns about “very large” environmental fines that had been assessed to Worcester and what L.L. Bean considered “dubious” hiring practices within the Worcester firm. Ultimately, L.L. Bean agreed to take title to and pay for $582,000 worth of balsam product components that could be used in future-year production. L.L. Bean also notified Worcester that, as the wreath-maker appeared not to be in compliance with its ethical standards, it risked loss of L.L. Bean’s business, pointing out that L.L. Bean had “zero tolerance” for human rights and workplace safety violations.
L.L. Bean also put the company on notice that it would not be placing all of its balsam products business with Worcester and that some production would go to cross-county rival Whitney’s Originals. That upset Worcester owner Morrill Worcester, who told L.L. Bean that, in his view, it was an all-or-nothing business relationship.
In a May 1, 2009, letter to Worcester, L.L. Bean discontinued its long-standing relationship with Worcester, which turned its production volume to its “Wreaths Across America” program. That holiday-season effort each year now sells tens of thousands of wreaths to veterans groups and other organizations that use decorated wreaths to mark the graves of military veterans at Arlington National Cemetery and hundreds of other military burial sites throughout the U.S.
In the end, Horton granted judgement to Worcester in the amount of $961,811.
Merrill Worcester is an honorable man whose “Wreaths Across America” has become a phenomenal success and a mainstay of American values.
The wreaths at L.L. Bean were obviously not of the same quality after Whitney became the supplier.
The “spills” were plentiful, and the balsam inferior.
The balsam was terrible all over this area this past year because of the warm fall. Worcester or Whitney haven’t quite got the power to effect the weather.
HAHA… what a joke. How much does he make from the sales of his wreaths to “Wreaths across America”??? How much is his wife paid from that charity???
These guys sell crappy wreaths!!!! That’s why L.L. Bean dropped them!
So the great recession of 2008 became the great wreathcession for L.L. Bean.
Cleaver play on words. I like both Bean and particulary the Wreaths across america program.
Another big business trying to hurt the little guy. Glad it worked out.
I never throw this around but are you a socialist? Are you saying that Beans is a bad employer? The reason I ask if you are a socialist is simple. Ask around, the consensus appears to be that Beans is a good company to work for. And yet your comment lumps them in with the Walmart’s, Targets, and Sears of the world. In other words, a well run company, good benefits, an employer with a conscience aren’t enough. Using only YOUR comment, I can only assume that in your opinion any business with more then 10 employees is evil. (Unless of course they make your favorite apple product in CHINA paying people 2.00 dollars on hour.)WHICH, in turn leads me to ask if YOU ARE A SOCIALIST.
Chances are i’m more liberal then you are. I just chose not to feed into the ugly partisan nonsense.
Socialism is an economic system in which workers or government own and control the means of production. It has nothing to do with the size of a business. The Soviet Socialist Republics had some pretty big businesses… they were still Socialists because they were collectively owned by the government or the workers.
“Partisan” typically refers to one’s political leanings.. but YOU are the one who mentions being a liberal – a political, partisan term. “David” makes no political references. He’s just happy that justice was served and he implies that justice isn’t always served when there’s a disparity in the economic muscle of the litigants.
Basically I find your post ignorant and offensive and I think you owe “David” an apology. If you disagree with him why not focus on the issue he raised instead of name calling and making silly assumptions?
very well said
I really miss the old VW beetles !
The one designed by Adolph Hitler?
So , you noticed my wit !
Beans does not have good benefits. They do not pay enough that employee’s can afford benefits good or otherwise. Also, a great many of the positions with Beans are part time and of course you do not earn benefits of any kind when you are part time.
Really? Have things changed? When I worked at L.L. Bean, there were people working as few as 20 hours a week who still got benefits. I got benefits as a part-time worker there, though I eventually applied for a full-time opening and got it. Of course it’s entirely possible that the company has changed its policies. If so, L.L. would be rolling in his grave.
Things have definitely changed.
The biggest problem is that L.L. Bean hires people as “seasonal” employees and over a year of continuous employment later…they’re still “seasonal”. This means they get no benefits (except the 401k) and no paid vacation.
Their pay is pretty good compared to other employers, but the health insurance is still too expensive to be affordable. (That’s not necessarily Bean’s fault, though.)
Some areas of the company, notably Manufacturing, also have mandatory overtime, forcing employees to work six days a week for months at a time.
All in all, I’d say they aren’t the worst employer around, but they certainly aren’t the best.
What you’ve described, ALL BUSINESS”S do nowadays. I’m not suggesting that Beans can or should be everything to everyone. They’re a business, if you want a collective, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’m very aware of Bean’s shortcomings. I just happen to feel we need to put things in proper context.
What i’m saying is that I would put their record up against those other stores any day.
I wouldn’t argue with your point at all. True, all retail business’s operate that way today. I’m just saying that Beans is no angel of mercy towards it’s workers. My next point is not directed towards you but it really irks me when the conservative right says “work for your benefits” when, just as you point out, many retail companies (the job of last resort for unemployed folks) do not pay a living wage never mind offer benefits for part time and seasonal employee’s. Lowes, Wal Mart, etc are all very similar. Yes, you can buy health insurance but the pay wouldn’t cover it. Particularly true when they cut your hours to 10/week and gas to commute cost’s $3.50 or more/gallon. So when conservatives complain about people using social services they fail to grasp that this cost to the community is inherent in allowing companies to pay wages which are not a living wage. Either these jobs pay a living wage, or the community has to subsidize the cost of healthcare, food, shelter, heat, etc for the employee’s of said companies. It ALWAYS cost’s more to restrict and subsidize these necessities of life than it would to pay a living wage to begin with. In Bangor, where one of the LL Bean call centers are located, you’re talking ~$20/hour. By the way MeModerate, I am also a former employee of LL Bean. Oh, and I also consider myself a moderate.
The problem is simple. Unskilled labor doesn’t pay much. If anybody can do it, I ain’t gonna pay you more.. Why should I? Raise minimum wage. prices increase to accommodate. I’m gonna keep banging the drum for assistance reform. We are not helping people we are enabling them. We need to be holding the addict’s hand, the person whom suffers from mental illness’s hand. Just giving assistance without a plan and the support to see it through is fruitless.
Look through the papers, there are plenty of jobs. Just no GOOD jobs. Like it or not, company’s say they can make more overseas.As long as that’s true they are gonna go overseas. Like it or not, we would all do the same. Anyone can say they would do different but talk is cheap.
Doesn’t have good benefits? On what do you base this, your employment by them?
People speaking out of turn who really don’t know anything, stating their (uninformed) opinion as fact, gotta love it. I DID work there, and due to medical issues had to stop. I was unable to work for a year, yet my insurance, THROUGH LLB, continued to pay me. And I also got a share in a bonus I did nothing to earn. Real bad company they are. Oh, btw, I was part time. When I started (again, part time, even seasonal at that point) I had a weeks paid vacation and another week of sick/personal days.
Way to spread ignorance, Pickle.
I didn’t say they were a bad company. I also didn’t say they were extraordinary in any way. I do not know when you worked there. It sounds as though you were full time and, at that time, had good benefits. Ain’t so now fella. And yes, I worked there for quite awhile myself over the last few years so stick that in your ear Newburgh!
I guess you don’t count a paycheck as a benefit.
Beans might be a good company to work for but based on what I read and I have no dog in the fight, more and more of those good jobs are going to people overseas. The people who still have their job at Beans, they can’t outsource floor salespeople, probably do love them but the bottom line is Beans employs less people in this country than they used to.
I do not know how bean treats thier employies . Walmart can get away with selling digital rabbit ears for tv with 55 db gain rivals SETI . Nothing is done but selling imatation maple syrup in vermont saying its real is a felony 5 years in jail go figure.
Tell me how is that not fraud ? being a ham radio operator I would gladly give walmart $1000 for thier antennas for digital tv if the were 1/10 what they claimed they are. Thier is no such thing as a digital antenna . I helped many people built them antennas for free that only had 1 millionth the gain as the walmart best buy rabbit ears for $60 funny the ones I gave people worked better. I explained it to the manager but they still kept them on the shelf to rip off elderly people for profit. Where is the integrity behind big business? Why dose no one go to jail for it?
First of all, not 1965. If you really expected a manager of a national chain to pull a product because you maintained it is ineffective you are living in the wrong century.
Second, is it just Walmart or do you chose to single them out? Is Target selling the product?? Is Best Buy selling anything similar? How about radio Shack?
If you want to influence opinions you have got to be realistic. MOST COMPANIES have similar practices . Once again, i’m terribly sorry that we have business’s that employ more then ten people but WE DO. Making money is what we ALL want to do. As long as the government isn’t making laws to change the way our system works these companies are doing nothing illegal and anyone with common sense is railing against the government. Not small timing it on Walmart. Companies are feeding off what they can get the politicians to give them. So what would commons sense dictate?????
” Hey politicians, stop giving big business, power”
Instead, you appear incapable of grasping this simple concept and allow others to give your opinions to you.
I do not know how Beans treats people they do have a good reputation . Second yes most major retailers that sell stuff have no integrity is all about profit. Yes most do return things . It makes me angry the laws is written for big business . I am very honest I work for myself . I could make much more profit being dishonest and most people would have no clue they were being ripped off in the first place . I do not care that the laws says they should not only focus on profits . Sorry I do not need laws to tell me what is right an what is wrong. I do not know enough about LL.Beans misplaced comment sorry for that. Companies like verison ,radioshack best buy walmart ,sears I have had my issues with some got resolved others did not.
Exactly. I realize many people have made it a life’s mission to tear down large companies. I just can’t get that worked up about the companies themselves. I admit, i’m not very discriminate in where I shop I can’t afford to be. I see companies doing what they are ALLOWED TO DO. I keep saying it but it’s still true. If we were in their position very few would do differently.
Two things I want.
ABSOLUTE TRANSPARENCY ON EVERY PENNY A POLITICIAN TAKES IN.
TERM LIMITS.
I hope very would be in that position . I am not saying all people made thier money being dishonest. I worked for a few dishonest people in my day i confronted them on it. Sorry that is just me . Well I lost my job because of it. But it was worth it to me it’s the principal behind it. Now with this economy some people can not afford to do that. I may never be rich but I do ok and sleep good at night.
well 90 % of their biz was through L.L bean so they have pretty much put themselves out of biz
Not the case any longer
LL Bean has done many good things for the state of Maine. In fact just recently the subject of their great guarantee policy was discussed in a very positive way by almost all who commented on it. However it is a shame when they bully an American business, a good Maine business, for short term profit rather than trying to maintain a long term working relationship. As for treatment of employee’s, wasn’t it just a year ago when they fired some people for doing what they were told to do, to not question pricing policies? In the end they offered these people their job back and that was the right thing to do. Hopefully good sense will prevail here too.
“…..pointing out that L.L. Bean had “zero tolerance” for human rights and workplace safety violations “”, I think that is a hilarious statement from L.L. Bean, who continues to have factories overseas paying workers well under minimum wages! L.L Bean is an outdated company.
They do not pay under min wage anywhere. They may pay less then the American min wage in those countries but that is the norm there. Unless they are using slave labor then all the people working took the jobs willingly and are free to quit and go elsewhere if they so choose. IF they made all there products in the USA then they would be far to expensive for anyone to buy thus putting themselves out of business.
WRONG IF they made all their products in the USA, the owners would make millions instead of billions!!!! Someone’s filled you full of the BS that the rich want everyone to believe!!!
While I do disagree that it’d be nice to see more domestic manufacturing in this country, the total gross sales at Bean are only about 1.5 billion. So how are the owners making billions instead of millions? Get a grip.
You have no idea what the markup is on clothing.
Maybe IF those jobs were in the U.S. then Americans could afford to pay a little more for the products. Apple stock holders earn a little less but maintain long term customer stability and loyalty.
My thoughts/beliefs exactly. May not be pretty, but it is reality.
SO DOES APPLE.
Hows that IPHONE?
Are you saying that because Apple does the same thing, LL Bean is not being hypocritical?
Nooo, what i’m saying is that there seem to be a lotta people on the “Freedom Train” with a very delicate sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. They ignore the shortcomings of company’s with products they like.
Usual hypocrisy, been going on for decades.
I’d rather buy clothing from Beans then ANY store in the mall. Beans may have an emblem but at least it doesn’t take up half the clothing like tacky Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger or the Abercrombie Zombies.
I gave up on Bean’s clothing years ago. I much better quality product can be purchased from Duluth Trading.
I shop there as well. I’ve always appreciated the simplicity of the return policy. Whether I lived in Freeport , Bangor, or elsewhere.
I was in the Bangor Mall the other day. I walk by Abercrombie there was a picture at least 7×7 out front of a shirtless teen. Not a stitch of clothing to be advertised. We have such a screwed up sense of self nowadays it makes me dizzy. The music, Image is all that matters now. With the right image and Mixers anyone could do what most stars are doing.Movies,how many different inane boring comedies starring Jennifer Anniston are you people willing to pay to watch? How many TWILIGHTS are we willing to pay for?
Kardashians????? Really??? You people really care what these ignorant bimbo’s are doing?
We have more and more followers and fewer leaders.
Don’t forget the worst offender: OLD NAVY! What a billboard they sell! :)
Have to agree with you on those other stores. however, who’s to say that Beans is not tacky as well. like all big businesses it’s all about the branding and collective psychosis of the population that has us buy one product over another. Beans is just really really good at it.
how would you know what or LL bean does biz?you don’t so stop making unfounded statements.
LL Bean NO longer has my respect and hasn’t for years due to shipping their production over seas. This is corporate greed at it’s finest. One use to pay $50 for a shirt that was made in the USA and one still pays $50 for a shirt made in a sweat shop overseas for 5 cents. Where do you think that profit has gone!!! I wouldn’t buy anything from LL Bean!!
They haven’t had mine for years. Their marketing team is incredible though. They actually have millions of people believing in the home town honest Maine image.
MMMLLLDDD, you broke the code here. American consumers aren’t supposed to know about this overseas charade. Your analogy also applies to Maine’s footwear industry where many were able to earn a fairly decent wage, but companies weren’t pleased with a 5% profit so many went overseas with the assurance of OPIC. (Overseas Private investment Corp) As a government agency it promotes private investment overseas with protection and guarantees for American companies. Footwear profit’s from oversea factories can be as high 35 to 40 percent, but the pair of shoes still sell for $90. Great for the company and investors.
I made a mistake in posting information here.
Actually, It’s Tim Woodcock’s brother who’s the judge and your claims of nepotism (or something) regarding the court venue are absurd. The case was brought (according to the article) in Maine’ s business and consumer court not, as you claim Further in federal court at all…Judge Horton is a state superior court judge…
what?
Big business using it’s financial might to suppress the smaller contractor or subcontractor is not unusual at all in this country. It happens on a daily basis and if the small contractor wants to survive for the short term then he must buckle to the larger business. Many big box stores use this type of business practice in procuring goods. It may seem to be good for big business but it is small business that makes this country run.
The outcome of this case should put to rest the rumors that Worcesters lost LL Beans business to providing poor products. That never happened. Worcester Wreath has spent half a lifetime in developing the land to produce quality Balsam for it’s products. We are lucky that this business remains in Washington County.
Enough of the “Big Business”
Beans is a heck of a lot more conscientious then everybody’s favorite APPLE. And yet so many GREENIES are willing to give them a pass because they are sheep, slaves to a device. Talk about hypocrisy
Again you seem to be apologizing for LL Bean’s behavior by pointing out that others are worse. They have nothing to do with each other. Justice was served here.. why are you trying to minimize it? In fact, attacking Apple just SUPPORTS the argument that big businesses don’t care about justice. If you want to refute the argument then you should point out some big businesses that stand for justice and are true to their professed ideals.
In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t own Apple devices, I don’t shop at LL Bean and I’ve never purchased a wreath. However, iTunes is the best music organizer and podcast manager and I use it every day on my PC and sync it to my Android phone… which were probably both made by virtual slaves in some Asian country.
So effectively no are no different than any WalMart shopper.
Exactly. I am a good American who puts consumption and ownership above morality.
Which leads directly to the question, “How can you be so judgmental when you support company’s doing the same, and in some cases, worse then those you attack?”
How can you justify Trashing Beans when Samsung is putting a heck of a lot more underpaid Chinese to work then they are.
I’m not apologizing for anyone. In my family we call a spade a spade, even if it hurts.
You’re point is they can all do better. Of course they can but may I ask this,”How much is a business allowed to profit? Is there a percentage you think the government should ALLOW them to keep? When someone decides it’s the government’s job to dictate such things you will see MANY people in the streets, including me. Our government does a terrible job spending our money, if they did better, i’d be more inclined to support some of the policies. I don’t care who puts them out, left or right.
I honestly feel that people with your mind set think that a business should only exist to employ people. Why would anyone start a business if they can’t profit?
Fair pay and benefits will never be enough until everyone makes as much as the owner.
The commune is down the street.
I agree. I expect business to operate solely from the profit motive and not even in their own long-term self-interest. Hence why I believe it’s government’s role, as our representatives, through regulation, to protect the common good. This tension and balance between business and the people (as expressed through their representatives) was the key to the success of our economic/political system which has managed to avoid the corruption and staleness of Socialism and also the descent into a Dickensian hell that is the logical outcome of pure Capitalism. Our problem is not that we are polarized around these issues but that we think we shouldn’t be polarized, i.e., we need the tension in order to maintain the balance.
Environmental concerns? Dubious hiring practices? These assertions coming from LL Bean, a company that has farmed out almost all of its manufacturing to southeast Asian nations in which aggregious human rights (not to mention environmental) violations are THE NORM. Made in Maine? Good luck finding anything except the word “imported” within its catalogue.
And that’s why you always read the description tag. Education, it does pay, don’t it ?
I guess it’s easier to beat up on vendors that are here in the USA and speak the same language.
Rich people getting richer.
Being from Maine, I would love to do business in my own state, but with better quality fabric and a more competitive price, I shop Land’s End. Best customer service, best product.
Land’s End is Sears. Sears buys almost ALL its clothing stock from outside the USA.
they also own Kmart. Go to either and someone will ask you if you want a rewards card.
Please point me to something that verifies that “Land’s End is Sears.” My understanding was that Sears agreed to allow Land’s End to sell some of their clothing in the Sears stores. That seems to be a far cry from what you’re saying.
I love doing your homework. It is simple (if you have a computer) to verify this stuff, just find a happy search engine. I use Start Page
In 2002, Sears bought the company for 2 billion in cash.
In addition to operating mail order and online business and Lands’ End
Inlet stores, Sears now offers a Lands’ End clothing line in a large
number of its retail stores.
You can find this and more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lands%27_End
Which means they are supporting a BIG BOX which some of you so deeply despise.
That’s the point he was making.
Bull, I was in Wisconsin for a decade., which is home to Land’s End. They’re a pale imitation of Beans.
That’s just your opinion. P.S. Who cares if you lived in Wisconsin for a decade? That doesn’t have a thing to do with whether their clothing is good or bad.
I said a DECADE, That’s TEN years.. I have been to Land’s end’s office, I know people that work for Land’s End and I have purchased much of their clothing. The quality isn’t bad but Bean’s is better. Don’t see a lot of Bean’s clothing at JobLot.
Easiest example, I wear a lot of turtlenecks. I currently have five From Bean’s and 2 from Land’s End. The neck is stretched on the Land’s End shirts, not on the Bean shirts.
I have a $165.00 summer light weight jacket from L.L. Bean. It was sewn in southeat asia. What was their cost on that product and under what comditions was it produced? Why does Bean’s replace a product-No questions asked? They buy cheap.
And then you flaunt the fact that you paid this company that your trashing 165.00 for a coat. Why don’t you have a coat from a company you endorse?
I’m not flaunting anything. The story states that Bean’s has very high standards for living conditions -etc for workers who provide them with goods. Quite frankly when I bought it I really didn’t check to see where it was made – I wrongly assumed that they had the high standards that they were demanding of the wreath company. Thanks for the quality comment!
Yeah Worcesters!!! I love top see the YUPPIE store get slammed. There’s a million they won’t be able to contribute to Roxanne!
YOU KNOW THAT WHEN PURCHASED FROM LL BEAN, MOST PRODUCTS YOU WILL SEE ARE MADE IN CHINA. How does one get MAINE MADE out of that?
LL Bean tries to screw the little guy and then tries to bully them with their legal team. So much for Bean being Maine’s home town success story. BOYCOTT BEAN!
Wait a minute — defending yourself in a lawsuit does not mean you are a bully.
Will you be boycotting the maker of your television? How about the maker of your cell phone? I assure you both are at least as guilty as Beans.So selective, so hypocritical.
You are most likely a liberal
I’m not sure what that means. It’s LIBERALS that rant and rave how terrible big box stores are and yet support companies just as guilty because they like a product. I DON’T DO THAT. DO YOU?
I live in reality. Poor people shop at Walmart because it’s inexpensive. It appears to be much easier to have a conscience when your not strapped for cash. Of course there are a few truly behind a cause but they are the minority.
I don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing where I shop according to my ethics.
Liberal? Ayup, on social issues I’m guilty. On money matters I consider myself quite conservative and my beliefs are based on common sense, not pie in the sky, “The way the world should be” unrealistic, babble.
Go vote for Obama again your rhetoric is priceless
Didn’t vote for him last time. and I won’t be voting for him this time.
If the Republican party would enter the 21st century I would be happy to support them.
On fiscal issue I am very much behind the Republican party. Unfortunately, the most vocal faction of the Republican party is stuck on stupid. In other words, fixated on social issues that have long been settled. If they would stick to fixing the Fiscal mess .like Paul Ryan I would happily support them.
You don’t know me, but I BET I KNOW YOU. Simple minded and stuck in the past.
So simple minded you couldn’t grasp that I was defending the BIG stores. calling many of those against them hypocrites because they they have no problem supporting a company because of a product they like.
DID YOU UNDERSTAND THIS TIME OR SHOULD I TALK SLOWER?
Simple minded and stuck in the past- very arrogant. Not surprised- you have all the answers. Stuck on stupid – social issues, how very informed you are. I don’t think the republican party is crying at night about your very special opinion. Get out of your basement.
Sent from my iPad
WOW, I didn’t realize it before. You really are SO MUCH better then me. I don’t have an iPad. DEFINE ME DEFINE ME!!!
Y know what, I apologize for the rude comment. I don’t need to do that. I’m right and you didn’t even bother to respond because you know i’m right.
I don’t run around telling everyone how evil ANY company is. I was simply pointing out the fact that people tend to be very SELECTIVE about who they back, and who they complain about.
Any Candidate who says “No” to birth control, “NO” to abortion and “NO” to gay marriage is living a wasted life. In this day and age anyone with a perversely strong opinion on these issues is marked as a radical and not taken seriously.
So if that does describe you ,then have fun with that.
I’m not the only one that doesn’t take people such as yourself seriously.
Well, if you were as smart as you think you are- not all the candidates are voicing that opinion. Earth to you- you do not know me. Don’t make presumptions. Also, its really weak to criticize a person’s opinion because I am assuming you are NOT Catholic. At least he has the courage of his convictions unlike you that anything goes. You are probably the parent that says oh, let the kids drink because they are going to anyway- Very weak
I was RAISED CATHOLIC. Confirmed and all.
Guess what, I don’t believe in God.
If you looked at any of my previous posts you would know I believe our country is too permissive.(In other words just the opposite of what you PRESUMED) I would like to see drug testing for anyone receiving assistance . Not to punish them but to identify who is at risk and aid them.
Hate to say it but with each post you reveal yourself more. I honestly like Santorum, but if he gets pulled into the religious issues he loses it. And it’s to bad. he actually looks like a leader as opposed to Romney.
Back to the Catholic church. Initially I supported them on the recent ,” who pays for contraception” debate . I’ve changed my mind. The Church is becoming irrelevant. Just about every woman of child baring years uses contraceptives. I have devout friends that are gay that are torn by the fact that their God hates them. Women aren’t good enough to be priests? No one is suggesting Sodom and Gomorrah. But do you really feel these are rational ideas? The Catholic church became a joke to me when my Father went to the priest and requested that he and his 2ND wife be married in the church. Now, although my parents were married for 30 years and had two children, after a donation in the thousands the Church no longer recognized my parents marriage. Sooo, technically doesn’t this mean I’m a Bastaad? I asked the priest , HE SAID NO !!!LMAO, What a joke. They went on to wed in the Church.Seldom have I felt as nauseous as that day. being in a church now makes me sick.
Let’s face it, LL Bean has zero tolerance when it comes to a company or persons dipping into their profit structure. They have shipped jobs and business overseas and got use to making millions and than they decided to try and get Merrill Worcester to cumble under and become like the rest of their $1.25 an hour labor business. Good for you Merrill Worcester in standing up for your compaines workers and business associates.
LL Bean, Orvis, Cabela’s are all having their clothing and merchandise made overseas. It’s time that the goverment start putting high tarriffs on these companies products that take their US companies overseas. This is the same company that stole the Maine Guides name from the Maine Guides Association a few years back and they claim to have and use ethical standards….Give me a break please…
I wonder how Suzanne Collins will respond to this development? What process is used by the delegation on deciding which competing company to support? I doubt that this is ever carefully assessed in favor of blanket support for favored constituents. Being politically correct is still the path of least resistance without any real accountability.
A. It’s SUSAN Collins. B. The two companies involved do not compete with each other. C. Why would the Senator even comment on this??
The two competing companies are Worcester and Whitney. L.L. Bean dumped Worcester to go to Whitney. Collins made a big deal of Whitney gaining the L.L. Bean contract without realizing the impact on Worcester who had gained popularity through the Christmas wreath program. Collins et al should comment because they did not seem to fully realize the impact of the L.L. Bean decision on Worcester. The courts have supported the Worcester claim and how will Collins et al help L.L. Bean now with any type of logical or fair involvement?
I see comments from many of you that are talking about overseas labor. Do you think the wreath companies purchase all their supplies from US companies? We even hire labor from outside the US. Lets support our Maine companies.
Sounds like a David and Goliath story.
I am sure the excess
wreaths went to decorate Veteran’s graves. LL Bean should look at it as a
donation of wreaths for the cause! I always thought LL Bean was a good
upstanding company until I ran into Linda Bean! If the company is as ruthless
and unethical as she is, the legacy won’t last much longer.
Actually Linda Bean is simply a stockholder. She has nothing to do with running the company.
Correct, but she has no problem capitalizing on the name
Absolutely: Like Clark Rockefeller.
Worcester’s wreaths are inferior… that’s why LL Bean dropped them. They now go thru Whittney which are a lot higher quality.
Why didn’t Worcester pay off his bank $ with the enormous profits he makes by selling his wreaths to ‘Wreaths Across America”??? What a shame!!
So when the guy lost LL Bean’s business he decided to focus on making money off dead soldiers. Classy! And people LIKE the ‘program’? It isn’t a program, it is a money making operation. PERIOD. A program would donate the wreaths to the dead soldiers, not reap huge profits off them. This is like saying you like McDonalds value meal program.
In 1992, Worcester Wreath Co. found themselves with a surplus of wreaths, so
Mr Worcester donated the excess wreaths to Arlington. He did this quietly with no fanfare, and continued to do this on his own nickel until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths, circulated around the internet.
Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, and from those who wanted to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries. Unable financially to donate thousands of wreaths to every state in the Union, Mr. Worcester began sending seven wreaths to every state, one for each branch of the military,and for POW/MIAs. In 2006, with the help of the Civil Air Patrol and other civic organizations, simultaneous wreath laying ceremonies were held at over 150 locations around the country.
In 2010, Wreaths Across America and a national network of volunteers laid over
220,000 memorial wreaths at 545 locations in the United States and beyond.
No one can expect them to donate 220 thousand wreaths. He still donates thousands of wreaths each year on his own, and yes the rest are sponsored. I sponsor, and help place, wreaths every year. I know the few dollars I spend sponsoring a wreath helps employ the many folks that work for this organization, and yes, I hope it puts a few dollars in the Worcester’s pockets as well.
The consumer is going to be paying for this yet again. L.L Bean will not loose much of their net worth. Watch all L.L Bean merchandise rise in price to make up for this.
This inventory situation is a cheap trick by LLB. If you want to sell to them, produce, stock and wait for our orders, which by the way, must be here in two days.
If they coudl get them from China i think they would.. Look at their 100 year anniversary ediytion of
Leon Bean Hunting Fishing ans Camping..PRINTED IN CHINA!!!
I was brought up in small town Maine. There was no Walmart. The prices at the “Mom & Pop” stores seemed high, but I was just a kid, Both my parents worked hard and raised a large family. We bought our milk from a “Mom & Pop” dairy delivery place. The owners of the “Mom & Pop” businesses lived very well in big houses & always went away for vacations. We never could afford the big house or the vacations. I am sad for the demise of the “Mom & Pop” businesses, but hey I shop at Walmart and I can afford the better lifestyle. I realize it is not just Walmart and overseas production. Walmart used to pride itself on selling “locally produced” goods. Before Walmart there was Sears, & JC Penny. The world is changing & much is not for the better.
Quitcha Bitching……. & go out and make your own difference.