Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

A couple of new developments on the Del Monte closure. First, MLP on Friday had offered to harvest the last crop of Del Monte pineapple, but the offer was declined. How stupid is that? Plowing under perfectly good fruit so that a former competitor can't take advantage of the situation?

Second, both the State the the County of Honolulu want to keep the 5,000 acres in Kunia as ag land. The unfortunate thing is that it will be difficult to find a large grower to take over the entire acreage. The land apparently is owned by the Campbell Estate, and the current lease expires at the end of 2008, at which time the Campbell Estate will either lease the land to someone else or sell it off.

I think the Campbell Estate will play a key role in determining what happens to that land and how it is used. But the County and State should do everything possible to encourage continued agricultural use of the land so that Oahu doesn't end up with 5,000 more acres of concrete.

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

A couple of new developments on the Del Monte closure. First, MLP on Friday had offered to harvest the last crop of Del Monte pineapple, but the offer was declined. How stupid is that? Plowing under perfectly good fruit so that a former competitor can't take advantage of the situation?

Miulang

Sadly, it's all an equation to the decision makers. Why benefit your competitor with your crop? And also, does it complicate the shutdown if MLP takes over? I don't think MLP will be using their workers, they will probably run the show with the existing Del Monte workers. So these workers are on whose payroll? Del Monte wants to leave so why leave people lingering on their payrolls?

Maybe the county or the state should purchase the lands? I don't see why the gov't can be a landlord. You figure they could then have all the power to keep the land from being concrete and also generate another stream of revenue so they can be less reliant on GET and property taxes.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Maybe the county or the state should purchase the lands? I don't see why the gov't can be a landlord. You figure they could then have all the power to keep the land from being concrete and also generate another stream of revenue so they can be less reliant on GET and property taxes.

Uhhhh, just look at what the government has done with their land in downtown. Public parking lots turned into highrises. Nice idea, but history says that's not what will happen. Politicians are even more eager to do something since the gov already owns the land.

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Uhhhh, just look at what the government has done with their land in downtown. Public parking lots turned into highrises. Nice idea, but history says that's not what will happen. Politicians are even more eager to do something since the gov already owns the land.

Yeah, it could well play out that way. So what other ideas might work? Seems like dang if you do, dang if you don't.

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Sadly, it's all an equation to the decision makers. Why benefit your competitor with your crop? And also, does it complicate the shutdown if MLP takes over? I don't think MLP will be using their workers, they will probably run the show with the existing Del Monte workers. So these workers are on whose payroll? Del Monte wants to leave so why leave people lingering on their payrolls?

I'm pretty sure MLP would have paid fair market value for the pineapples and would have continued to keep some Del Monte workers on the MLP payroll. Seems really kind of a petty thing to do on Del Monte's part, and it especially hurts the workers.

I was rooting around for corporate information about Del Monte and found something very interesting. I'm not sure if Del Monte on Oahu was part of Del Monte Company or Fresh Foods Del Monte. I'm thinking it probably is part of Fresh Foods Del Monte, which, unlike the main company Del Monte Foods which is HQ'd in Florida, has a mailing address in the Cayman Islands. The thing about multinational companies that is so insidious is that unless you do some digging around, everything is not as it seems on the surface.

Del Monte Foods owns Star Kist (sorry Charlie), Contadina Tomato Products, S&W, College Inn and other brand names, and the Company's pet food and pet snacks brands include 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits, Pup-Peroni, Snausages, Pounce and Meow Mix.

Miulang

[808shooter]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

A couple of new developments on the Del Monte closure. First, MLP on Friday had offered to harvest the last crop of Del Monte pineapple, but the offer was declined. How stupid is that? Plowing under perfectly good fruit so that a former competitor can't take advantage of the situation?

Second, both the State the the County of Honolulu want to keep the 5,000 acres in Kunia as ag land. The unfortunate thing is that it will be difficult to find a large grower to take over the entire acreage. The land apparently is owned by the Campbell Estate, and the current lease expires at the end of 2008, at which time the Campbell Estate will either lease the land to someone else or sell it off.

I think the Campbell Estate will play a key role in determining what happens to that land and how it is used. But the County and State should do everything possible to encourage continued agricultural use of the land so that Oahu doesn't end up with 5,000 more acres of concrete.

It's pretty obvious.

Lease expires in 2008. No way Campbell renews based on current real estate valuations. They will look to rezone, build a development and rake in the big dollars.

I wouldn't be surprised if Campbell offered Del Monte some type of incentive in getting out of it's lease early. No way would they jeopardize MLP taking over harvesting the land then getting the public to rally behind the workers and now the fight is over letting MLP replant. With a viable owner who is making locally grown pineapple viable, no way would Campbell allow it.

They needed to suddenly cut this rather than let the tide of public opinion swell over the next two years in anticipation of a closure. It's probably Campbell estates' call or influence driving this.

Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I'd do as a profit minded trustee.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Campbell

Refresh my memory. Is it Campbell or Damion that was supposed to be dissolved but somehow seems to have found a new life? If it is Campbell, what is their new direction now that they are no longer a trust? That could play a role in this.

Without a lease, that land might be more attractive to sell.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Refresh my memory. Is it Campbell or Damion that was supposed to be dissolved but somehow seems to have found a new life? If it is Campbell, what is their new direction now that they are no longer a trust? That could play a role in this.

Without a lease, that land might be more attractive to sell.

The Estate of James Campbell and the Estate of Samuel Damon are both about ready to be dissolved, but they have taken different courses.

Damon Estate is selling its assets and will be distributing the cash among the beneficiaries (that is, once all the lawsuits are resolved ). Once that's over, then Damon is pau.

Campbell Estate is dissolving too, but is being replaced by a regular company, the James Campbell Company LLC, which will continue to manage the Campbell assets for the beneficiaries.