Dyson to axe around 1k jobs in Britain(reuters.com)
reuters.com
Dyson to axe around 1k jobs in Britain
https://www.reuters.com/business/dyson-axe-around-1000-jobs-britain-2024-07-09/
29 comments
Turns out its hard to be competitive when you abandon a large and wealthy market on your doorstep. Maybe its time we stop bending over backwards to please assholes like this?
Dyson has been pivoting away from the UK for Singapore, Phillipines, and Malaysia for several years now [0][1], as the skill set in Battery Tech, Plastic Mould Injections, etc are much more available there, and the governments much more business friendly.
They moved their HQ to Singapore back in 2019 for that reason.
This move would have happened with or without Brexit.
Edit: Why the downvotes?
Outside of specialized high value manufacturing like Aerospace (Rolls Royce), Power Systems (Siemens, Rolls Royce), and Defense (BAE Systems) the consumer manufacturing skillset is morose in the UK, and engineering talent just isn't there compared to peers like Germany, let alone manufactured powerhouses in ASEAN.
And fundamentally, Engineering just isn't respected in the UK and it's reflected by the careers taken up by graduates. They'd rather be barristers, accountants, or financiers earning a £40-45k starting salary instead of £25-35k as an Engineer, and applied engineering programs similar to American Community Colleges+Land/Sea/Sun/Space Grants or Singaporean Polytechnics don't exist anymore.
[0] - https://www.ft.com/content/51c2c41a-d8fe-11e8-a854-33d6f82e6...
[1] - https://www.wired.com/story/dyson-moving-hq-to-singapore/htt...
They moved their HQ to Singapore back in 2019 for that reason.
This move would have happened with or without Brexit.
Edit: Why the downvotes?
Outside of specialized high value manufacturing like Aerospace (Rolls Royce), Power Systems (Siemens, Rolls Royce), and Defense (BAE Systems) the consumer manufacturing skillset is morose in the UK, and engineering talent just isn't there compared to peers like Germany, let alone manufactured powerhouses in ASEAN.
And fundamentally, Engineering just isn't respected in the UK and it's reflected by the careers taken up by graduates. They'd rather be barristers, accountants, or financiers earning a £40-45k starting salary instead of £25-35k as an Engineer, and applied engineering programs similar to American Community Colleges+Land/Sea/Sun/Space Grants or Singaporean Polytechnics don't exist anymore.
[0] - https://www.ft.com/content/51c2c41a-d8fe-11e8-a854-33d6f82e6...
[1] - https://www.wired.com/story/dyson-moving-hq-to-singapore/htt...
I think the issue is less about the move itself but how it looks for the CEO in light of various comments he's made over the years. He has a tendency to weigh in on political issues, sometimes in quite a hyperbolic fashion and sometimes in seeming contrast to his actions. For example, in 2000 he said claimed it would be "suicidal" for the UK not to join the Euro currency, but hey look we still have a functioning economy. In 2016 he said that Britain has more to gain from leaving the EU than staying in, yet has since axed over 1500 jobs in the UK and moved the HQ out to Singapore.
I wouldn't say this necessarily makes him a hypocrite, it just feels rich that he gets airtime for his questionable views on political topics all the while having basically no skin in the game.
I wouldn't say this necessarily makes him a hypocrite, it just feels rich that he gets airtime for his questionable views on political topics all the while having basically no skin in the game.
Appreciate the level-headed take.
The BBC article [1] quotes a laid off employee as claiming that Dyson completely axed the UK R&D division, despite not formally closing the famous R&D building in Malmesbury:
> But one Dyson employee who received notice today told the BBC though the physical R&D building remained, "everyone involved in R&D have now exited all Dyson buildings".
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2660ldn2o
> But one Dyson employee who received notice today told the BBC though the physical R&D building remained, "everyone involved in R&D have now exited all Dyson buildings".
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2660ldn2o
I know it's a matter of taste, but are there any non ugly vacuums out there? Muji/Xiaomi has some nice simple designs, but can't get them in North America.
E: non ugly cordless stick vacuum specifically
E: non ugly cordless stick vacuum specifically
Samsung Jet flagship surprised me positively. As in, actually surprised me because it wasn’t the one I would have picked and every step of the way from unboxing to emptying it after use I was expecting to find some disappointing design choice or antifeature. It did quite well on Project Farm as well https://youtu.be/RTkUNwBo9Ao?si=T9aR1WM-IpXqUyq1
We always loved our G-tech: https://www.gtech.co.uk/cordless-vacuum-cleaners.html
For a wood floored two bed house, when there was just two of us and a cat, it was perfect.
But we now have a larger house with 2 kids and 2 cats, and it just wasn't keeping up. I still have it, and use it to clean my office and even the decking and paving slabs in the garden.
For a wood floored two bed house, when there was just two of us and a cat, it was perfect.
But we now have a larger house with 2 kids and 2 cats, and it just wasn't keeping up. I still have it, and use it to clean my office and even the decking and paving slabs in the garden.
Numatic Henry's are a classic of design [1], are built to last with the same design for 50 years. All parts can be changed, spares are plenty, and they were built with janitors in mind, so meant to handle daily use.
[1] As-in, they design is iconic.
[1] As-in, they design is iconic.
I'm looking for cordless for small places. If I had the space, I would definitly go for an industrial vacuum. I've enjoyed using the Henry at my school for shit and giggles, a good vacuum can feel theraputic like pressure washing.
Henry owner here.. they're good and tough, but man, do they get heavy to carry up and down stairs when the bag gets full!
The article says Dyson (a vacuum manufacturer) was working on an electric vehicle until 2019. Did they give up too early?
No, they gave up too late! Instead of chasing trends out of their lane, they should have been working on the robot vacuum everyone wanted them to make. They only released their first robot vacuum this year[1] because they were side tracked making EVs and wireless headphones[2]
1: https://www.dysoncanada.ca/en/vacuum-cleaners/robot/360-visn...
2: https://www.dysoncanada.ca/en/headphones/zone
1: https://www.dysoncanada.ca/en/vacuum-cleaners/robot/360-visn...
2: https://www.dysoncanada.ca/en/headphones/zone
It was real estate and subsidies play (extracting money from Singapore).
I feel like Sinclair was ahead of the curve on this one.
it has to be because of those combination sink hand dryers. terrible!
... another Brexit success story from a pro-Brexiter investing in UK jobs.
Nothing to do with his repeated attempts to expand the Malmesbury facilities and being turned down by mad councillors at every turn?
I only worked in the town for four years so forgive my ignorance on the topic.
I only worked in the town for four years so forgive my ignorance on the topic.
So if that is how it is... why would James Dyson think that _more_ of that would be good?
Sorry, but you've not understood the planning process. If the "mad" councillors were wrong to block planning permission, the applicant can request a review by Planning Inspectorate, which is a national body. The appeal process is independent of the local council and will be reviewed by a planning inspector.
Did Dyson do this?
Do you have details of the planning application which was refused? I looked, but all I could find is one that was approved in 2014: https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-west/116246-dyson-wi...
And this approved in Jan 2024: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-applicati...
Do you have details of the planning application which was refused? I looked, but all I could find is one that was approved in 2014: https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-west/116246-dyson-wi...
And this approved in Jan 2024: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-applicati...
> the "mad" councillors were wrong to block planning permission, the applicant can request a review by Planning Inspectorate, which is a national body. The appeal process is independent of the local council and will be reviewed by a planning inspector
This is a solid “fuck off”, for me, an American, if someone is pitching an offshore operation.
This is a solid “fuck off”, for me, an American, if someone is pitching an offshore operation.
In the US, you also need building permit or zoning approval for construction, if it is refused you can't easily go "above" them, unless you take legal action, which is prohibitively expensive. So I don't get why you think your system is somehow better?
> In the US, you also need building permit or zoning approval for construction, if it is refused you can't easily go "above" them, unless you take legal action, which is prohibitively expensive. So I don't get why you think your system is somehow better?
It's not. But in the U.S., you get access to the common market. The U.K. forwent that advantage vis-a-vis Europe. I'm a proponent of putting production in Britain, but it requires someone in London who can promise ex ante that the local crap will be sidestepped. That, in turn, requires cultivating political connections.
Also, having done manufacturing in the UK, Europe and America, the first is universally bureaucractic. You'll encounter similar bureaucracy in New York and California. But you can set up a plant in parts of the country in weeks. That might get you through permitting int he most permissable parts of the U.K.
It's not. But in the U.S., you get access to the common market. The U.K. forwent that advantage vis-a-vis Europe. I'm a proponent of putting production in Britain, but it requires someone in London who can promise ex ante that the local crap will be sidestepped. That, in turn, requires cultivating political connections.
Also, having done manufacturing in the UK, Europe and America, the first is universally bureaucractic. You'll encounter similar bureaucracy in New York and California. But you can set up a plant in parts of the country in weeks. That might get you through permitting int he most permissable parts of the U.K.
the bureaucratic burden imposed by the state can scare off businesses, and not just the result of the process
Just so I can understand what you are saying, they moved to Singapore because they were afraid of the planning permission process in UK?
One of my neighbours had planning permission refused from the local council, and got it approved when appealed at national level. The process works, and isn't difficult.
And yet, we still can't find the planning permission that was denied to Dyson. At best this sounds like a terrible pretext, at worse it sounds like a weak company.
One of my neighbours had planning permission refused from the local council, and got it approved when appealed at national level. The process works, and isn't difficult.
And yet, we still can't find the planning permission that was denied to Dyson. At best this sounds like a terrible pretext, at worse it sounds like a weak company.
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