Re: "Brit vacuum-cleaner maker Dyson"
Er... not quite. Dyson wanted to expand the factory in Malmesbury (which employed lots of local people bolting the things together) into the derelict school site opposite, in order to turn their main building entirely over to R&D and administration but keep manufacturing local.
The local council turned them down because they wanted a Sainsbury's supermarket there instead.
After a couple of years of to-ing and fro-ing, the council made up their mind, said "No factory, thanks" and Dyson made the call to move manufacturing overseas, pointing out that the benefits of having the factory on their doorstep are lost whether the factory is five miles away or five thousand. Add in the cost saving moving it over seas and, well, sod it.
Thing is they were happy to invest in the local economy, and in Britain, but the local councilors scuppered the plan, and cost quite a few jobs in the process.
Oh, and Sainsbury's weren't interested in building a supermarket in Malmesbury anyway, so the land was sold for housing. Eventually Malmesbury got a decent supermarket in the form of a Waitrose that was then built in one of the stupidest and unsympathetic locations possible ruining a decent view of some of the town's 1,000 year old walls and water meadows.
Source - I was working for Lucent at the time at their location on the outskirts of Malmesbury, now also shut and turned into housing. Presumably with really awesome internet connections and a monstrous UPS...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
