“Yet Another Local Institution Closing Its Doors”
“The announcement that Otto Wurz will cease operations after over 100 years in business means more job losses and yet another local institution closing its doors,” the Progressive Labour Party said today.
According to their website, the shop first opened in 1928 on Bermudiana Road by Otto Wurz himself, an Austrian with a background in watch and clock repair. The business was bought by Bermudian Ivy Spurling in 1956, and her granddaughter Anthea Edwards moved Otto Wurz to its current location on Front Street in 1962.
Shadow Minister for Tourism and Business Development Jamahl Simmons said, “It is clear that the OBA’s approach of higher taxes, their inability or unwillingness to diversify the economy, and their failed tourism policy that has seen air arrivals hit a 49 year low, aren’t working for average Bermudians or Bermudian businesses.
“The OBA’s policies have made it more expensive to operate a business in Bermuda and, as we have warned during successive OBA Budgets, will result in further businesses closing their doors.
“The OBA’s lack of vision is compounded by their failure to articulate a long term economic plan for our island, while investing in unaffordable schemes such at the untendered airport project.
“Bermudian job losses and business closures can and must be stopped and replaced with an atmosphere conducive to job creation and business success.
“After the next election, the PLP will focus on economic growth, investing in tourism, tax reform to reduce the cost of doing business in Bermuda and diversifying our economy to create new jobs and business opportunities for Bermudians.
“Our thoughts remain with the management and staff of Otto Wurz who are faced with this difficult situation.”
Wow wee plp! Hey that rhymes…In one sentence you produced your platform that is wicked I am voting for you.
“The announcement that Otto Wurz will cease operations after over 100 years in business”
Established in 1928?
Can anyone seriously consider giving Jahmal Simmons any responsibility? Imagine what will happen when the sums become difficult.
Jamal + Maths = JaMaths.
Pretty sure they stated that they were closing as the children aren’t interested in taking over.
But anything to score points I guess.
PS: less people on island equals less shoppers equals business closures
does anyone else find it ironic that the PLP are lamenting a business closing which was started by a datsardly foreigner, and a Europen one at that?
YOU MEAN NOT A REAL BERMUDAINESE, well perhaps one will take the shop over, or is it too much effort ???
“After the next election, the PLP will focus on economic growth, investing in tourism, tax reform to reduce the cost of doing business in Bermuda and diversifying our economy to create new jobs and business opportunities for Bermudians.”
(especially the part about reducing the cost of doing business in Bermuda which is indexed to the cost of government , thus cost of living , and which we all look forward to dramatically dropping)
And when that happens I will wave my magic wand over my magic hat and pull out 100 unicorns .
Ha! Foiled again because the PLP will pull out 200 magic unicorns!
They’ll do that right after they find out what a magic unicorn is. Which will be never.
That’s funny, I remember the plp were ecstatic at the closing of the Mid-Ocean News with the loss of so many Bermudian jobs.
Thank you to the Edwards family for the unique gifts and engraving that I have enjoyed over the years. Best wishes in your new endevours.
“After the next election, the PLP will focus on economic growth, investing in tourism, tax reform to reduce the cost of doing business in Bermuda and diversifying our economy to create new jobs and business opportunities for Bermudians.
“After the next election”? No Jamahl, No. Say it NOW, before the next election so voters can see your firm plans with costs, benefits, number of jobs, timescales. All we ever hear are ideas, plans and spend money Bermuda doesn’t have. All you have are some words and something called a 2025 vision. The PLP put this Island past the point of no financial return but magically can save it without saying how? What is the PLP’s solution? We want to know now.
“All you have are some words and something called a 2025 vision.”
The PLP’s 10 Year Plan, as it were.
What could go wrong?
Can someone tell Jamahl that sometimes businesses closes because the owners choose to, or because it is not financially viable.
I’d like to know if he ever even shopped there or went there for engravements.
Stop pointing your fingers and start using your brain J.S.
When the plp get back in next year there will be an immediate tourism recovery plan, no unemployment, BMWs for everyone and free money. Everyone will be rich and pigs will fly.
Wasn’t that what was supposed to happen the 1st time ?
“After the next election, the PLP will focus on economic growth, investing in tourism, tax reform to reduce the cost of doing business in Bermuda and diversifying our economy to create new jobs and business opportunities for Bermudians.
Has PLP already thought they have won the election? Oh, the humour.
And to pay for this ? They will RAID your pension funds to give your money away to foreign companies whilst still spouting anti-foreigner rhetoric to keep PLP voters placated and propaganda drunk .
To reduce the cost of doing business you need to decrease the cost of government.
The only way to do that is via less and less government salaries.
How is that going to be achieved, in any meaningful sense, without redundancies?
decreasing taxes with no correlated decrease in government expenditure will bury us once and for all.
And no this company did not close because of taxation issues.
Please! there was like one employee there the rest were her children….
Where will I buy my specialty gifts now ?
Buy the store and the inventory and re-open it. I’m sure that if you made a reasonable offer the Edwards family would sell it to you. Then you could buy your specialty gift items wholesale, they same place they do now.
Excellent idea ! Maybe I will , maybe I won’t .
Now why didn’t you buy Triminghams ?
Diamonds International, the Israeli owned outfit about to open in Dockyard with a Bermudian front.
This is gonna continue until Bermuda finds a way to reinvent itself. There’s gonna be more and more empty buildings in the city of Hamilton.
Allah-u-Akbar,,,,,,which means G-D is the greatest.To all my Bermudian friends and neighbours and also my enemies if they will listen.There was a program brought to Bermuda under The Nation Of Islam by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad called…..Do for Self……the most tried and successful Program until today and well into the future for a people depending on the slavemaster for a job.Make a job for yourself.Stop depending on the slavemaster or slavemaker for a Job,there is a wide awake world ,for a wide awake people.Peace.If you want more information,232-4979 ask for Takbir Karriem Sharrieff.
OMG……which means Oh my God, this sounds so stupid. Putting it into context though, Elijah Muhammad’s program of “Do for Self” was meant for black people only. Contrary to what you believe, it didn’t work. Just look around (here and in Mr. Muhammad’s homeland) and how many of those businesses do you see.
Stop living in LaLa land!
If you wash away the racist hate you end up with…
Start your own business.
THEY CAN RUN – BUT THEY CAN’T HIDE
FEY & DUNKLRY NEED TO RESIGN
Blah! Blah! Blah! Same old rhetoric from PLP!!! How is it the OBA’s fault that this business is closing? Oh wait! PLP were responsible for so many new businesses starting up during their reign of terror. Laughable, but not funny!
Why can’t we all get along.
What happened to respect without malice.
What will Michael Fahy say to these now unemployed Bermudians? OBA only achieve madness, disruption, and deception.
Erm… one is retiring the other is off to do something else and the other is leaving to live in the US.
Your a fool and have no idea what your talking about, so please sit down and be quite! @Bermy.
When will Bermuda wake up to the reality that our Tourism market just can’t compete with the Caribbean or Central America b/c of our weather and size. Our hey day was when there was basically no competition-they didn’t have airports in the a lot of the top destinations (one example is the Turks & Caicos) or it just wasn’t a safe political scene (DR, Central America, etc….) Bermuda will never get back to our tourism heyday-that is a fact-People travel for the weather and for activities-we have great weather 4-5 months of the year (May>Sept) and as a 20 square mile rock we can only offer so many activities. International business is about to get another shake up due to the Panama Papers (While Bermuda may have little to do with the Panama papers the fall out will have an effect on us) We should not forget our tourism and international business products but Bermuda needs a new path/ a new product to offer, something new that will make people want to spend money on/in Bermuda
How is this the OBA’s fault? TBH their product had never changed and I never saw any robust marketing strategy in place to attract customers. To succeed – you must adapt and change with the times. It was a nice business, but the last time I was in there I saw nothing that interested me. Not when you have business savvy places like Escape and Urban Cottage who understand the changing marketplace better and offer better products. It’s sad, but it’s also business. Changing times…
There are lots of reasons businesses close in Bermuda but there is simply no way to sugar coat the fact that we have at least 5000 fewer people living on the island. It hurts everyone’s business. Keep in mind too the insatiable need of Bermudians to shop off the island. It’s not pretty folks but every time you buy something overseas you are helping to further Bermuda’s economic decline. Want to help keep jobs in Bermuda? Shop in Bermuda and keep your dollars in Bermuda. That would be a start!
Man, if Der was no PLP, Bermuda would be better.
It would be nice if were more’cash able’ business savvy bermudians with enthusiasm and fresh Ideas,were able to consider purchasing this business as well as the past and future businesses that have and are about to close. Oh Wait, Fahy Tried that already. “Hey who pooped my pants?”
I am confused…
The decision to close a business does not happen overnight.
How can it be pinned on any political party?
It it Obama or Trumps fault?
Look at the bright side folks.
Only business that will be left will be K.F.C.
Then once the feral chickens are all eaten……..
The only currency you will see is running under Flatts Bridge.
Shalom.
Just give Bermudians equal rights. ALL of them.
“After the next election, the PLP will focus on economic growth, investing in tourism, tax reform to reduce the cost of doing business in Bermuda and diversifying our economy to create new jobs and business opportunities for Bermudians.”
Sorry, but what is it that the PLP are FOCUSED on NOW?! Oh, I know…nothing! Try brushing up on your mathematic skills first, and then MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, someone might trust you with the Island’s finances!