This past week Maytag reported an 80 percent loss in the first quarter and the company’s stock dropped to about 10-dollars-a-share — the lowest level in 14 years. St. Ambrose business professor Bill Lynn says the high costs of steel and energy are hurting the Newton-based company. Lynn says a lack of brand-loyalty is taking its toll as consumers now shop for the bargain rather than the brand. “It just makes it tougher and tougher for companies to keep prices up,” Lynn says. The professor says moving more jobs to Mexico may not be the answer. Lynn says sometimes companies discover that low-priced labor is not cheap labor. “They find out that these workers are not quite as productive,” Lynn says. Lynn, who also serves as a consultant to businesses, expects Maytag to survive after making adjustments.
