SHOT Show, Part Deux

We returned a bit weary from a full week of meetings, introductions, presentations, and rare opportunities to just sit and relax. The show was in all, a success, however I must say that it's size is overwhelming at times and a bit confusing due to the nature of the Sands Convention Center. All were relieved to return unharmed, and ultimately, inspired.

The outlook is positive in the outdoor world, with many companies going above and beyond their normal offering at the show. Behemoth booths and striking detail in merchandise presentation made for a great experience. A lack of tasteless promotion made the week palatable indeed, as did the quality of merchandise offered. Most reported a strong year with an even stronger predicted, and some were as bold as to say their best was just beginning. I might not go that far, however, I can see a strong vector moving in that direction for us as well...

SHOT Show, sans cheerleaders...

Oh the humanity. Should we or should we not hire the often tried and true feminine profile to augment our booth and attract a greater audience? To use a bad pun here - I can't pull the trigger.

Hiring the intentionally uninformed eye candy may have inherent advantages for some, however I might contend that the service it provides does not necessarily meet the goals of the company in hiring such decoration. What does it say about your company? That you will knowingly employ superficial attractive devices in lieu of informed, experienced personnel that will actually speak with knowledge and informed verse? Hmm...

I was conversing with my buddy, also attending the SHOT Show this coming week, which stated he would be employing some of the aforementioned delights at the show. Even more alarming, he was asking his fiancee to do the 'flashy' work. Double whammy. When in Vegas, I guess...

We are attending with the sole purpose of working with our existing clientele, meeting new opportunities, and rekindling dormant conversations that could use an infusion of enthusiasm. Not to mention, spending a week in close confines with our colleagues and co-workers. If we can make it through this week, we can make it through any week. We'll make sure we keep our eye on the prize, and our heads down when the girls walk by...

2009 in the Rear View Mirror!

How quickly this year has vanished. We have had a great year (thanks to our great clients and employees) and have seen a lot of maturity to our product line and the systems internally. But so much more is to be done.

This next year we will be developing our retail lines, expanding our services for the OEM market, and engaging in LEAN throughout the company. From our wonderful client base we have learned what is needed and what can be improved, and in addition we have strategically driven our production capabilities outside the norm, adding our recent plastic fabrication disciplines and thermoforming functions. Look for more info on this soon!

Ft. Hood

I can speak for all of us here that the events in Texas this week were a horrible tragedy, and an event none of us ever wish to have repeated. My sincere prayers and sympathy to those friends, families, and the men and women serving at Ft. Hood. God bless...

Down Economy, Up People!

Daily I am reminded of the adverse circumstances facing our nation - rising unemployment, the devalued dollar, debate over health care, etc. - yet I find myself optimistic and energized by the challenges we face. It is times like these that good companies survive, great companies dominate, and the weak ventures find every excuse why they can't succeed, and ultimately, die.

While all of outside influences effect us greatly, the inside is what I am working on because it is what we can control. I cannot control every act of congress (although I am told I am their boss), nor can I stimulate the global economy on my own. What I can do is look for the gaps during these times and work to fill them. Whether it be with our own product line we produce or supplying one of our many great clients with solutions they require, we are constantly looking to find the next opportunity in the market. Sometimes they present themselves, but more often, we turn over rocks to find them. Sometimes it is the first rock we turn over, but more likely it comes after a long and hard walk along the riverbed.

The ones that defy logic during hard times and press forward to claim their stake are who we employ. Locating, hiring, and developing those within our company only make us stronger, and during these times we are working to accelerate their growth both personally and professionally. As we crawl and scrape through a down economic time we are sure to come out of this stronger and better equipped to handle the demands around the corner.

If there is a beacon of light during a trying climate, it is that the human spirit cannot be broken. Keep your chin up, and your nose to the grindstone!

Losing a Planet

GM made a critical decision today, severing the underperforming Saturn brand after Penske could not find suitable long-term manufacturing to carry the brand forward. While I was disappointed to see the brand disappear, I understand the decision to move forward and leave the losses behind. This is never an easy decision, in fact, I doubt anyone at either Penske or GM wished this to be the outcome. What it does show is that our manufacturing base has been crippled in this country. With no factory or supply chain to turn to, Saturn fades away to a soon-to-be-forgotten entity few will write into the history books as anything other than a well intentioned but poorly executed experiment.

The business model Saturn started with was novel, efficient, and perhaps could have been a success given leadership being a bit more progressive in design and marketing. The product began with a cult following, strong sales, and customer loyalty before floundering with the American consumer and receiving an artificial lung from grandpa GM. The recent surge it experienced was a futile attempt at a comeback, and ultimately, too little too late.

We are evaluating similar models we have employed. With each of our lines of goods we have to make those same hard decisions - do we persevere or cut bait and move forward? Some of the lines have succeeded greatly, while others have found a hard start and even slower growth pattern than what any of us had envisioned. The important lesson here is that you learn from each of them and evaluate the next having a keener perspective and perhaps a bit more wisdom than before. I hope that GM learns from this, but I also hope the American public learns that stripping away the manufacturing base in this country is a short-sighted plan that could ultimately disable our ability to produce the durable goods we need to survive.

Staying Put

Thank you Daimler for staying put in PDX. I think we can all be thankful for a contract that maintains jobs and gives some of those employees a sense of security. I wish them well and a strong and positive future.