Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

[cheesy]

Well, the patience is getting thin but I think karma is being served. The new guy is going to be the CEO. Al has been moved to Sales and Gilbert may be sent packing. The new guy has quite a resume', too. I would love to be a fly on the wall when he starts next Wednesday.

[cheesy]

So, I am either going to be a hero or get my ass fired.

I met with the new CEO today to voice my concerns. He came right out and told me how upset he was on how the place was being run, which I replied, “And you are still here?”

We discussed the whole litany of problems at the place and three times he told me how pissed he was at the current management team because no one could provide him with a production schedule. We talked about getting time studies in production to get a true cost on our output; why are we buying fasteners from Europe with a 60 to 90 day lead time instead of getting them locally; uselessness of 2/3 of CS; inventory scattered about; lack of urgency with much of the staff; showed him photos of poor build quality, and let him know about all the time Jason and I have spent in repairing delivered ‘New’ machines before they can used.

Last things he asked me were what I thought of various managers, had I brought these issue up with Al, and why I brought it up at all.

I wasn’t kind regarding the managers. Told him a few needed to check their egos when dealing with the Elgin staff and I threw a couple under the bus. Let him know that myself and the Sales staff were done wasting our breath with Al. Finally, I said that my time at MTM were some of the best years of my career, but the last three years at GNA were the worst.

As I was going out his door, I thank him for his time and said I felt the talk was good for me. Things will finally get turned around or I get forced into retirement a year early for speaking truth to power. Either way, I win.

[Oddball Matt]

It's one thing to talk shit behind peoples back, and a whole another to have solid evidence to back your claims. If the new CEO has a head on his shoulders you should be fine. If not, well to hell with them anyway right?

[Emerikol]

They say that “The truth shall set you free.” With what you’ve been up against, Cheesy, I dare say that one way or another, you’re going to be set free! I hope it works out the best possible way for you.

[cheesy]

I have to say that with Mr & Mrs Meth Head gone, it was a pretty decent week here. There is a noticeable increase in morale. Crap is still haphazard and confused but at least people are smiling again. There is still one person there that is loyal to the Meth Heads and trying stir up trouble but I expect that one to be gone soon. The new guy wants to get this mess straightened out and is not someone to screw with.

I just hope I didn’t do something to endear myself to the new CEO and end up with an offer I can’t refuse, because, 366 more days.

[cheesy]

The final countdown has begun.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

The final countdown has begun.

[cheesy]

A lot of backslapping going on at the factory. $2M rail vehicle finished today and shipping Monday. Sales staff and After Sales Service(me, Jason, Junior, and Harold) are going: "Hey, great. Good job. You do know that it was supposed on site and commissioned by 7/31/20, right?"

[minimac]

They'll just blame it on Covid...just like everyone else, as an excuse for poor service, poor work ethics, incompetence, poor planning, etc,.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by minimac

They'll just blame it on Covid...just like everyone else, as an excuse for poor service, poor work ethics, incompetence, poor planning, etc,.

They used it but the new CEO ain't buying it. As far as field service is concerned, unless the customer uses it, I still gotta go.

[cheesy]

Well, I hate to be the one that told you so, but told you so.

That $2M truck that was delivered 6 months late, well, the customer refused delivery. Never even got it on their property.

Reasons for rejection:
Bed platform crooked.
Diamond plate covers look like they were made in a high school freshman metal shop.
Remote control functions intermittent.
Front high rail leaking oil.
And for good measure, 6 months late.

All of the above was pointed out by Jason, Junior, and myself months ago. I even said that Karl, the customer would not accept truck as it was. We were told that it would be dealt with before it left. Ha!

Here's how this went down at corporate. A lot of finger pointing between sales, qc, engineering, production, and management. I got a "You will attend this conference call" email yesterday. It consisted of myself, my two partners in crime, Harold, Al, Engineering,
and the new CEO. First thing out of Als' mouth is that he wants the three of us to drop everything and go to Denver to get the truck corrected so the customer will accept it.

Before any of us can tell Al to eff himself, the CEO jumps in and wants to know why we have to do it and not the ones who built it. Harold opens his mouth and and says that we are the best ones to do it. CEO then asks if we don't already have enough to do and why is it their responsibility to fix a Beaufort fuck up. Again, Harold says because we are the best. CEO then says that may be, but they didn't build it. We did. It's our responsibility. It is also my understanding that the reasons that the truck was refused were pointed out to Engineering months ago and apparently ignored. Why was that? (crickets)

(Here's where it got really good) CEO changes the subject. He says to Harold and Al, I've been going through the expense reports of the field service staff. Why are they spending up to 12 weeks with a supposedly new machine? Why do we only have three guys covering the entire country? One guy looks like he's getting ready to retire, any plans to replace him? If so, what are they? Harold was silent. Al started to say something but the CEO cut him off. CEO then says that he was given a free hand by France to straighten out this mess and he intends to. Everyone on this call might want to update their resume. Then he hung up. Jason then said that we've been telling you guys that this shit wasn't going to fly. Then I hung up.

[cheesy]

Last day of the year for me.

Jason and I spent most of the week in Milwaukee doing a 'Winter Conversion' on what we call a Storm truck. Basically, an overly complicated grapple truck that spends the no snow months as a grapple truck and the winter months as a big freaking snowblower. It wasn't our first conversion but, for whatever reason, Murphy was there the whole time.

Good thing about the Storm trucks is that they aren't built in SC. They are out of Canada as a group effort between our Cunuckastani branch and a couple of outfits in Quebec. The trucks are impressive but so complicated that they give points and carbs guys like me a big headache. The headache for me is that all the functions of non truck systems are remote controlled. If the remote goes south, the manual backup system is an absolute pain in the butt to use.

As you can probably guess, the remote on this truck quit. What should have been a day and a half to two day job, took three days and not one part of the job went right. Throw in that some dumbfcuk of a salesman told the customer that the change over was a one day job and they tried to hold me to it, and one of the Canadian engineers has a very bad habit of talking down to me, cheesys' temper control was getting quite tenuous. I kept it under control, but it was tough. I need the two and a half weeks off.

[cheesy]

Back at it today with the Storm Truck...it went pretty well. It took some convincing from Jason and I that the remote control was the problem. So much so, that Jason went down to Virginia and grabbed the remote and receiver from the the truck I broke to use this week. Guess what, that old remote was fubared. We had to connect up with Canada a couple of time to get some parameters changed but it was a heck of a good feeling when I got the remote paired and things actually worked.

I also spoke with HR about what is needed from me for my upcoming retirement. Spoke with Harold about it, too. He doesn't want me to retire but he is resigned to it.

[cheesy]

Today was the day. I officially put in my retirement notice.

[Oddball Matt]

Aw crap does this mean I really gotta start posting build stuff again to justify my still loitering here?