Re: Goex closing down
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 7:00 pm
Clearly Johnny V and SSS Shooter, etc.........this is about a very specialized, focused manufacturing operation. Far as I know it was the only one in the country making black powder from scratch. Granted, Unions and economies of scale can and do form symbiotic relationships, especially in the construction and trades areas. That is not what this is about.
However, that is not what is in question here. Here we are talking about what is probably an ultra unique case, a one of a kind. Where are you going to get a journeyman black powder maker? If you have the only shop in the states making black powder and you don't have one in your shop what do you do? Because you are a Federal Contractor you work within Federal Hiring Rules and hire someone and train them. But, are you able to pick and choose who you think is the most qualified or by Federal Regulations do you have to follow affirmative action guidelines and who do you get to train them. Duh, even if they are capable of being trained. So you automate the plant. And, duh. It gets blown up. Again. The admonition of 1995-96 comes home to roost when you are unable or unwilling to bring the experienced powder makers from Pennsylvania to Louisianna and regardless of the upgrades in production equipment mistakes, quite possibly human caused, keep happening. And, to complicate things, you don't need one Journeyman Powder Maker you actually need seven because of demand and production realities you have to run this shop 24/7/365, with three full shifts. (Think double or triple shifts.)
If unionized there is a contract. If it is necessary to run the plant 24/7/365 the plant will require more than three full shifts over time. If semi skilled labor supply, highly skilled as well as very scarce, cannot meet demand that will shut down the operation just as sure as an explosion. Sort of a name your poison scenario. I have been on both sides and I can guarantee you that there are certain issues that management simply cannot be flexible on and arbitration cannot fix because they are inherent in the work so there goes production and profits and down the tube goes the operation and everybody else is looking for work elsewhere.
Managerially this presents more than three critical negative (no skilled labor, general labor shortage, high risk work environment, etc) lever points in the plan projection. Which means each negative lever point is about a guaranteed failure that will over time cause the plan to fail. Two or more can be catastrophic and that is probably what happened here. What the failure point or points are/were that were inherent in the operation that continues to cause these explosions is where the investigation needs to go. If these insidious negative lever point cannot be sufficiently mitigated the project cannot be fixed and that is probably where this is today.
However, that is not what is in question here. Here we are talking about what is probably an ultra unique case, a one of a kind. Where are you going to get a journeyman black powder maker? If you have the only shop in the states making black powder and you don't have one in your shop what do you do? Because you are a Federal Contractor you work within Federal Hiring Rules and hire someone and train them. But, are you able to pick and choose who you think is the most qualified or by Federal Regulations do you have to follow affirmative action guidelines and who do you get to train them. Duh, even if they are capable of being trained. So you automate the plant. And, duh. It gets blown up. Again. The admonition of 1995-96 comes home to roost when you are unable or unwilling to bring the experienced powder makers from Pennsylvania to Louisianna and regardless of the upgrades in production equipment mistakes, quite possibly human caused, keep happening. And, to complicate things, you don't need one Journeyman Powder Maker you actually need seven because of demand and production realities you have to run this shop 24/7/365, with three full shifts. (Think double or triple shifts.)
If unionized there is a contract. If it is necessary to run the plant 24/7/365 the plant will require more than three full shifts over time. If semi skilled labor supply, highly skilled as well as very scarce, cannot meet demand that will shut down the operation just as sure as an explosion. Sort of a name your poison scenario. I have been on both sides and I can guarantee you that there are certain issues that management simply cannot be flexible on and arbitration cannot fix because they are inherent in the work so there goes production and profits and down the tube goes the operation and everybody else is looking for work elsewhere.
Managerially this presents more than three critical negative (no skilled labor, general labor shortage, high risk work environment, etc) lever points in the plan projection. Which means each negative lever point is about a guaranteed failure that will over time cause the plan to fail. Two or more can be catastrophic and that is probably what happened here. What the failure point or points are/were that were inherent in the operation that continues to cause these explosions is where the investigation needs to go. If these insidious negative lever point cannot be sufficiently mitigated the project cannot be fixed and that is probably where this is today.