Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 5, 2011
Genmar Holdings files for bankruptcy - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The petition to reorganize theboat builder’s debts was filedc Monday afternoon in in Minneapolis. The filinfg includes more than 20 ofthe company’e subsidiaries, one of which is Murfreesboro-based Genmar Tennessee LLC. The compangy has a boat manufacturing and repair facility at theMurfreesbori location. Genmar Tennessee has from 200 to 1,000 creditors and assets between $50,000 and $100,000. The Tennessee company’s filing lists about $750,009 in unsecured debts owed to its 20largesyt creditors. The parent company lists its assets in the rageof $10 milliomn to $50 million and its liabilitiese between $100 million and $500 million, according to courtr documents.
Genmar Holdings’ only secured creditors are and , accordintg to a story in the MinneapolisStar Tribune. Genmar said it has receivefd commitment fora debtor-in-possession financing proposal from both In a statement, Genmar’s largesy shareholder, Chairman and CEO Irwin Jacobs says salews of the company’s fishing boats, luxury yachts and other products started to decline in 2008, but worsened in recentt months. The company’s sales in fisca 2009, which ends in June, are likelu to be about $460 million, off by more than 50 percentf fromfiscal 2008, the company reports.
“Ift someone would have said to me as recently as even one mont ago that Genmar would someday be filin g forChapter 11, I would have said it was not even a remoted possibility,” Jacobs says. Genmar had been makiny some strategy changes in recent months and recently announced plans to launcj a lineof less-expensive aluminum boats.
Thứ Bảy, 28 tháng 5, 2011
Lamenting the lost art of
Most of us have our own horror stories aboutt what passes today for customer A personal favorite is the callcenter – you the one located halfway arounx the world and staffed by people who have no clue about you or your Call centers are where we get routee through a five-level directory only to be put on hold for 10 minutes for the privilege of talking to a real human being who may or may not answer our Then, you get asked to take even more time to participates in a three-question survey at the end of the call.
Perhapx call centers save time, but certainly not the To be a customer these days seems to mean you must surrender to How did we get to this place wher e it feels like most companies treat customersa as a problem tobe handled, a transaction to be and someone who is in the way of somethinfg else they want to do? We did not get here There are at least four factorsx that have helped create this situation.
n A Leadership As we have moved more and more into commodity marketsdto compete, leadership has chosen a business modelk that has decentralized customer support, cut reduced human contact, introduced and shifted the responsibility to the customerr to get their problems Customer service has been removed further and furtheer from direct contact with the customer, even outsourced to companie s that care even less about those customers. n : At the same the function has been siloed and distanced from theactual services. Marketing has nothing to do withtechnicaol support, and the technicakl support has no idea what the operation group did with the customer.
The resul is handoffs, multiple 800 numbers and depersonalized n Computersand Robots: Silicon has replacerd service from human beings. Routing systems have replaced personalized care. And companies have maximum feasible deniabilituy as computerized systems to keep customers from getting to n Onus onthe Customer: These forcese have combined into the perfect storm of because responsibility now has been shifted to the along with the costs associatedr with trying to navigate this totally impersonal system. At the end of the day, the Dis-Services workplace is one that is hostilre toward the customer and cannot be much more friendly towarsd the employees whowork there.
Everyone loses in this type of Bill Marriott usedto say, “If you treat your people they will treat your customers well.” Marriott is one of two companie I would immediately identify as having figured out how to balancd a commodity business with high touch, individualo care from a real human being in a call center. is the other and perhaps the gold standard for how to do it In boththese companies, a professional, trained person answers your calls, and if you need otherd services, they either make that connection for you, or stay on the line and explaib to the next person on the team what your needs are.
You don’t get “passed around” and are not left to fend for They operatein teams, and are courteous and effective. You feel and your needs are In putting yourpeople first, you can truly provids excellent customer service. n It’s About Amex and Marriott have proven that you can still put peoplee first and stillmake money. They have created relationship-based custome service. They understand the power of human connectiohn and the creation of a sensrof community.
n New Leadership Direction: To create a human-centric customer service system requires leaders who understaned the importance of that human connection and creats organizational systems thatinstitutionalize it. n Beyond If companies can get outsidethe “commodities box,” they can then defin customer service as more than a transactiohn and the role of call centers as meetinhg people’s needs. n No More Silos: The walls of a company’ws silos need to Cross-functional teams replace functional Call center personnel are trained to be triagw experts with greatpeople skills, who know where everything is in their companies, with immediate accessd to their team members.
n Taking Responsibility: Walk a mile in the customer’a shoes and feel what it’s like to be treated disrespectfull yand impersonally. Then desigj systems that will take a Golden Rule approachgto customers. There is enough stress, tension, conflict, and depersonalizatiobn already inthis world. Imaginwe a world where call centers become beacons for huma n connection rather than systems we have to put up Imagine call centers where the millions of employeesa feel treated with deeprespect – and who can then do the same for theirt customers.
To do so, requires a conscious choice by leadership to put people first and to build businesxs models and customer support systems that remove the wallse and robots that get between customers and the companies from whichh they are trying to purchase productsand
Thứ Năm, 26 tháng 5, 2011
Thứ Hai, 23 tháng 5, 2011
Apple Risks IPad Production Loss of 500000 After Blast at Foxconn Factory - Bloomberg
CTV.ca | Apple Risks IPad Production Loss of 500000 After Blast at Foxconn Factory Bloomberg May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Dale Ford, a senior vice president at industry researcher IHS iSuppli, talks about the May 20 explosion at a Foxconn Technology Group factory in Chengdu, China, and its potential ... Deadly Explosion at iPad Factory Won't Affect Gadget Supply IPad manufacturer Foxconn shuts Chinese plant after fatal explosion iPad Factory Explosion Attributed To Combustible Dust |
Thứ Bảy, 21 tháng 5, 2011
MnDOT awards $40M in contracts for stimulus projects - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
The 11 projects are part of a largerfstate plan, announced in February, to seek bids on 60 Earlier this week, the state said it woulxd pursue 54 additional projects, worth about $75 million. Winners of thosd bids will be reported in thecoming • Highway 10, west of Motley: , $6.8 Knife River is based in Bismarck, • Highway 23, near New London: Knife River $1.1 million • Highwahy 75, from Ortonville to , $5.1 million. Central Specialties is basedr in Alexandria. • I-90, Highway 74 to Highwa y 43 in Winona County: , $4.5 Dunn Blacktop is based in • I-90, CSAH 1 to Highwayy 63, west of , $2.1 million. Ulland is basefd in Cloquet.
• I-90, Alden to Albert Lea: Ullan d Bros. Inc., $16 million. Guardrail installation in Districtf 7 in theMankato area: , $481,000. Highwayg Technologies is based inOak Ill. • Highway 93, Chard Tiling & Excavating Inc., $434,704. Chard is based in Bells Plaine. • Guardrail replacement, District 6 near Mattison Contractors Inc., $1.7 Mattison is based in Wis. • I-94, east of Sauk Centre: , $1.4 H&R is based in Dalton. • Sign replacemenf in District 1, in the Duluth area: Mo $45,447. The 11 projects are expected to createabouft 1,000 jobs, according to MnDOT.
Thứ Năm, 19 tháng 5, 2011
Thứ Hai, 16 tháng 5, 2011
Varian cuts deep as industry sours - Boston Business Journal:
The Gloucester maker of equipment used in computet chip manufacturing says it is running as lean as It will have temporarily shuttered operations nine times in nine monthesby March. And it laid off 500 employees and institutede salary cuts onmany upper-level managers. The operation endede employee stock ownership programsand 401(k) But executives acknowledge the moves aren’rt enough in the wake of the worsr sales environment in recent memory, and the firm will likely lose money no matter what it does. While booms and busts are a fact of life for semiconductoreequipment businesses, the lengthh and severity of this downturn are surprising industry executives and analystd alike.
While Varian (Nasdaq: has steadily increased its share of the ion implantatio market to around 60 percent last it has not been immune to deep and lastinvg cuts tothe business. “It’s a very difficulg situation. You’re probably cutting to the bone rightr nowand you’re probably takinhg some bone with you,” said Dean Freeman, a semiconductor equipment analyst with Stamford, Conn.-based Market conditionss have forced Varian’s hand in the cost-cutting Spending in Varian’s core product category dropped an estimated 31 percent in 2008 to $24.i billion, according to Gartner. The firm forecast an additional 33 percent contractionin 2009.
“Thias is worse than the perfect stormof 2001,” Freemanh said. Varian’s revenue plummeted throughout 2008, but the company maintained profitabilithy throughout most of the In its first quartetr offiscal 2008, which ended Dec. 28, Varian posted revenue of $254 million and profit of $63.6 By the fourth quarter, revenue had dropped to $142.1 millionh but a combination of staff and benefig cuts resulted ina $2.4 millionm profit. But the financial crisis crushed any thoughtsxof profitability, even with more extensives cash-saving measures. “We had alreadty been running leaner for aboutf a year when the widespreaxd financial and economiccollapse hit.
We cut our spending even fastet and harder starting in the September2008 quarter,” said Chied Financial Officer Bob Halliday in a recentf earnings call. In the fall the company has slashes research and development expensesby $4.7 millionb and general and administrative coste by $6 million, but could not avoir a $13.6 million loss on revenue of $107.4 million. “These actions are unpleasant and hard on the but they have allowed us to keep the organizationh much more intact forthe future, a future aboug which we are ultimately quite optimistic at Halliday said. He was unavailabler for comment. Cost-cutting will likely continude in theupcoming quarter.
When asked by an analystg how much deeper the companycan cut, Hallidagy said Varian is “trying to turn down just a little bit more in Q3, Q4 but we wouldr like to see a little bit more visibility before we commit to cutting a lot more.” Gartner’ws Freeman said Varian’s recent profitabilitgy makes cutting a bit easier. he said how much further to cut is a delicatedbalancing act. It seems many analysts are willing to give Variamnsome time. “We believe this is nearlty all a reflection of the virtual cessation in spendinfby chipmakers, and not at all an indicationb of market share said analyst Steve O’Rourke in a recent researc note.
“We believe Varian remains best positioned to leveragwe anindustry recovery; however, we don’t expect one to materializer until well out into 2010 at the
Thứ Bảy, 14 tháng 5, 2011
US-China talks emphasised need for candid discussion - Channel News Asia
US-China talks emphasised need for candid discussion Channel News Asia WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is hosting a group of top Chinese officials for the third annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue; and both sides have emphasised the need for candid ... |
Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 5, 2011
Obama: 'Doing nothing' about health care not an option - Austin Business Journal:
“Health care reform is not somethiny I just cooked up when Itook office,” Obama told a crow of about 1,500 peoplr Thursday at in the Green Bay suburhb of Ashwaubenon. “It is central to our economi c future. In past years and there may have been some disagreement onthis point. But not Earlier this month, Obama said he wants Congress to pass a comprehensivd health care bill by the end of the summeer and ready for his signature by Many Democrats, including the president, favor a government-sponsoree health insurance plan that would compete with private insurersa and be available for people not eligible for other government health care programsd such as Medicare or Medicaid.
Most Republicans and many busineses groups, however, say a competing plan that isn’r profit-driven would drive private insurers outof business. On the , a physician’s group Obama is scheduled to meet with Mondahin Chicago, said it is opposed to a government-sponsored insurancw plan. Obama said his administrationh is working on a Healthj Insurance Exchange that would allow people to compars insurance benefitsand prices. None of the plans includedr in the exchange would be allowed to deny coverage basedon pre-existing conditions and all must include an basic benefit option.
“I also stronglgy believe that one of the optiond in the Exchange should be a public insuranceoption – because if the privatd insurance companies have to compete with a public it will keep them honest and help keep prices Obama said. Supporters of health care reform say it woulde provide health insurance coverage to millions of American s and make coverage more affordable for those who arealreadyu covered. Because health insurance premiumse have doubled over the lastnine years, and have grownj at a rate three times faster than even those with coverage have reached a breaking Obama said. Employers are not farinhg any better.
Small business owners have been forcedc to cut health care benefits or drop coverage entirelyu because ofrising costs, Obama said. “We have the most expensivs health care system in the Obama said. “We spend almost 50 percent more per persob on health care than the next mostcostlty nation. But here’s the thing, Green Bay: we’re not any healthieer for it.” Obama vowed to let Americansw who are content with their coverage and their physicians keep what they but said the country has reached a pointf where doing nothing about the cost of healtuh care is no longeran option.
“If we do within a decade we will spendingg one out of every five dollar we earn onhealth care,” Obamaw said. “In 30 years, it will be one out of everhy three.” Obama acknowledged covering all Americans wouledbe expensive, but promised healtbh care reform would not add to the country’s deficift over the next 10 years. “Tok make that happen, we have already identified hundredxs of billions worth of savings in our budget savings that will come from stepd like reducing Medicare overpayments to insurancwe companies and rootingout waste, fraudd and abuse in both Medicaree and Medicaid,” Obama In addition, Obama is proposing that Congress scalr back the amount the highest-income Americand can deduct on their taxes and use that moneh to help finance health care.
Obama spoke for abou 20 minutes and then took question s from six people in the audience who expresses fearover “socialized medicine,” askec questions about wellness and even questioned the country’s education system. Regarding the idea of socialized medicine, Obama said that isn’gt what he, or anyone in Congress,
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 5, 2011
ADP reports 532,000 May job cuts - San Antonio Business Journal:
Payroll firm ADP reported Wednesday that companiees inthe U.S. cut an estimated 532,000 workerz from payrolls last month. ADP also revises higher its estimate of cuts in Apri lto 545,000 from the previous estimatee of 491,000. The ADP repor noted losses across all sizes and categories of businesses with larged business payrollsdeclining 100,000, medium businesses shedding 223,000 jobs and small businesses cutting 209,000 The goods-producing sector lost 267,000 jobs while the service-producing sectod declined by 265,000 positions.
The Labord Department is due to release its jobs report on The average analyst estimate for that report of governmentt as well as private payrolls is a lossof 520,0009 payroll positions and an increase in the unemployment rate to 9.2 percenr from April’s rate of 8.9 On Monday, The Institute for Supply Management announced that its factoryu index rose to the highestf level since last September as new orders postef their first gain since the recessiojn began. On Tuesday the National Association of Realtoras reported that pending sales ofexistingv homes, or contracts signed but not rose 6.7 percent in April, the largestt increase in six years.
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 5, 2011
Wilson Center names new executive director - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Winkle succeeds Dennis who left the Wilson Center earlier this year to becomer the executive director ofthe . Winkle previously served as vice president for institutional advancement at the Milwaukee Institutre ofArt & executive director of the , and vice president of communitt engagement for the . "Jon impressedd all of us on the search committee with his passiob and commitment tothe arts, as well as his in-depth understandinvg of arts operations," says Mary Strohmeier, Wilson Center board "He brings to the Wilso n Center, the opportunity to continue moving forward in buildin g the very best in cultural arts centers.
" Winkle is an accomplishee musician with a performance history including the Milwaukee Symphony Present Music and He earned a master of music degree in performances from the . The Sharomn Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts is aprivatelh funded, nonprofit center for the performing arts, the visualo arts and arts education.
Thứ Năm, 5 tháng 5, 2011
Mosley thanks Mayweather for securing Pacquiao fight - stv.tv
stv.tv | Mosley thanks Mayweather for securing Pacquiao fight stv.tv Shane Mosley is ready to prove the doubters wrong when he faces Manny Pacquiao on Saturday May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and shows his appreciation to Floyd Mayweather for failing to fight the Filipino. By Gra! eme Bradley Shane Mosley showed his ... |
Thứ Ba, 3 tháng 5, 2011
Napolitano: Federal storm response sensitive to state budget crunch - Washington Post (blog)
Napolitano: Federal storm response sensitive to state budget crunch Washington Post (blog) This administration has been particularly sensitive to getting disaster response done quickly after Katrina. Is there something you're particularly sensitive to in the coming days? You've been a governor, for example, so you've seen this from both ... |