This blog is just for me and just to vent, so please don’t feel obligated to read it if you don’t want to.
Fifty-one weeks ago yesterday I had a job interview. I interviewed with five different people and I felt I did well. Fifty-one weeks ago today I wrote a blog on the nature of work. It was unremarkable. Fifty-one weeks ago Thursday was my brother-in-law and sister’s anniversary, and the day I was offered a job by the company with whom I had interviewed on the previous Monday. Here is the blog I wrote about that.
http://jimboandhisfriends.blogspot.com/2005/02/anniversary-and-event.html
Fifty-one weeks ago Saturday I began working at that job, where I have been, since. I’ve told you the stories of my travels on several occasions last year that were required by my job, but what I may not have told you about are some of the successes I have achieved. When I started working there I was told by one of the senior managers that I would have my hands full and that the two previous incumbents in my position had failed to be able to control the situation. It appears one of them was universally hated and either that one, or the other had just walked out the door one night and never came back. I found immediately that the company had extreme supply chain problems. I was told that “We’re out of everything all of the time.”
While that had to have been an exaggeration--because I remember the first day there I saw there were some materials in some of the stocking locations—it wasn’t far from the truth. And a successful manufacturing company needs to have the proper materials in stock in order to be able to produce finished product on schedule. Unfortunately for this company they had some serious problems. Fortunately, they had the good sense to hire me. It wasn’t overnight, but the problems went away.
I’m not one to brag on myself, but I’ve had a lot of experience and I’m good at what I do. Okay, maybe I do brag a little.
During the last nine months of last year, the supply chain problems solved, it exposed the fact that the company was having manufacturing problems. In September, they fired my boss. I figured they would put me in his place, but they brought in a temporary boss from another plant and sort of let us fight out who would be the top guy at our plant. We continued to have manufacturing problems, but our supply chain was just fine.
Anyway, in December things were going pretty well, but I decided I needed to turn it up a notch. I sent a memo to management telling them that their supply chain management had been third world when I showed up there and I had obviously improved things, but now I was ready to make the management of materials first-rate. I came in to work the first day of the year ready to kick ass. There was an announcement that day that our company had been purchased and the rumors started immediately that our plant would be closed down.
I put in eight hours on a Saturday and several ten-hour days and I had everything really in good shape by the end of January. We were all convinced that it was just a matter of time until they closed down our plant, but I wanted to go out on top.
Today, fifty-one weeks and one day from the day I interviewed for the job, we had a management meeting and they told us they were shutting down the facility. They gave us termination letters and my last day will be May 8. I have three months to work and look for another job. I’ll get four extra weeks of pay if I stay until the end.
Later in the day, there was a meeting with the entire workforce where they broke the news. Many of the rank and file were peeved, but there was no violence. The cop they brought in was nondescript, not uniformed and not needed.
So this is the beginning of the end. It’s been a good ride and worthwhile, but it will be over soon.
What is the next adventure that awaits us here in Jimbo’s world?
No comments:
Post a Comment