Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

Enjoy the heat and humidity.

Whoa! It's nasty down here.

First opinion of the new facility is obviously no thought or planning went into it.

Only going to be here a couple hours today because one salesman saw fit to have me go look at a machine in Atlanta. Odd that once the move was made south all his customers are now more important than anyone else's customers.

[cheesy]

Gaaah! 17.5 hour day. I spent 2.5 at the shop. I will admit that I'm impressed with the guys I'm training. They seem pretty sharp and want to learn. Drove to Atlanta and spent 1.5 on the customers' equipment. Showed them the difference between a technician and a mechanic, though I took a hydraulic oil shower to prove it. Had a flat tire on the way back to Beaufort and that took over an hour because the spare had never been off the 175000 mile truck. Rained so hard a couple times that I had to pull over and wait it out. Back to the hotel at 9:30pm. A couple of the sales guys I like are at the hotel bar and hand me a beer. And another. And another. Went to my room and cleaned up. So here I am.

Heard the governor of SC is supposed to be here for the dog and pony show on Thursday. I'm gonna ask why I can't get a beer here on Sunday but I can at home.

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by cheesy

A couple of the sales guys I like are at the hotel bar and hand me a beer. And another. And another. Went to my room and cleaned up. So here I am.

The best and worst part about being on the road working........ Keep the updates coming, it's a great read.

[ben2go]

Welcome to SC where we have some of the stupidest laws and our governor isn't the brightest. I hate to say it but Niki Haley was better than this antiquated joker.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by ben2go

Welcome to SC where we have some of the stupidest laws and our governor isn't the brightest. I hate to say it but Niki Haley was better than this antiquated joker.

And what's this crap about not being allowed to have the TV volume up for a football game in a bar if the bar isn't a sports bar?

Today wasn't bad but I am still hunting a lot of my shop and calibration stuff down. Everyone in the shop is willing to learn and want this succeed.

The new sign went up today and the new CFO asked my opinion. My answer was "It would look better in Illinois". Harold told the guy I was a Packers fan.

[cheesy]

There was an informal pizza and alcohol fueled get together tonight in town that was actually quite enjoyable. I met with several of the big shots that I'd never had contact with before. A tad unnerving that they all know my name, but it was good to talk about something other than work. It was somewhat of a shocker, too, when the CEO of all the CEOs came up behind me and gave me a big hug. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but if she thinks I deserve a hug, I'll take it. I think maybe my job may be safe for awhile longer if she's in my corner.

I feel a bit better tonight about tomorrows dog and pony show, but it's still a dog and pony show. Still going for the one on one meetings with a couple of folks.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by cheesy

.....but if she thinks I deserve a hug, I'll take it. I think maybe my job may be safe for awhile longer if she's in my corner.

Good thing that wasn't a scene in The Godfather. ;-)

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Good thing that wasn't a scene in The Godfather. ;-)

[BillR]

Originally Posted by cheesy

It was somewhat of a shocker, too, when the CEO of all the CEOs came up behind me and gave me a big hug. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but if she thinks I deserve a hug, I'll take it. I think maybe my job may be safe for awhile longer if she's in my corner.

Yep, makes you kinda nervous...
Department admin comes up, shakes my hand and says, "So you're the 'Bill knows how to do it' guy I keep hearing about..."
Me....GULP...."How do they know who I am???"...Thank you very much.

Anyway, welcome to the South. Be glad you can get beer on Saturday...I grew up in a dry county, surrounded by dry counties....2 hour round trip for a 6 pack....

Bill R

[ben2go]

It's good to hear things are looking up. The TV on mute in a bar thing gets me too.

[cheesy]

Back home tomorrow afternoon to cooler and less humid weather. Yay!

The dog and pony show wasn't too painful, although I did manage to make myself scarce during the mutual butt kissing between Al and the head of the local C of C. Jason told me that while Al was speaking to the gathering of hangers on, Harold just kept muttering BULLSHIT under his breath. Can't say the same about the rest of the day.

Earlier in the day, Harold told me that Marlene was starting to go through resumes' of potential Technical Staff. He also alluded that that may be the straw that breaks the camels back, because he's the Technical Support Manager, not her. I also just learned that Harold sold his farm in MN for seven figures, so he really has no reason to be loyal any longer.

Add to this, Jason let Harold and I know that his wife is done with SC and will be back in IL by December. She claimed it was the poor schools, but Harold offered to see about footing the bill for a private school and she said "NO". So, there was another reason. Jason just found out today that his wife reapplied for her old job back home and got it. Jason is stuck here until early April because the company paid his expenses to move here. If he goes back to IL before then, he forfeits the bonus the company gave him and has to pay it back. In all honesty, the company may cut him loose in April, anyway, just like they will do to Heidi.

Wondering if I should start to worry.

[cheesy]

I should add that I didn't get my meeting with the big shots from Europe, but I had a very productive talk with the new plant manager today. After expressing my concerns, he has the same concerns and that they were in the process of being addressed. Then he wanted to know why it took so long for me to get there to train people. Apparently, because I'm willing to train freely and am open to better and more efficient processes of doing things, I have a fan club now.

[2LZ]

I wish you nothing but good fortune cheesy. We're I work is going through the process of new management. The first lie during the big meet and great was "They tell me this place runs like a watch. Nothing will change."
The list is already too long of things that have changed in the last month. I'm laying low.. No prairie dogging. Don't want to draw attention. Let the waves calm down.

The most humorous part is watching some of the disgruntled employees grovel like the Lord and Savior just showed up in a flaming chariot and that redemption is on the horizon. They obviously haven't been through one of these before. We have one employee in particular who my boss and I hum the tune to "The Courtship of Eddies Father" every time he passes by. May as well have fun with it, right?

[Darkrider]

This is why i enjoy being a contractor, No one really looking over my shoulder at any one time. Only times i really interact with the higher ups is the moment it counts...the moment i place my invoice in their hands and simply ask for payment on said invoice lol

[cheesy]

Just got back from Beaufort. Things are starting to come together, but there is still a ways to go. They've hired a pretty good group of people. It's the old managers that seem to be the problem. Trying convince someone who has only run a warehouse that they need to start thinking like a manufacturer is very slow to come to one of them.

The place is still laid out badly but getting better. With some luck, things should be running quite smoothly by the end of April, when the problem is supposed to retire.

The real issue that they are going to have left to deal with is the lack of infrastructure.