Finally!

D1PP1N

I work for Navistar (international truck and engine) This is the first quarter since 2011 that the company i work for has been profitable. We made a net over profit this year. We had been losing about 1 billion to year for a few years and really made some headway the past 3 years. It's been rough but it looks like its going to turn around. We have partnered with Volkswagen and GM on some joint ventures that should sustain the company for many more years.  We trimmed down alot of wastefulness and turned the company around to a lean machine. Improvements everywhere in our design to production process. 

I really hope it picks up morale and quite frankly just lessens the worry of being laid off any moment. The research and development area should be safe and upgraded however they are going to shutdown the engine assembly plant attached to the R&D center. This could make room to expand the lab and test cells as well as accommodate more engineers. 

We have alot of new products, trucks and designs coming out here soon. Our A26 engine has best in class fuel economy (third party study). The new body style is very bad ass looking and the new interiors are a gigantic improvement. 

This is a well needed load off my mind and with contract negotiations coming at the end of 2018 i hope its a very profitable year. 

Wolf

Glad to hear it, Mike! It is a relief to know your employer is doing well.

I know I've seen with my own eyes how things change, and have seen the need to change employers before some others noticed it and the company closes within the following year. This has happened more than once to me, and I've been lucky. It also looks 'convenient' to hiring businesses that your former place of employment is no longer active. It's not easy to get references from former jobs when you can't.

I also feel happy that I'm where I'm working, and that it feels very stable.

Here's to the new year, and may it be profitable and stable for all of us!

jr@mac

Good to hear, Mike. May it continue to get better.

PWRRYD

I was caught up in the 3rd round of layoffs at a company I had been at for over 9 years, that was about 17 years ago.  Let me tell you, getting laid off forever changes how you feel about your future employers, your job security, and yourself.  It makes little difference how many other people were also cut that day.  It just sucks!  Glad to hear things are improving Mike.

D1PP1N

Thanks fellas, ive really not had much to complain about there ive carved out a nice life for myself.  We laid off 1500-2000 people in the last 3 years. So there is just this funk everyone was in. Plus with all the people gone the work loads increased substantially without any monetary benefit so people are just kind of worn out and worried. It created a weird hostile environment of back stabbing so people seem more important etc. Hopefully its over and the next few years can be strong. 

I cant imagine just being let go like that. I feel sorry for anyone that happens too. They escort people out with security here. They also had the head of HR let go a ridiculous amount of people over a 3 day period and then when he was finished doing that they walked him out (no notice) that last day. That has to be one of the most sinister acts ive seen there. 

isaeagle4031

Glad to hear it Mike. We need more of this. Investments in personnel, R&D, equipment. 

Kornbread

   Guess I'm in a boat headed in the opposite direction. 

   We've made exhaust systems for the major US manufacturers here since 72'.  In the past, our plant had solid footing in the division.  Then our company lost control of their stock.  It was taken over by Meritor, who took our name, Arvin, and our most profitable business, and spit the rest out like a red headed step child to a holding company.  Who surprisingly, brought tons of business into our plant.  Which was all to their plan; build us up, sell us off, make a quick $.  Unfortunately, it was Faurecia that bought us. 

   I've seen this plant go from the preferred place to work in the area, to where it's at now.  We went from 1300 workers to <400 in about 5 years.  Employee morale ... eh ...      

   They hired a third party to conduct a worker survey of their plants across the US.  The rep, from that company met with us to discuss their results, his words; these were the worse survey results of any company they had ever surveyed.  He was referring to all Faurecia's US plants, not just ours.         

   It's rough watching your plant die.  Working side by side with these people for decades ... I probably know some of them better than my wife. 

   It is what it is though ... but their is a bright side, it has awoke me.  I started back to college in 12' and should finish my business BS this May.  It's such a relief, even downright scary, especially at my age, knowing new doors are opening, and not having a clue as to which door will be taken.

  I've got my fingers crossed that things are about to change for the better.    

                                 

                                 

D1PP1N

Good luck Kornbread! I ended up getting the same degree as you. My family was broke so i couldn't go away to college and we just didn't take loans for anything. If you didn't have the cash for it you didn't buy it. My opinion has changed a little on that but i decided to go back after a few years of working. Worked and went to school full time (had an associates deg. Already) took 2 years of plugging away but atleast i have that piece of paper to hopefully fall back on if all else fails. I think it was worth accomplishing but i haven't used my degree not in the slightest way yet. I like working with my hands still at this point. 

Gowa

MAGA

R-Carpenter

FAGA.
I am going to clarify something that many people already know or suspect.
In the advanced capitalist paradigm, labor is the commodity that is freely bought and sold.
There's a labor market. These who are employed and or looking for employment have the commodity that they sell, aka Labor. These who own the factories and means of production are on the market to buy labor. Too bad that the Labor market is expended globally in to the poorest countries.
As with any commodity like strawberry or aluminum or coal, there's supply and demand and price fixing.
The jobs left US not because China or other low wage countries stole them. The jobs left because American Employer purchased the labor at it's lowest price, over seas. As sympathetic as I feel to the people who became the victims of this trend, I don't see the improvement in the economy coming any time soon. The delusions about ElPresidente are also rather funny. To expect an oligarch to take the side of the majority which in US is working poor is at best, strange. It also goes contradictory to the concept of The State and whos interests State represents.
Having said that, high tech machining will probably remain in the lead for another 30 years or so. From what I've seen, US is may be second only to Germany in subtractive and additive digital fabrication.

jr@mac

And with these last two posts, I am going to issue a friendly warning to avoid politics, period. 

R-Carpenter

Oh JR, I thought politics were Ok on this forum.

jr@mac

Nope. No politics, no religion. 

R-Carpenter

Ok. I'll shut up.

jr@mac

All good, my friend. 

I might have a CNC project for you, soon. I'll be in touch.