I don't get why companies like Mellofleece (or KUIU for that matter) can't manufacture a premium level product in their home country, and make a profit.
I've never been one to live a "secret life" and hide behind a keyboard. I'm a real human, with a real job.
I work in a plywood mill in NW Montana. I've been at that job a lot of years. I'm good at it, and am a 2nd string "lead" in my department. I'm a company man when I'm on the clock, and a serious [bleep] off when I'm not.
It's no secret that the housing market took a huge hit 4 years ago, and housing starts pretty much dissapeared. We laid off about a quarter of our workforce, when several other mills completely folded. What kept us alive (and in fact we were making the stock holders money within 18 months) was that we had forward thinking management that chased after niche market panels that were immune to the "commoditization" of the wood industry. For this to work, it took the employees to be on board with it... How does a company do that? Easy, you take your key employees in your key areas, and give them an "incentive pay" based on exceeding a targeted footage, and take rejects right off the top of that bonus. The guys making incentive make decisions on the fly that impact the company financially without lots of bullshit or red tape. Guys not making incentive are busting their ass and realize they're paying their dues. Guys that just show up hoping they can slack ass and make a good wage riding others shirt-tails usually find that their life is hell and all their co-workers [bleep] on them and quit (much more effective than having to deal with it from a management perspective in a litigous society these days) Guys like me?? I'm the [bleep] that provides the "tune-ups" to guys on my crew when needed. And then we drink beer in the parking lot after shift and we're all buddies again.
Bottom line... America needs to get back to 1950's logic. Both companies AND employees. We've turned into a country of "what's in it for me's" and slackers that suffer from a chronic lack of ass whipin's. Companies need to pay their employees in a fashion that fosters productivity, and employees need to bust ass in a fashion that makes their company money in a fashion that is safe and efficient.
Bitch less, do more, and make a fair wage. That's what America needs. Guys like me that work in a business that contributes to this countries GDP are way to few. And we wonder why China owns us and gas is approaching 4 bucks a gallon...
