Statistics

My boss rolled into town yesterday. Since the buyout of our company, I have been reporting to someone in North Carolina. It has been kind of nice, a lot less meetings and late nights, like I experienced with my past boss. But there is always the nagging wonder of what is going on. What is happening in NC that I have no input on and cannot see, until too late? When you report to someone who resides in the same location as you, it is a lot easier to read and stay on top of every situation. Rarely have I been blindsided by anything, when my boss and I worked together. In the same location.

Anyhow....My boss came in to town and I had a scheduled meeting with him pretty soon after his arrival. He hooked up a projector to his laptop and started a beautiful Powerpoint presentation. The first slide, the transition of Toronto business to Montreal. I knew about that, and it was expected. No big loss. The second slide, the transition of all Canadian orders to Montreal. This too was expected. It would cut into my business, causing me to lay off at least 2 people. But the plan was always, Canada business in Canada, US in US.

The next slide was also expected. A transfer of all of my Clinical business to Durham CS. That transfer, happening in July or early August, will result in another 3 people being let go. I would have a team of 3 + me. We would handle our core business, Industrial media sales. That was always the expected end game in this transition. But there was one more slide. One slide that was not expected. That slide, with it's bright colored map of North America, locations boldly listed, arrows pointing this way and that, that slide had still not been discussed. That slide, was not expected.

So, late August/early September, Portland Customer Service will be no more. All Industry business will be moved and handled in Lombard Illinois. This was a surprise. A big one. The site manager of Lombard is moving to Portland to manage this location. The CS group in Lombard is small. Their infrastructure is ancient and in need of serious upgrade just to handle their current load. We have a Fax Server. We have new PC's and a bright, clean office space. And most important, my CSR Team has experience with the media we sell and the customers we sell to. Lombard and Durham have never sold our product line. Our customers have been with us for 30 years, and some of my people have been here for 15. Everything made sense for keeping all Industry business here in Portland. However, that will not be the case.

So 9 more people will become part of the ever growing statistics by September. I have the joyful duty of slowly letting people go. Like a weeping wound, the blood will flow for the next 4 to 6 months. 2 here, 3 there, until no one is left. My boss was nice about it, but business is business. I have been around long enough to know that this is how things work out sometimes. It is sad though. The potential opportunities with this new company were pretty good. Much more than we could ever expect with the old ownership. But, we are just a purchase. Just a business venture. There was no reason to take the experience here and integrate it into their structure. After all, every business feels they have the best people and processes. Sometimes that is true and other times......

The payout is decent. I will more than likely stick around until the very end because of that. I also keep hoping, albeit a stretch, that something will change. Something will come up that will require me to stick around and assist. I thought I would at least make it a year here. I thought that I would start to develop a long term future with this new company. Everything about them was good. After all, it was a foreign based company, which meant that they offered things no American company does. That was a nice thing to have. But it was fleeting. It will pass. And that is sad. I never wanted to be a statistic in this economic climate. I did not want any of my people to be part of the unemployment numbers. But they will as will I.

I have no doubt that things will work out for all of us. Some will use this as the kick in the butt they needed to reach for something more than what they were doing. Others will end up doing the same thing they are doing now. Maybe for a better company. Maybe for better pay. But all in all, the team that I built, that will be no more. The friendships that have developed, they will be there for a while and then slowly but surely dissapear. I know it because I have lived it. Several times. All in all, shit happens. And that really sucks!!