Precision Antennas loss

The Demise of another UK manufacturer

How then do we then explain why a small UK independent went from being stiff enough international competition, to the point Big Brother USA bought it, to the apparent joke big brother now see it as and push for its closure.

Helpless children in need of all the possible assistance from big brother, I think not!

Try instead, the enforced immediate removal of nearly half the essential workforce, asset stripping vital equipment and product line prematurely and finally taking the original and proven working model that made the company so profitable in the first place, screwing it up, throwing it out of the window and enforcing a grossly top heavy management and IT system that only shows why big brother could not turn the kind of profits the little independent made in the first place.

Throw into the mix constant disruption through errors in timing and planning, additional constraints on spending, development and management techniques, all allied to an alleged re-structuring of the plants ultimate output structure.

Add to this a style of production that is so controlled errors cannot be stopped until it is well past the point of no return, a decision making system run by email that ultimately looks like a chain letter, a process system that does not allow for any kind of individuality, lateral thinking or simple direct input into production of any kind and;

Hey-Presto:-

Train wreck!!

Never mind eh,

Half the working production line in transit at any given time, a perfectly good UK work team so disillusioned it's struggling to be bothered to try, despite the best actions of some to make it succeed and keep morale up, whilst having the intelligence to know it is ultimately to prove a fruitless task, add a corporate financial structure that seems oblivious to the overall cost of sales but concentrates more on the direct labour cost in any given country at the expense of all else and there you go.

Combine then, big brothers complete historically proven disregard for its employees at any cost, unless of coarse it affects the bottom line, a leadership group unable to make individual decisions to react with any kind of immediacy and how could it have turned out any other way!

A sad end to another piece of UK industry, when will the government stop this destruction of both our engineering and manufacturing base let alone our farming and agricultural system. It's about time we became self sufficient again.
Not be forced to see Gordon Brown begging China for work.
We won't have a country for the next generation soon, when will it become classed as a third world nation I wonder?????

[Dexter]

As someone who has worked for an American company in the past who decided to "focus on core business" & "Right size to exploit synergies within the group" (Consultant speak for slash & burn) I do have sympathy for those at Precision ..Sadly that is capitalism for you

My advise to anyone is look after number one. You will only receive a pay cheque whilst you are useful. Once you cease to have a use you are out the door and thats thr reality. Mortgages tend to be for 25 years. Make you you think you will be useful for that time before emabarking on one because extremely rocky times are ahead!

[Lex]

I seem to remember Precision Antennas wanting to take the old Stratford Town FC site over as part of an investment plan for the business, that's why the football club was moved to Tiddington. It's good to see PA are keeping to their word.

Originally Posted by Lex

I seem to remember Precision Antennas wanting to take the old Stratford Town FC site over as part of an investment plan for the business, that's why the football club was moved to Tiddington. It's good to see PA are keeping to their word.

I think Precision would have liked to have kept their word, unfortunately the good ole US of A that our government seems hell bent on selling our country out to amongst others, decided they would play along just long enough to secure production in any other country than ours.
Perhaps it doubters in values like yourself who allow this to take place.
It seems to me you're the type who is more concerned about where the local match is played than the survival of a long standing UK business and all its employees!
Still I bet the local landowners and local government are just fine.

[Lex]

Actually, you've got the wrong end of the stick. I'm annoyed about about the council, PA's employees and Stratford in general have been screwed over this. The only concern I have about Stratford FC is the daft location they've lumped with, otherwise i have no interest in football.

What exactly do you mean by 'doubters in values' anyway?

Originally Posted by Lex

Actually, you've got the wrong end of the stick. I'm annoyed about about the council, PA's employees and Stratford in general have been screwed over this. The only concern I have about Stratford FC is the daft location they've lumped with, otherwise i have no interest in football.

What exactly do you mean by 'doubters in values' anyway?

Firstly, I apologise for misjudging your comments.
What I mean by 'doubters in values' was based on the assumption that you were possibly holding PA management responsible for the current situation prevailing and perhaps assuming that their values were anything less than honourable to their employees and business commitments, however you are evidently not, so again, my apologies.
I made the comment because of my increasing awareness of peoples lack of values in todays society to the point that many make glib comments that do more damage than good nowadays, a point you are evidently not guilty of by your response.
It is a shame however that the majority of modern society seems bent on its own self destruction when the majority of news worthy stories are based on the sensationalised style of reporting, popular television is based on reality shows so far removed from reality I wonder what kind of mentality actually sees them as acceptable behaviour and our goverment allow our country to be progressively assett stripped.
It should be controlling both company takeovers, import/export laws, profit capping of our huge profit declaring companies or controlling the yearly price increases, then re-examining our farming, engineering and education policies to name but a few.
We used to be the best at all, for example if a child was not as clever as another it was acceptable to tell it so, not lower the grading standards to show a balanced level of education results year on year, if a company was successful it was rewarded by Queens Awards to Industry, not allowed to be bought by an multi-national and assett stripped with production moved to a country that pays less than a dollar an hour, then finally using UK produce only in supermarkets, where available, and forcing them not to use the import savings excuses provided by the big cheeses at the Supermarkets to force our own perfectly good agricultural suppliers out of business.
I'm sure farmers could produce competitive prices in mass production if only someone put a little effort into rescueing this flagging industry, Engineering is running out of experienced people nowadays and the government seems to think a degree in engineering taught by computer based software products solves all, to the point experience now carries no weight in an interview and we have children and young adults who can neither spell or articulate any more.
Then we are given the new hope that we can become the worlds teachers!
A short sighted view good for one generation only and possibly only 5% of it. Once the third world nations have been taught they can teach their own and our own industry and experience will be no more to give jobs to or even teach the next generation. But fear not we will have a service industry, to serve whom, when no-one has any jobs to earn money to buy the services in the first place.
Food for thought?
Regards

[Lex]

No hard feelings!
Like you, I'm saddened and annoyed by the way PA's employee's and the people of Stratford have been treated by the company's new owners. It's a total lack of respect for a start, and demonstrates the quick profit motivation that's got the world into it's current situation.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite you to become a member of Warwickshire Online - you'd be most a welcome member of our community!

[lucky]

My Dad works at Precision Antennas,he's being made redundant in march 2009.From what he has told me,its absolute madness.Even though the 3 sites are being closed,there is still plenty of overtime plus they have been asked to work between xmas and the new year.As for moving abroad,rumour has it even though in India the costs will be much less,apparently there have been many quality issues surrounding the lenses they make for the sat dishes.I hope after this farce when production is moved abroad,that they have so much trouble with quality that they lose all their contracts.

[Lex]

Originally Posted by lucky

I hope after this farce when production is moved abroad,that they have so much trouble with quality that they lose all their contracts.

Hear, hear!!