"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
Swingman" wrote:

In my mind it goes straight back to the fallacy in thinking that is
perpetuated in MBA schools - that you can "acquire" instead of develop,
and
"manage" without the knowledge that development imparts.

In 1999, Pentair, the owners of the tool group companies, Delta,
Porter Cable, and Devilbiss Air Power changed from a philosophy of
independent autonomous companies to one of consolidation and
globalization very popular with the consultants that many in top
management had been. It was a complete disaster for all stake holders
(stock owners, customers, distributors, suppliers, etc.). Their
ulitmate solution, sell the group to B & D.

Which very nicely illustrates my contention above.

Having lived through that horrific transition up close and personal,
it is hard for me to imagine B & D being anything but an improvement.
But time will tell.

I hope you're correct. Just in my short time a marked downturn in Delta's
product quality is very noticeable. I just don't see B & D as the white
knight to reverse a declining tool quality when they were not noted
contenders in that department to begin with.

I guess what triggered my response was my contention that all the
"professionalism" exhibited by B & D that Mike was remarking upon is just
window dressing, IMO.

Granted, spit and polish in the military fosters "professionalism" and
discipline, but that's not all it takes when the mud, the blood, and the
gore from charging the hill to gain an objective takes the shine off the
belt buckle.

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Last update: 11/06/05