Emerging through Tough Economic Times

Emerging through a recession or economic downturn depends a great deal on managing through rough patches and making some key decisions along the way that allow you to come out a better and stronger enterprise.

Most of us have faced the hard reality of acting quickly and decisively with regard to cost structure and continuing operations. Many have moved swiftly to cut expenses and make changes. Changes included practical things and some creative things to cut our overhead, selling and general administration expenses. Tough decisions had to be made in recent years but the best managed firms will emerge smarter, stronger and better companies.

We’re not out of the woods, but we have to hope for and be well-poised for global recovery if not a boom. Confidence is an essential ingredient and the fuel we need as we cautiously move forward with our business plans.

Keep analyzing industry segments. Work with distributor partners. Look for ways to improve productivity, decrease costly downtime (due to things such as welder fatigue) and ways to improve consumable parts life. Industries ranging from construction to shipbuilding will certainly have an impact. Some examples: Commercial and Residential construction and investments in infrastructure may account for as much as 25% the business for welding and cutting hard goods. Oil & Gas/Energy, Transportation, Railroad car production, Trailer manufacturing, Automotive/automotive after-markets, ship-building, aerospace and mining are industry segments that we must understand to better serve metalworking and fabrication needs.

Monitor currency exchanges and changing economies. Currencies, free trade agreements (such as LAFTA and NAFTA) and other global conditions can result in big shifts in demand for products.

Government regulatory issues. Safety, listing agency and government regulatory concerns will always have an impact.

Shifts in skilled labor. Supply and demand of labor and the economic outlook for these various skilled professions will continue to grow. As global economies look at ways to meet demand.

Consolidation of distribution. A trend that will continue to have an impact is the global trend towards consolidation of distributors. Just look at the comparison of Airgas and Praxair versus a few years ago. As key distribution channel leaders get stronger, manufactures and suppliers need to get better and be more responsive.

Product rationalization and product integrity. It is more important than ever. A better and more comprehensive line of offerings doesn’t necessarily mean proliferation. It is important to protect brands/product lines from illegal and inferior knock offs to protect the integrity and trustworthiness of channels and manufactures.

Keep the lines of communications open. Talk time to keep employees informed. Distributor and manufacturers need to have regular meetings and collaborate for business success.

Marketing and advertising needs to be restored. Careful investments need to be made to keep a sustained presence out in the marketplace. Companies who advertise through recessionary periods generally come out on the other end better off in the long run. Social media and other low cost tools are available.

The world is getting smaller. We are seeing a truly global economy. Examples include everything from global sourcing of components and global sourcing of labor to cost containment and manufacturing strategies.

Product innovation. In spite of the economic downturn we must move ahead albeit more selectively, always looking for ways to engineer better, higher performance tools and processes with an eye toward greater productivity.

Training. Everywhere we look, distributors and manufacturers need to get comfortable selling product. End users are screaming for qualified help as they struggle with purchase decisions, application questions and repair functions.

Knuckle Ball Hero

Hoyt Wilhelm is one of my heroes. He played for nine Major League Baseball teams: his clubs included the New York Giants (1952-56), Baltimore Orioles (1958-62), Chicago White Sox (1963-68), and spells with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, California Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Wilhelm was best known for his knuckleball, which enabled him to have great longevity; occasionally as a starting pitcher, but mainly as a specialist relief man. Hoyt was an extremely durable and effective relief pitcher. Hoyt Wilhelm once said: "I don't even try to fool anybody. I just throw the knuckleball 85 to 90 percent of the time. You don't need variations, because the damn ball jumps around so crazily, it's like having a hundred pitches."

Hoyt was a special player with an incredible specialty. Hoyt’s ability to throw a knuckleball made him one of the all time great relief pitchers. He went with what he had and enjoyed a wonderful career in the process. In my book though, Hoyt was one of those rare people in this world who are destined for greatness.

Consider some of his lifetime highlights:
• Before he even got a chance to play professional baseball he earned a Purple Heart, having been injured in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII.
• He hit a home run in his first at bat as a major leaguer in 1952.
• He was named an All Star in his second season in the majors.
• In 1954, he became a World Series Champion with the New York Giants.
• In 1958 he pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees (who went on to win the World Series).
• He pitched his last game just 16 days short of his fiftieth birthday in July of 1972.
• He was named into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Sadly, the world lost Hoyt Wilhelm in 2002 at the age of 90.
Hoyt had what heroes always have. They believe in themselves and in their own unique ability.

Geaux. Geaux. Geaux.

Bill is a LSU Tiger and the French influence in Louisiana is undeniable so they like to say “Geaux Tigers!” when they root for their teams. The football program will be facing a serious challenge when they meet the Alabama Tide on the gridiron this coming week. This game could have national championship implications.

I am a Hurricane and while I miss the swagger UM made legendary, I’m glad the U is somehow deflecting the white hot spotlight of media attention these days. The Canes are playing out a respectable if not a championship season this year. It makes me smile a little, since I remember when my alma mater was thinking about eliminating collegiate football altogether. It was back in the 1970’s. (Can you imagine the NFL today if those gadflies has won that debate back in the day? A former Hurricane can be seen on national television every week. Canes have Super Bowl rings. The swagger lives in great players like Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis and a long list of others. I love being a part of that tradition and the one that evolves even today.)

I had the pleasure of watching the Miami Hurricanes against THE Ohio State University last year in Columbus. It was fantastic to be there with my son, who is also a proud Hurricane alumni. We were on the fifty yard line at the Shoe! (We lost that contest but it was so cool, and a little scary, being among the minority in Miami gear and in the middle of all those Buckeye fans.) Ohio State played Miami away this year. We won this time. I watched it from my couch at home on TV. The Canes now play their home games in the same venue in which the NFL Miami Dolphins play.

I’m just sayin’ the U is a place like no other. The school is moving up the ranks as one of the nation’s best academically too. It ranks near the top in research. The University of Miami once aspired to be the Harvard of the South. (But I can assure you no-one is wearing flip flops as they move across campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February and I’ll bet there are plenty of Ivy Leaguers who wish they were in South Florida instead of New England between classes and on weekends when the snow flies and temperatures drop.)

Here I am Rockin’ like a Hurricane! I’m sorry. I do understand school pride and I do wish Bill and his alma mater all the best. I just don’t really have a dog in that fight. I certainly understand though. Geaux Tigers. Enjoy the game Bill.

Memories of Andrew

My uncle Andrew died this past Spring and the news brought back a flood of memories.

Wes gets a B – I only took one class with Andrew while at the University of Miami. It was a painting class. He was very encouraging and a little bit inspirational. He gave me a B. I never questioned it. I thought it fair enough. But my Mom wanted to know why Andrew gave her son a B in painting. Andrew explained that I was unable to recognize a painting by Raoul Dufy. Andrew did suggest that the students in his class should be familiar with a short list of important artists. To this day, when I see a Dufy on a visit to an art museum I smile and think of Andrew. (Usually I’m not sure it is a Dufy, until I read the museum placard.)

Laundry Monster – When Vince and Nick were in town and Andrew and Dahlia were traveling, their home near South Miami was a favorite place to do a load of laundry for hungry college students. Those attacks on the laundry monster were so much fun because it was like doing a tedious chore with good friends in a showplace (a beautiful home filled with artifacts and art).

The purple rage – Vince and Nick loved and admired Andrew too. Like all kids they pick up on things their parents do. The twins used to reflect on Andrews parental way of trying to coach them. When he sensed he was not getting his message across he might exhibit a bit of emotion the boys affectionately called the “purple rage.” Alex was familiar with this level of emotion in his father too. When it comes to kids – we all can show some of that purple rage.

South Truro and Two Fine Horses – Two pieces of Andrew’s art hang proudly in my home. SouthTruro is a sort of abstract/expressionist painting, a landscape from his time in the New England area (Cape Cod). Two Fine Horses is black India ink drawing on paper of two horses in a horse-trailer. (That picture hung in the Andrew Morgan kitchen in Miami.When I told Andrew how I admired the simple lines of that composition – he gave it to me.) Both works feature a vintage Andrew signature from 1955.

Go Hurricanes – I became the beneficiary of that extra ticket when Dahlia decided to give her’s up. Andrew loved the Canes and I loved driving to the Orange Bowl with him. Andrew loved sharing the games with my parents too. Doing the Macarena in the warm sun and watching Ray Lewis reek havock on the offense. It doesn’t get much better than that. I was with Andrew the day the Orange Bowl home winning streak ended against Washington. I am so glad I got that additional time with Andrew and my parents in 1994-95. It was before Miami joined the ACC and before the demolition of the Orange Bowl.

Mowing the Lawn – I had the pleasure of mowing the lawn from time to time for Andrew and Dahlia. Florida landscaping is never easy. Mangoes, Oranges, palm fronds and more. I loved every second of it though.

Yearbook – I was associate editor of the Ibis Yearbook my senior year. One of my favorite pages in that 1977-78 edition features a three of dynamic shots of Andrew in action. The student photographer was able to capture the essence of Andrew’s dramatic gestures. On film it is almost as if he could vanish with a wave of his hand. And so he has. (page 116 University of Miami Ibis yearbook)

Bragging about my uncle – “You know my uncle was President of the Kansas City Art Institute for ten years before the University of Miami offered him an opportunity to head the art department in beautiful Coral Gables, Florida in the early 1970’s.” I’m glad he accepted that opportunity, because by the time Richard Nixon resigned from office over the Watergate cover up, I was checking into Mahoney Hall with my brother Greg at the University of Miami. (I can almost hear Joe Cocker blasting out of our 8-track player now, “She came in through the bathroom window, protected by a silver spoon….”) I ended up at the “U” because of Andrew as much as any other reason. That is a decision I will never regret! (It’s very cold in Syracuse, you know.)

Groovy - I grew up in a West Side suburb of Cleveland (Lakewood), which was home to Andrew and his brothers, one of whom is my father (James O’Connell Morgan). Growing up, I only saw Andrew periodically when he’d come to visit. I remember when I was maybe 10 or 11, Andrew and Peg came and they had Alex with them. I remember Alex touching a nerve in a common generational gap issue about attitudes about drugs like LSD. Think about it – that was the 1960’s. Alex turned out just fine. (A true academic, falling just short of a Ph.D in literature, but as a teenager he knew how to call up the purple rage from his Dad.)

The Chart House – Years later, Andrew and Dahlia joined us for a meal on the bay in Coconut Grove. It was a chilly night but we sat outside anyway. My boy Ben was a Freshman at the University of Miami. Andrew, Dahlia, Ben, a girlfriend, my wife Lynn and our good pal Skye enjoyed a meal together that night. Dahlia was so attentive and kind to Andrew. She seemed honored to be a part of his life. (To tell the truth, he was so lucky to have her in his life too).That was around 2005.

I loved Andrew. I will miss him. He will be missed. He will not be forgotten!

Raoul Dufy (3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist painter. He developed a colorful, decorative style that became fashionable for designs of ceramics and textiles, as well as decorative schemes for public buildings. He is noted for scenes of open-air social events. He was also a draftsman, printmaker, book illustrator, a theatrical set-dresser, a designer of furniture, and a planner of public spaces.

Miami Hurricanes 1985-1994 broke the record for longest home winning streak. They were defeated by Washington. The previous record was by Alabama.

Published in The Miami Herald on March 19, 2011
MORGAN, ANDREW W., born on July 29, 1922, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2011. The family will be home following a private service at Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapel. In lieu of flowers the family suggest donations to L'Chaim Jewish Hospice Program, 14875 NW 77 Ave, Suite 100, Miami Lakes, FL 33014. View this Guest Book at www. MiamiHerald.com/obituaries

Thanks Mom.

Moms are great. The best of them do everything and more for their kids; and, while each and every little thing doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, the job of being a mom is tireless and pretty much taken for granted. Every generation needs a mom playing a critical role in nurturing families and helping kids build the self-confidence they need to face the world.

They give so much it hardly seems fair to limit the recognition to one greeting card holiday per year. Truth be told, most of us lack the ability to express fully the debt we owe to our moms. You know moms accept and embrace challenges and will beam with pride as kids forge ahead. With all that effort and sacrifice, mom knows her little birds will fly away. And when they do, she also must know it is that very independence of which she must be proud.

You see moms in grocery stores, at little league baseball games, at parent-teacher conferences, in churches and in traffic. She is a multi-tasker and a orchestra leader. She is so important to the fabric of our society. It needs to be said but
"Thanks Mom" seems inadequate at best.

The Road to Success

The journey we have been on can hardly be likened to a path. It has been more like a long and winding road with patches of thick branches and obstacles along the way. It has been a course that has taken us to places near and far; some quite wonderful; some a bit frightening. It is scary not knowing for certain of the destination. Forks in the road and unexpected potholes have added challenges but as we look back we wouldn’t trade any of the adversity if it meant we’d miss the triumphs along the way. The scenery and blue skies, magnificent clouds, people and places. The greatest thrill of all is still the inexplicable joy of sharing the trip with people we love and people who love us. When the ride is smooth, it is too easy to take that calm for granted. When you are caught in a ditch or stalled in traffic it can seem an endless trek. But when the ride is over you just might conclude it wasn’t about the destination at all. Instead, upon reflection, you begin to see it is the sum total of hundreds of joyful things (and maybe a few setbacks). Time passes. May you arrive at the conclusion of your travel with a sense of accomplishment, feelings of goodwill, overall peace of mind and eager anticipation of your next adventure.
There is always more road ahead.

Be Great - like Toulouse-Lautrec.

I started out in life very interested in art and the commercial application of how art meets commerce. In school, I became aware of an artist who inspired me because he was, in fact, an early innovator in advertising design in a different era. Recently, I was fortunate enough to visit the Kemper Art Museum on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis and found myself in front a Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph of the dancer Jane Avril.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born into an aristocratic family in the south of France in 1864. He suffered from a genetic condition that prevented his bones from healing properly. As a young boy he broke his legs and both ceased to grow while the rest of his body continued to grow normally. At maturity, he was only 4 1/2 feet tall. This misfortune may have been a sort of blessing in disguise. After his accidents he was no longer able to follow in the typically aristocratic pastimes of riding and hunting. Instead, he focused on sketching and painting. As a young man, he lived in the Montmartre section of Paris, the center of the cabaret entertainment and bohemian life that he loved to depict in his artwork. Toulouse-Lautrec was very much an active part of this community. Often he could be found sitting in a crowded nightclub making swift sketches. In his studio, he would expand the sketches into brightly colored paintings or lithographs.

Toulouse-Lautrec is now widely known in the art world as the archetypical bohemian artist of the belle époque, the "beautiful era" in Paris in the last decade of the 19th Century. He captured the spirit and emotion of the era in his posters and portraits. His unique condition made it difficult for him to live up to the status quo for a well born aristocrat. Nevertheless, he clearly shared in the joie de vivre of the time. Sadly, he died at the age of 36, but his legacy can be viewed in some of the great art museums and art collections of the world.

You might say he was a victim of circumstances. But then again you might say that it was because of the circumstances he is the acclaimed artist –  even more than one hundred and ten years after his death. He was blessed with great talent. We are blessed by his legacy and his influence.