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Jon – Behind the Scenes
If you ever wondered, how the hell does Jon know all this mechanical stuff, just take a look at the business he started from scratch and is now in the hands of his Daughter who is keeping the legacy alive and well. If you’ve been to a campground, it’s likely you’ll see some of the products manufactured by Jamestown Advanced Products.
He’ll probably give me a ration of crap for posting this, but he won’t get any dues money anyway.
Click this link and use jamestown as the password, lower case: JAP
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17 Replies
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Tom and I apparently made posts at the same time. Thanks Tom.
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Jon, he is just trying to stay on your good side since he keeps all the dues money.
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Jon,
You were definitely ahead of your time in setting up that factory. Glad to see your daughter has followed in her Dad’s footsteps. I have used a couple of your products when traveling.
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The underlying reason the business was successful despite choosing to take on foreign competitors (not the easiest thing to do) and doing it in one of the most expensive and punishing states in the nation, NY (not the smartest choice) was the employees.
Prior to beginning that company with a clean sheet of paper I had been buying and turning around bankrupt businesses. In every instance the bankruptcy had been lousy management, and when it succeeded under my ownership it was the employees that made it happen. So recognizing the production crew was going to make or break a business that had an uphill battle from the start I put in place an employee bonus program that could not be manipulated by me, and if the employees worked efficiently, and did not sacrifice quality for output they realized some substantial rewards.
In 1989, after 18 months of struggles they earned their first bonuses. within a year it was not unusual for production workers to be earning $40,000. Keep in mind this was 30 years ago.
As much as I thought I was on to something, having invented the wheel, I got a letter from the chairman of Nucor Steel, an amazing success story in which he shared with me that I followed the same path he did when he took over that ailing company. The real success was having a company full of employees who knew they could be competitive with anyone, and my daughter Wendi has done a great job of building on that.
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par excellence!
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Keeping America Great. Well done Jon!
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I have some rather strong opinions about how we can be very competitive on a global scale if do a few things. First we need to get the MBA geniuses who think they can build their products cheaper offshore to have an attitude adjustment. If graduate schools are teaching the lazy way to run a business that might be one option. But in reality our business executives and managers have to dig in and build companies that can be competitive. It means everyone from the floor sweeper to the chairman has to work towards that objective, but it can be done. Most companies allow the employees to check their brains at the door, but the greatest asset Jamestown Advanced has is the collective brain power of its skilled employees. Can you imagine providing every production worker having a phone at his workstation, being allowed to order his own tools and shop supplies when needed without asking for permission, and most importantly having a factory that is about 4 acres under roof to not have a single superintendent, foreman, or manager in the entire plant? Each team or individual manages their own work areas and activities.
But the second change we have to make is if we are so benevolent as to pass laws and regulations designed to protect employees, the environment, and to provide financial safety nets we need to recognize we should not bypass those regulations by shipping our business offshore. What that means is we don’t give a damn about workers or the environment in other countries.
So if we as a society believe those regulations imposed on our businesses are morally justified, then impose the same regulations on imports. Forbid the importation of any goods or services not produced to the same standards imposed on domestic businesses.
This country is very capable, but we do not need to inhibit our businesses.
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From your lips to Sleepy Joe and Kamy’s ears
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Like anyone will listen.
Any politician that says what I said will never get re-elected because a pair of underpants at Walmart might cost 50 cents more.
Re-elect No One.
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Great post. I enjoy seeing stories of US based manufacturing success.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
What an amazing success story, congratulations to you and your daughter. Must be 2 peas in a pod.
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She better looking. But not by much.
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Need politicians and BOD’s to stop allowing “off shoring” for corporate tax breaks (if any taxes); and provide a level playing field for domestic businesses…which for many Executives would adversely impact their compensation packages, stock options, etc.
As Jon said, hold foreign manufacturing to the same environmental impact regulations, pay scale and workman’s comp as companies are forced to abide by here in the states.
Unfortunately, that is about as likely to happen as the elimination of Super PAC’s (where even a local councilman can receive lucrative financing without having to account for a single dime…to say nothing of $ millions on a National scale); abolish lobbyist and riders to Bills in Congress.
Sadly, no one of authority is going to voluntarily relinquish these perks and incentives…since most have willingly sold their souls.
Short of another World War, not sure what could bring about so dramatic of a change? And, seems there will always be others waiting to take advantage once the dust settles. Particularly, other countries that think nothing of black marketing U.S. patented, copyrighted technology and products.
Jon and his daughter have a “business done right” model that encourages work ethic, efficiency by intelligent changes, selflessness for the betterment of peers/all, etc. A value system which built our great Nation and sadly seems to be slipping away as we lose human interaction.
Sorry, waxing nostalgic and thinking back on what sure seemed better days. Stepping down from the podium now. 🙂
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The politicians and regulators are delivering to the public exactly what the public demands. It wants cheap prices no matter what the costs.
If we leveled the playing field by imposing the standards domestic manufacturers must meet on offshore companies initially prices would rise but if everybody participating in offshore business dealings would realize our domestic production costs could now be equal, we likely would bring production back here to the US. Imagine what that would do to our unemployment and welfare problems and costs.
Unfortunately it would not make our production globally competitive. The lazy company managers would still not make the effort to attempt to be competitive despite our regulations and laws.
In case anyone remains of the opinion we cannot be competitive just look at the automobile manufacturers not only producing their cars here, but in a number of cases are actually exporting that production. Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru. All we need is for the planets to line up.
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This is not a story patterned after The Great Obozo saying,,, ” You did not build that”
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