It wasn't aimed at anyone. That would imply an intent to harm, which is ridiculous. And (thank you AndyN) it was indeed a reply to the forum discussing AndyG's current predicament.
Goody for you that there is still a manufacturing business that can run 24/7. The economy has forced us to downsize to about 40 people, including office personnel. Try being a little less critical and a bit more sympathetic. We would LOVE to have 2 fully staffed shifts in operation. As is we have to settle for really well trained operators with very clearly defined contingencies.
Well, my apologies then. You did start out the post with a quote from me, so it sure looked like you were asking for it.
The material my company produces comes out of the ground. Literally. 15 years or so ago there were 5 large (>400 employees) and several small companies in the area producing pretty much the same type of material. Now, 2 have folded, there has been some merging, spinning off, etc., to the point that my company, with 160 employees, is the only one who has never had a single layoff, downsizing, or other such mess. We still are making a profit, and the only "pain" is no raise this year and we are not hiring new people, generally, to replace retirees and those leaving for whatever reason-.
Why is this? Quality and marketing. We make great stuff, offer excellent service, and we went into smaller markets that our competitors turned their noses up at.
What's really cool is the fact that we have used the downtime to further improve our processes. We have more capacity now than ever, and when things turn around we will be in a much better position to capitalize than any of our competitors. None of this happens by accident.
So, maybe you can understand why I jumped when it appeared that you were coming at me.