This is depressing. And there’s no reason to expect that things will change soon.
this blather is as audacious as it is nearsighted.
Consolidation taking place for the next tech step up.
Key Word “May”....for instance MOT is not only in hand sets..they are in your car,tv,radio etc......many of these will have more value in pieces than as a whole
Why? Companies large ans small fail every day.
Don’t be depressed. One economist (don’t recall his name) said that by the next decade, 80% of us will be buying things from companies that don’t even EXIST today.
I’d believe it. Ask any whale-oil lantern maker, or buggy whip manufacturer. ;)
Things are changing. They’ve always changed. But due to technology, they just change faster now. :)
Look at the Fifties if you want to see America on the fast-track to consumer spending on things we never thought we’d “need.”
Credit Cards
SuperGlue!!
Black Box recorders in airplanes
Oral Vaccines, versus shots
UPC Codes
Kevlar!!
Lego’s
Pantyhose!!
Home Smoke Alarms
Integrated Circuits!! (allowing Computers today, but you knew that)
Mr. Potato Head
McDonald’s!!
Hovercrafts (I’m still waiting for my Flying Car, d@mmit!)
Barbie Dolls
MicroChips!!
Don’t worry about Firestone. Bridgestone bought them out 20 odd years ago and they are still in the business of making tires, among other things. In fact, there are MORE US jobs at Bridgestone/Firestone than ever.
Don't. Things get better all the time.
It is a normal business cycle and businesses that don't change with the times go out of business.
BUT! New businesses pop up to take their places...
Not depressing. This is exactly what keeps US industry alive, vibrant, profitable. The finest evidence that Schumpeter was exactly right.
Hey, don’t dispair - this is good news.
None of these companies have a clue as to whether they are:
1. Operationally Excellent (price leaders)
2. Customer intimate (selling products to a certain type of person (not a market segment - think Volkswagen Bugs))
or
3. Product Leaders (make the best product in a class/segment)
All of these tried to fight a three front war, when a one front war takes all your resources.
Motorola’s defense business will spin off into something. The Koreans will get the handsets.
Sears will just go away, and that truly is said. Somebody might get their tool business, but who knows.
Ford deserves to die. That simple. Their logo is next to the word ‘mismanagement’ in the dictionary. The unions will cry in their subsidized beer. Someone might get the truck business, but who knows.
This is the market doing what it should be doing.
This is depressing. And there’s no reason to expect that things will change soon.
I would hardly say depressing. These companies can’t keep up. There are new businesses that are replacing them that are better. I only hope that Yahoo does in fact go to Microsoft and make it even better. If you want companies to continue and not allow for better companies, we would still be shopping at Woolworths and that is about it.
Why do you consider this to be depressing? It's the natural order of things. You don't see dinosaurs or sabre tooth tigers or giant sloths (well maybe the latter if you look at the welfare rolls) walking around today. In 1900 United Leather (made harnesses) was one of the biggest corporations in the US. You probably never heard of it before now. Corporations come and go and their survival depends on how their executive management steers the company. Ford, by getting in bed with the unions over the last 40 years guaranteed its long term demise. Likewise the other companies failed to keep up with what was desired in the marketplace. I could go on about how top down management and central planning fail proportionately to how much top down control there is, but that would be getting off subject.
What’s depressing?
Crappy companies fail and are replaced by better companies.
Happens all the time. Its a good thing.
Well with McCain wanting to punish the greedy Wall Streeters, I’d say this list is probably true- and then some.