Profit is actually the smallest percentage of the price of a contract weapon. Sure, the amount put back into the US economy is smaller than if a US maker (though this isn’t always the case, depends on the dividend policies of the company and the nationality of the stockholders - and some of the ‘foreign companies’ are actually US owned) but the supermajority of the money will be staying in the US, buying US materials, employing US workers, etc.
Corporate boot camp is sadly not an option. The only option for anything even close to that is for the company to go bankrupt and someone else picking them up from receivership. The name and IP won’t go away, someone will pick it up.
The fact that they can’t survive without government contracts is their own damn fault and they deserve to reap the rewards thereof.
Safe-T-Hammer picking up Smith And Wesson from the wreckage caused when Thomson of Britain owned and cratered them is another example of how a company can be fixed - but Safe-T-Hammer has pointed out that they had to fire pretty much the entire management staff. There was nothing salvageable other than the name and IP.
As for US industry being able to make US military small arms - it’s possible, but right now it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. Maybe in a decade or so - the potential successors to the M4/M16 keep getting shut down by political BS (often instigated by Colt, but now self-sustaining) and the only thing that’s actually getting any sort of traction is the Marines’ impending expansion of the H&K made M27 IAR to all Marines in place of the M16 and some M4s. Oh, and FN of Belgium is currently making our M16s in a plant in South Carolina. Nobody else has the free volume capability; Colt is bankrupt and ineligible. Ruger is booked up for years. Everyone else never had it or sold it off. Going to be a while to spin up those capabilities.
Then there’s this: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/04/05/breaking-remington-wins-m4-contract-review/
https://taskandpurpose.com/soldiers-able-choose-barrel-length/
Even with part of the M4 contract and the $80 million Obama bribe contract, Remington couldn’t survive.
“Profit is actually the smallest percentage of the price of a contract weapon.”
Yes, however, it is surely the intent of the manufacturer to realize a substantial profit, year after year. It’s a steady drain.
“Sure, the amount put back into the US economy is smaller”
It’s better than buying products manufactured off shore, no argument there. But why not strive for a better arrangement?
“Corporate boot camp is sadly not an option.”
I guess we don’t want to say, “If FDR did it, it must be all right.” I don’t know if I could even say that with a straight face, but desperate times call for adequate measures.
https://buzzbrown.blogspot.com/2009/04/history-matters-montgomery-ward.html
“The only option for anything even close to that is for the company to go bankrupt and someone else picking them up from receivership.”
The Safe-T-Hammer story would seem to be an example of that. The key, however, is that “Safe-T-Hammer has pointed out that they had to fire pretty much the entire management staff.” Maybe I’m drawing conclusions on the basis of too little information, but it seems to me that there is a relatively small group of people, almost a clique, from whom officers of large companies are selected. It also seems to me that a not insignificant number of the people in that clique are completely incompetent, perhaps even stupid.
How we got here I do not know. Privilege of wealth, perhaps, but we need a shakeup.
As an emergency measure, I wouldn’t mind if President Trump were telling courts whom to appoint to the receivership of these companies. Wouldn’t even bother me if he appointed entire boards of directors and told them who to hire to run the companies. I am aware that this is sounding dangerously reminiscent of national socialism, but I am proposing it not as a workable system, but as a one-time emergency measure.
“The name and IP won’t go away, someone will pick it up.”
Perhaps I spent too much time in Japan. I’m not one of these “everything Japanese is wonderful” people, but they do have some things going. Last time I was there, I bought a hand-forged chef’s knife made by the last scion of the Masamune line, which dates back to the 14th century.
http://www.sword-masamune.com/en/info.html
IMV, tradition, institutional knowledge, and a sense of belonging to something significant are very important to a company and its employees. Just because new people buy the Remington trademark and start making guns doesn’t mean that Remington didn’t die.
“The fact that they can’t survive without government contracts is their own damn fault and they deserve to reap the rewards thereof.”
Okay, but who is this “they?” Is it not whatever members of this “top management clique” are making these short-sighted, lazy, stupid decisions?
Yes, I know that nothing is as simple as that. The rank and file might contribute to the problem through poor motivation or a gibs-me-dat attitude, but leadership devolves from the top. OSHA, labor unions, taxes, etc. etc. also play a role, but Safe-T-Hammer apparently showed that good management—dare I say leadership?—can overcome these other factors.
“As for US industry being able to make US military small arms - it’s possible, but right now it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. Maybe in a decade or so”
Unlikely things are accomplished all the time. The right men in leadership positions could probably amaze us.
“the potential successors to the M4/M16 keep getting shut down by political BS (often instigated by Colt, but now self-sustaining)”
IMO, leadership is needed to put a stop to the political BS.
“and the only thing that’s actually getting any sort of traction is the Marines’ impending expansion of the H&K made M27 IAR to all Marines in place of the M16 and some M4s.”
The Marines do need better weapons. I was talking to a young fellow who lost a leg over in Iraq. He said that the dust kicked up by a firefight in a “city” street over there was enough to cause a formerly clean M4 to jam. I consider it a national disgrace that the Marines were forced to look outside our borders for better rifles.
“Oh, and FN of Belgium is currently making our M16s in a plant in South Carolina.”
If FN management are patriots, surely they are Belgian patriots. I want American patriots developing and manufacturing our weapons. And I want the profits to stay here.
“Nobody else has the free volume capability; Colt is bankrupt and ineligible. Ruger is booked up for years. Everyone else never had it or sold it off. Going to be a while to spin up those capabilities.”
Well, it won’t ever be fixed unless we take action. I’ll bet men of President Trump’s caliber could make it happen PDQ.
“Even with part of the M4 contract and the $80 million Obama bribe contract, Remington couldn’t survive.”
Is that the “top management clique” at work again? Bet it is.
When something like this happens at a Japanese company, top management (top management!) call a press conference at which they apologize to their employees, stockholders, customers, and to the nation. Those who don’t resign in contrition take a big pay cut.
As I said, I’m not a lover of all things Japanese, but when it comes to this and bathrooms, I think they’ve stumbled onto something.