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cory Wrote:Bill when you say AA is a family company I hope you're referring to the mind set and atmosphere of the company. I hope Bill A doesn't have most if not all family members working at AA. I've worked for those type of companies and they don't work and they're not a good working environment if you're not family. A good rule of thumb is you should never hire someone you can't fire, it's a recipe for disaster.
Cory ,I grew up in a family business that my late father started. I cant speak for the family business that you worked for but I had to work twice as long and hard as any employee ever worked. When I was 16 years old, other kids were having nice summer vacations, I was working on a logging crew 15 hours a day average at half wage. I had to earn my money, nothing was given to me. I would have been fired in a heart beat if I wasn't setting the example. My father taught me well. Nepotism isn't always what you think it is. Most farms and ranches in Montana have been family owned for many generations where hard work and values are the norm not the exception.
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10-31-2013, 04:46 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-31-2013, 04:49 AM by cory.)
montana Wrote:Cory ,I grew up in a family business that my late father started. I cant speak for the family business that you worked for but I had to work twice as long and hard as any employee ever worked. When I was 16 years old, other kids were having nice summer vacations, I was working on a logging crew 15 hours a day average at half wage. I had to earn my money, nothing was given to me. I would have been fired in a heart beat if I wasn't setting the example. My father taught me well. Nepotism isn't always what you think it is. Most farms and ranches in Montana have been family owned for many generations where hard work and values are the norm not the exception.
Father and sons and farms are completely different stories. I grew up on a small farm busting my butt, I know what you mean.
I'm referring to when the wife of the owner is working a competitive position amongst the other employees and you've got this cousin and that cousin working, whether they're qualified for the jobs they're doing is irrelevant at that point. My horror story comes from a sports pub I was bartending at some time ago.
I wouldn't get that place out of the red for more than a few hours before the owners wife and best friend (roomate) were concocting and trying to implement some hair brain idea.
I'm the type if you need an a** chewing I'm more than happy to give it, I don't care who you are or who you know.
That gig ended after I chewed out the owners wife after the second time she left the bar TRASHED for the morning bartender to clean up.
"Those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither." Benjamin Franklin
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cory Wrote:Father and sons and farms are completely different stories. I grew up on a small farm busting my butt, I know what you mean.
I'm referring to when the wife of the owner is working a competitive position amongst the other employees and you've got this cousin and that cousin working, whether they're qualified for the jobs they're doing is irrelevant at that point. My horror story comes from a sports pub I was bartending at some time ago.
I wouldn't get that place out of the red for more than a few hours before the owners wife and best friend (roomate) were concocting and trying to implement some hair brain idea.
I'm the type if you need an a** chewing I'm more than happy to give it, I don't care who you are or who you know.
That gig ended after I chewed out the owners wife after the second time she left the bar TRASHED for the morning bartender to clean up.
LOL'  I cant say I have ever worked in that kind of work environment before. Sounds like a new possible reality show.
Bill Alexander Wrote:We continue to manufacture and ship. We do not control the supply chain.
Midway will issue PO's for items as ongoing draw downs for 12 month intervals as do many others.
I am not preventing any manufacturer from making Grendel. The cartridge is SAAMI approved so anyone may tool up and manufacture it.
Would you consider answering your telephones? Or returning phone calls? Or not sending shut-up-and-wait emails? Or not sending emails that mention new orders with new dates when they are not new orders? Or actually sending products in turn by the date actually ordered rather than cherry picking who gets what and when?
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10-31-2013, 11:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-31-2013, 11:28 AM by Michael.)
A few questions -
1) Why is a manufacture posting about ammo in the 6.5 Grendel ARs and other Semi Autos section? Shouldn't this be in the Buy, Sell, Trade or Ammunition tabs?
2) Did the title of the thread change to 'Bad Business Practices of AA' while I wasn't looking? (and I've had my own issues w/ them re; timelines and CS/comms)
3) Not a business man - just a knuckle dragging mouth breather - but would think that building rifles and ammo is a fairly specialized trade - moreso than working in a bar or on a farm.
And a final comment - I am less than 10 miles from where AA produces their weapons/ammo. It is on the Radford Army Arsenal. It is a huge PITA to hire people to work on the Arsenal due to the background/security checks involved. It is also - I speak from trying to get a qualified applicant where I work for a GS position - very difficult to get qualified people in our area of the nation. What AA is facing is probably a lack of qualified people, or overqualified people who want more money than a small business is able to pay, combined with the shinanigans of working on an Army Arsenal.
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cory Wrote:Bill when you say AA is a family company I hope you're referring to the mind set and atmosphere of the company. I hope Bill A doesn't have most if not all family members working at AA. I've worked for those type of companies and they don't work and they're not a good working environment if you're not family. A good rule of thumb is you should never hire someone you can't fire, it's a recipe for disaster.
When I say AA is a family company I mean it is smaller and less able to make all the changes and additions some of you suggest. Bill does many of the tasks that you mentioned himself, and Melissa and all the other employees wear multiple hats as well. There simply aren't extra employees with scut work jobs that many companies have. The scut work is handled by the same people doing other jobs as well.
AA's impact on the marketplace is MUCH larger than the companies size would indicate. Think a young David and Goliath story. The fact that they have brought 3 unique designs to market is amazing considering the actual size of AA. (Beowulf, Grendel, semiauto .17 HMR).
You seek escape from pain. We seek the achievement of happiness. You exist for the sake of avoiding punishment. We exist for the sake of earning rewards. Threats will not make us function; fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live. - John Galt
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Michael Wrote:A few questions -
1) Why is a manufacture posting about ammo in the 6.5 Grendel ARs and other Semi Autos section? Shouldn't this be in the Buy, Sell, Trade or Ammunition tabs?
2) Did the title of the thread change to 'Bad Business Practices of AA' while I wasn't looking? (and I've had my own issues w/ them re; timelines and CS/comms)
3) Not a business man - just a knuckle dragging mouth breather - but would think that building rifles and ammo is a fairly specialized trade - moreso than working in a bar or on a farm.
And a final comment - I am less than 10 miles from where AA produces their weapons/ammo. It is on the Radford Army Arsenal. It is a huge PITA to hire people to work on the Arsenal due to the background/security checks involved. It is also - I speak from trying to get a qualified applicant where I work for a GS position - very difficult to get qualified people in our area of the nation. What AA is facing is probably a lack of qualified people, or overqualified people who want more money than a small business is able to pay, combined with the shinanigans of working on an Army Arsenal.
Michael knows whereof he speaks!
You seek escape from pain. We seek the achievement of happiness. You exist for the sake of avoiding punishment. We exist for the sake of earning rewards. Threats will not make us function; fear is not our incentive. It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live. - John Galt
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Michael Wrote:...And a final comment - I am less than 10 miles from where AA produces their weapons/ammo. It is on the Radford Army Arsenal. It is a huge PITA to hire people to work on the Arsenal due to the background/security checks involved. It is also - I speak from trying to get a qualified applicant where I work for a GS position - very difficult to get qualified people in our area of the nation. What AA is facing is probably a lack of qualified people, or overqualified people who want more money than a small business is able to pay, combined with the shinanigans of working on an Army Arsenal.
I don't doubt you're correct.
Bill A if you're reading this we'd LOVE to have AA operating out of the free state of Alabama. I'm sure we can find a way to make life much easier for you operating out of here.
Huntsville AL is loaded with engineering talent and plenty of gun enthusiast. After all we are the talent that sent men to the moon.
We've got the redstone arsenal here, which doesn't have DARPA, but a lot of top secret building and testing happens here. The Army command was scheduled to relocate to Redstone, before budget cuts. It'll likely happen in the next decade, so don't be surprised if you see more research being centralized at Redstone.
"Those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither." Benjamin Franklin
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cory Wrote:I don't doubt you're correct.
Bill A if you're reading this we'd LOVE to have AA operating out of the free state of Alabama. I'm sure we can find a way to make life much easier for you operating out of here.
Huntsville AL is loaded with engineering talent and plenty of gun enthusiast. After all we are the talent that sent men to the moon.
We've got the redstone arsenal here, which doesn't have DARPA, but a lot of top secret building and testing happens here. The Army command was scheduled to relocate to Redstone, before budget cuts. It'll likely happen in the next decade, so don't be surprised if you see more research being centralized at Redstone.
No moving is needed. They call them branch offices. Open a warehouse someplace, AL, TX, PA there are probably 40 states that will work. Then they can get people to work and produce ammo only. Pretty simple, and don't call Remington per LRRPF52. Apparently they are a rifle/ammo developer and going down the tank too.
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cory Wrote:I don't doubt you're correct.
Bill A if you're reading this we'd LOVE to have AA operating out of the free state of Alabama. I'm sure we can find a way to make life much easier for you operating out of here.
Huntsville AL is loaded with engineering talent and plenty of gun enthusiast. After all we are the talent that sent men to the moon.
We've got the redstone arsenal here, which doesn't have DARPA, but a lot of top secret building and testing happens here. The Army command was scheduled to relocate to Redstone, before budget cuts. It'll likely happen in the next decade, so don't be surprised if you see more research being centralized at Redstone.
Huntsville has some rocket engineer nerds (like me) that know a thing or two about firearms, ballistics, and hunting too. Engineering plus science plus redneck is a deadly combination.
Best,
PA
May become scarce..thats funny
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PA_Allen Wrote:Engineering plus science plus redneck is a deadly combination.
This made me laugh out loud. So true... 
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PA_Allen Wrote:Engineering plus science plus redneck is a deadly combination.
Best,
PA
Yeah, they made a TV show about that...
If these stupid ammo games keep up, I am going to admit defeat and he did of my upper/ammo/brass/bullets
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I really was not trying to stir up a storm, Just keeping members informed. If I would have wanted a storm, I would have posted on Snipers Hide.
Looks like we will be getting some Lapua Brass, but it won't last long. I emailed Bill Alexander and hopefully we can make arraignments, but I haven't heard back from him yet. We received some Hornady brass recently, too. If anyone with our rifles or uppers needs ammo, we do have a reserve amount back for those that bought uppers or rifles from us. Just email us with quantity and type.
We also have some once fired brass. This we will sell for $.30 each. They have been Ultrasonic cleaned and tumbled. Primers have not been removed, not sized, not inspected. Each 100 will be about 105 pieces to compensate for bad cases.
Mark Hostetter
Precision Firearms
pf15@pf15.com
"Precision - The Pinnacle of Perfection."
Bill Alexander
Unregistered
I will mull on this, it is perhaps best.
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Bill Alexander Wrote:I will mull on this it is perhaps best.
I hope you're talking about moving AA operations to North Alabama! HAHA
"Those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither." Benjamin Franklin
Quote:YES!!! That's how a business should work, as long as the company is up front with their current and prospective employees.
With the employment rate how is that a bad thing??? A paycheck for 6 months is much better than unemployment checks for the next 6 months.
The way the market should work is with job security you sacrifice salary, with a high salary you sacrifice job security.
If I was AA, PF, Hornady, etc... I'd be offering certain employees promotions to fill needed areas and then bringing in new people at the bottom level or wherever I was lacking. I'd let prospective employees know the position is likely temporary, but that doesn't mean they can't earn a long term job through their performance. Then I let current employees know I was bringing in help, but that once the market stabilizes I would have to lay people off to bring the company back to current levels. Who gets laid off will be based off performance both in the recent past and next few months.
Every company has dead weight somewhere, this would give them a chance to weed them out and improve their company in the long run.
Those that are laid off would have more experience to place on their resume and take with them to the next job.
A short term good paying job is always better than being unemployed.
Do you know what happens to a company who hires a bunch of employees and then lays them off? Their unemployment insurance costs go WAY UP.
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Bill, I received your email. There must be a misunderstanding and I am going to quickly and publicly clear up it up. I do not believe, neither was I implying, that Alexander Arms is removing or reducing or otherwise less than fully supporting the 6.5 Grendel. Neither was I threatening to publicly or privately denounce or give bad press on this forum or any other forum.
I tried to email you back but it was bounced back with a failure to receive message.
In fact, I believe my customers and members will vouch that I have been nothing less than supportive of you and AA. We all appreciate your work in developing this awesome round. And I personally understand the issues with supply and demand.
Mark Hostetter
Precision Firearms
pf15@pf15.com
"Precision - The Pinnacle of Perfection."
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longdayjake Wrote:Do you know what happens to a company who hires a bunch of employees and then lays them off? Their unemployment insurance costs go WAY UP.
I guess you don't know what subcontracting and temporary employment is. In Va. if you hire for a specific job and duration, when it is completed, unemployment is not due. Same for subcontractors. Also just flat out subing to another company. Like Underwood, there are a ammunition manufacture I buy Beowulf from regularly. They even have the exact same box as A.A. http://www.underwoodammo.com/50beowulf.aspx
This is not a hard thing to do, someone just needs to want to do it.
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