Why Colt Can't Shoot Straight

[Amp Mangum]

http://mobile.businessweek.com/artic...s-after-crisis

[Leaveammoforme]

Good 'beginnings to now' read. Too bad it reads like a B-movie script. More troubles ahead.

[Chuck]

test test

[brushy bill]

They need to relocate to a gun friendly, non-union state.

[Renegade]

Colt probably will not survive the coming downturn.


They have had some of the most incompetent executives the world has ever seen.

[Dienekes]

Colt's has been mismanaged since my POV was a tricycle. I was going to say "systematically mismanaged" but that would imply a certain degree of competence that never existed. Sad.

I have been setting aside their catalogues and fliers for years in the expectation that the company would collapse any day. I don't know how they keep going.

[Belmont31R]

Colt's has been mismanaged since my POV was a tricycle. I was going to say "systematically mismanaged" but that would imply a certain degree of competence that never existed. Sad.

I have been setting aside their catalogues and fliers for years in the expectation that the company would collapse any day. I don't know how they keep going.

Gov contracts?

[MountainRaven]

I'm going to be mildly entertained if Colt goes the way of Winchester... and, ironically, gets bought out by FN.

[HES]

I just read an article on Bloomberg Business week (link). I found it to be fascinating and depressing at the same time. There was so much of its history that I didn't know about. After reading the article it seems like the company has always been and continues to be cursed by incompetent leadership that consistently exhibits extremely poor decision making skills. It's almost as if the people in charge are mental copies of Alan from "The Hangover". This article also brings to mind the cluster fudge going on with their expansion into Florida. First they buy the facility, then try to back out of it, then commit to it, and still as far as I know haven't really done anything with it.

As for what I see, there are a couple of things that I got out of it. Bankruptcy needs to be avoided for the simple reason that if anyone was willing to buy the company I'm willing to bet that they would split it up at best or sell it off in bits and pieces at worst. Even though privately held, Colt needs a corporate leadership enema. If I ran my company like this I would have been out on my ass a long time ago. Another thing I feel that has to be done is they need to move. Go to a non union state and lower your employment costs. Moving, while costly, also has other benefits such as a more tax friendly environment and modern facilities which will have a lower operating cost. It does come with the perils of losing experienced machinists but with an investment in job training and a merciless quality assurance staff it can be mitigated. Heck why not partner with Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) and his Mike Rowe foundation, which is trying to churn out people with the exact type of skills that Colt would need with such a move. Next up they need to find the Capitol for R&D and come up with something new. We're always looking for that "perfect pistol" after all. Other that the M1911 and a few others they don't have anything to be beholden to. I think this is an opportunity they need to go with. Or is the article way off base and my conclusions are therefore wrong?

What are your thoughts on the article and your take on the implications and ramifications. If anyone has any inside knowledge, does the article ring true? Is Colt still, after all these years, stuck in the mentality of GM from the 70s and 80s? Has anyone seen an improvement in the quality of their products (aside from the M4)? Does anyone see any hope for this company or do you think that it is destined to be in bankruptcy in the near future? Is bankruptcy their only hope, that a white Knight investor could save it, and in the process be freed from the financial situation they are facing? Are there any out there who could be that white Knight? We know that the freedom group would probably be a disaster? Who would you pick to head up the new team? Where would that person come from? Detroit? Silicon Valley? Houston and the oil industry? What do you think can be done?

[C4IGrant]

I just read an article on Bloomberg Business week (link). I found it to be fascinating and depressing at the same time. There was so much of its history that I didn't know about. After reading the article it seems like the company has always been and continues to be cursed by incompetent leadership that consistently exhibits extremely poor decision making skills. It's almost as if the people in charge are mental copies of Alan from "The Hangover". This article also brings to mind the cluster fudge going on with their expansion into Florida. First they buy the facility, then try to back out of it, then commit to it, and still as far as I know haven't really done anything with it.

The unions played a roll in the FL facility. That has been worked out now.

A good friend of mine is in a place of some power and control. Many of the really "positive" changes to Colt AR's (like changing the hammer/trigger pins to .154) was his doing. He will do his best to influence and change some of the sacred cows there (or will die trying).

As for what I see, there are a couple of things that I got out of it. Bankruptcy needs to be avoided for the simple reason that if anyone was willing to buy the company I'm willing to bet that they would split it up at best or sell it off in bits and pieces at worst. Even though privately held, Colt needs a corporate leadership enema. If I ran my company like this I would have been out on my ass a long time ago. Another thing I feel that has to be done is they need to move. Go to a non union state and lower your employment costs. Moving, while costly, also has other benefits such as a more tax friendly environment and modern facilities which will have a lower operating cost. It does come with the perils of losing experienced machinists but with an investment in job training and a merciless quality assurance staff it can be mitigated. Heck why not partner with Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) and his Mike Rowe foundation, which is trying to churn out people with the exact type of skills that Colt would need with such a move. Next up they need to find the Capitol for R&D and come up with something new. We're always looking for that "perfect pistol" after all. Other that the M1911 and a few others they don't have anything to be beholden to. I think this is an opportunity they need to go with. Or is the article way off base and my conclusions are therefore wrong?

What are your thoughts on the article and your take on the implications and ramifications. If anyone has any I side knowledge, does the article ring true? Is Colt still, after all these years, stuck in the mentality of GM from the 70s and 80s? Has anyone seen an improvement (non M4) in the quality of their products? Does anyone see any hope for this company or do you think that it is destined to be in bankruptcy in the near future? Is bankruptcy their only hope, that a white Knight investor could save it, and in the process be freed from the financial situation they are facing? Are there any out there who could be that white Knight? We know that the freedom group would probably be a disaster? Who would you pick to head up the new team? Where would that person come from? Detroit? Silicon Valley? Houston and the oil industry? What do you think can be done?

Commercial and Mil are now united and this will help with a lot of things in the future.

Yes I agree on needing to move out of the State they are in.



C4