What would you do if you owned Colt's Manufacturing LLC?

[jrmiddleton425]

They seemed to be doing fine for a while, when they got rid of UAW and made General Keyes CEO. Maybe they should start by getting rid of the 800 pound gorilla.

 

[Art Eatman]

Very few of Colt's problems are related to anything previously discussed in this thread. It's been written about more than once in several of the financial websites. Not long back, at Zero Hedge.

Basically, it's the old, old game of a leveraged buyout of a parent corporation, sell off any profitable operations, fire a bunch of people and run the remainder into the ground. In the meantime, take out high salaries and bonuses. Burn through whatever cash is on hand as "expenses".

Buy Colt? You'd have a bunch of blueprints, old equipment, some real estate and few experienced machinists. Absent total bankruptcy, don't forget the debts. And remember, the average age of a journeyman machinist in the US is above fifty years. (Ten years back, it was 52. Now?)

 

[Aragon]

...Buy Colt? You'd have a bunch of blueprints, old equipment, some real estate and few experienced machinists. Absent total bankruptcy, don't forget the debts. And remember, the average age of a journeyman machinist in the US is above fifty years. (Ten years back, it was 52. Now?)

You'd have a lot more than that. You'd own valuable trademarks like: Colt, Single Action Army, Peacemaker, Python, Diamondback, Anaconda, etc.,etc.

You'd have the prints, process sheets (for things like bluing), gauges, turn-key processes that produce gun parts, etc., etc.

 

[Aragon]

They seemed to be doing fine for a while, when they got rid of UAW and made General Keyes CEO. Maybe they should start by getting rid of the 800 pound gorilla.

Did Colt really decertify the UAW? Fascinating, I was not aware. I was aware that Keyes largely failed.

 

[HexHead]

Would run it like they did with Motown Records, everyone gets a vote when making a new product to market. One no vote and the idea goes back to the drawing board.

Huh, what? I worked for Motown in the 80's. Nobody ever asked me what I thought. Berry Gordy had the final say on everything.

The gun company's that are doing well today have listened carefully to there customers, not told them what they like. Years ago Colt dropped the revolver market and Ruger grabbed it and the rest is history.

HK listens carefully to their civilian customers? Ruger didn't make revolvers before the 1990s?

 

[Sam1911]

I was inside the industry during the years this story developed, and what I was reading left out some major key elements. If everything was brought out you'd have the makings for a TV drama or movie.

But with a couple of exceptions none of our members know enough about gun manufacturing or the associated financial considerations to make any kind of informed statements.

Sometime in the near future all of this will come to a head, without any input from our members, none of which have the kind of money that would be necessary to become a serious player. When the dust has settled it may be possible to have a discussion, but not before.

Words of real wisdom.

We clearly won't solve this knotty business question on a firearms and shooting forum. A bunch of shooting enthusiasts just don't have the background to understand these issues and a shooting forum is not the appropriate place to dissect them.

Fortunately, we now know...

You're simply wrong.

There goes your reputation (for accuracy.)

You need to start doing your homework.

I won't even address the horror of having to live in Texas...

LOL!! What are you on?

You're clearly not getting this...

Why? Maybe I'll buy it...

Fortunately, Colt has Aragon to advise them and I'm sure they'll get it all sorted out in short order. Good luck!