Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/434930
50 • JANUARY 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS THE HUMAN LINK by Jim Lucci Management Motivational Associates For the next couple of months, I have been asked to reflect and share some thoughts about some of the changes I have observed over the many years that I have been involved with this industry. I have been privileged over the years to be involved in six different industries, and the changes and mod- ifications that occur within these in- dustries are both positive and negative and it may take an extended period of time to ultimately determine whether any particular change has been posi- tive or negative. In fact, many of you over the years have shared both positive and negative input regarding change. One thing is clear to me: People general- ly like their respective comfort zones and, for the most part, are reluctant to change, even though most eventually have to do so. With that said, I will try to reflect on some things that have been altered in this industry for better or worse, in my opinion. I think one of the most disappoint- ing changes that I have observed is the decline of the friendly competitors concept. I am not really sure when this started to occur, but my best rec- ollection was either in the late eighties or early nineties. Prior to this development, many of the older companies in a given community would freely call one another to discuss certain problems generic to their market, always with the intention of clarifying the impact on each other's business and perhaps even coming up with a solution that each will follow, or even make a busi- ness arrangement which might have included sending particular customer inquiries to company A for specific kinds of jobs and company A then sending their customer inquiries re- garding specific kinds of business to company B that they felt could be bet- ter serviced by each one separately. Another byproduct of this friend- ly atmosphere would be the ability of both companies to call each other should they run short of a particular product and if the product was avail- able they were able to send a truck over to pick up what was needed and then they would work out an arrange- ment regarding said materials. The result was the beginning of an excellent working relationship built on respect and trust that made both companies stronger in the end. Another product of this develop- ment was the development of some very strong IFIA chapters (as they were known then before the name change to AFA). Chapters that had Through the years.... Reflections – Impressions – Opinions – Observations continued on page 52 Visit the World Fence News Crew at FENCETECH 2015 At Western Tube & Conduit customer satisfaction and quality are the first order of business. Our Fencepost and Fencerail production is ISO-9001:2008 certified - and our products are manufactured to meet all the applicable state, federal, industrial and regulatory specifications and requirements. While we regularly stock standardized products and sizes, we are happy to provide custom dimensions as well. All our Fence products are galvanized with high purity zinc. We use high frequency welding (ERW) to turn the highest quality strip steel into tubing, and then a continuous hot-galvanizing process to zinc-coat the products smoothly and evenly. A zinc-rich interior organic coating, a chromate conversion coating, and a clear exterior organic coating provide the complete finish package that gives them superior protection against the elements and long life as a result. Gal-Z serves customers looking for shaped Fence tubing as well as corrosion-protected mechanical tubing. It can be purchased in squares and in rectangles, and it provides excellent environmental durability while also fulfilling the need for strength and weldability.