Oberdorfer LLC is a 134-year-old foundry located in DeWitt, New York. Like all other business in the manufacturing sector, it have been hit very hard by today’s economic woes. The company was on the brink of failure and if drastic measures were not taken, it would have been the end. Unlike many company leaders who walk off the cliff like lemmings, the management and employees of Oberdorfer got together and did what needed to be done to save the business. It is a truly awesome story.
Layoffs happened, furloughs happened, but the company didn’t fold up. They’ve been able to hire some of the laid off workers back and business is looking up. Click here to read all the details at Syracuse.com.
This story should be required reading for the employees, management, and union leadership at Ford and GM. This is a far smaller company, even smaller than some of their plants, but the message and tactics used could be applied to a much larger business.
Adapt and change or die. For 134 years Oberdorfer seems to have been doing just that. Thankfully, everyone kept the company tradition going.
