A Living and Breathing Organization

We slowed down in July. As a “level” manufacturer, we produce mowers at a steady rate year-round, based on an annual forecast with the objective of building the number of machines that can be sold to retail customers — not making more or less. The consequences of going too fast or slow are well-known; too much inventory means pushing product to customers at or below cost with resulting poor service and poor value. Too little inventory means customers cannot get the product when they need it, and ultimately they may purchase a lesser product, because it is available.

I like to think of us and our distributors and dealers as a “living and breathing” organization. We inhale and exhale as a natural consequence of living and working in this world. The wisdom of Holy Scripture teaches there is a time and season for everything under Heaven: A time to gather and a time to scatter, a time to plant and a time to uproot. In a “living and breathing” manufacturing analogy, there is a time to speed up and there is a time to slow down. That is if you want to maintain a healthy organization.

As a privately owned company, we have an advantage in the ability to adjust to the economic seasons in contrast to the large, stockholder-driven companies. The stockholder in the large company is a hard taskmaster who is only interested in one thing — multiplying money. We have all seen the big organization that was so driven to grow and make money for the stockholders that they ultimately failed. In our company, we take a bigger view of our purposes, and are able to adjust to the times and the market while keeping the company healthy.

My dad always likes to say, “The first objective is to stay in business, and the second objective is to grow.” We are optimistic for the future of Walker Manufacturing, and we do plan to grow. The company is healthy, and our first objective will be to stay healthy and keep living and breathing.