XTR2Turbo Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Puzzled by the news that Charles Morgan has been ousted and for the first time in its history a Morgan family member not at the helm. Still 100% owned by the family trust but they have voted for a professional management team. Seemed to me he had achieved a lot with the Aero8 and latest 3 wheeler and was the perfect ambassador for the company. I met and spoke with him a few times at the factory and Morgan events and he was always very open and civil. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M444TTB Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 I was somewhat perplexed by this too. Wonder what lies behind it all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark (smokey mow) Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 It all seems a very stange situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTR2Turbo Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 Seems to me there has been a big family falling out over strategy and future direction of the business I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is a buyer lined up in the wings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Jackson Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 The new cars under his direction have been great. But having visited the factor I was shocked by how much "waste" there was in the manufacturing process. From what I saw there were huge gap in how the manufacturing was set up and run, and could understand why a team may be brought in to run the manufacturing. It is a sort after product with a huge waiting list, but a really long manufacturing lead time. Imagine if that lead time could be halved ( which is achievable), that would have a huge impact on the finances of the company - all without changing or affecting the product.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Mat, even if they did speed up production by a considerable amount I doubt they would sell more cars. In fact once the long waiting list is reduced it's possible the desire will be reduced. Things that are easy to get or cheap have little value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Remembering back to the TV program on them with Digby Jones. What struck me was that manufacturing needed sorting out. Not to make more cars, but to make better cars that cost less to produce therefore giving the company the cash to either develop new models or bank for a rainy day. So in a way not surprised he has gone. Action on the factory long overdue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Nick - I immediately thought of Digby Jones but he is one of a newer generation of industrialist! That programme (Troubleshooter, with John Harvey-Jones) went out in 1990 and Sir John indeed identified the old-fashioned ways of working as a real brake on the company's performance. At the time, I think Peter Morgan (sone of the founder) was in charge, with son Charles as the up and coming new generation. As I remember it, Peter was against change, but Charles was more inclined to listen to the external advice. Perhaps the situation has repeated itself, one generation on. Bear in mind I saw the programme once 23 years ago so my memory may well be playing tricks on me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory's Dad Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Mat, even if they did speed up production by a considerable amount I doubt they would sell more cars. In fact once the long waiting list is reduced it's possible the desire will be reduced. Things that are easy to get or cheap have little value. Agreed. I once worked for the Jorvik Viking Centre. The queue above ground 'proved' it's worth. Rory's Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Nick - I immediately thought of Digby Jones but he is one of a newer generation of industrialist! That programme (Troubleshooter, with John Harvey-Jones) went out in 1990 and Sir John indeed identified the old-fashioned ways of working as a real brake on the company's performance. At the time, I think Peter Morgan (sone of the founder) was in charge, with son Charles as the up and coming new generation. As I remember it, Peter was against change, but Charles was more inclined to listen to the external advice. Perhaps the situation has repeated itself, one generation on. Bear in mind I saw the programme once 23 years ago so my memory may well be playing tricks on me... I remember that programme well, and shuddered at some of the mentality that went on then. Nothing done in a flow line, sticking the most expensive bits in first on a car that took eight weeks to produce, the struggle to get the workers to agree to go from 8 cars a week to 9... a nightmare story. But what really stuck with me was their parts department operation. He asked the man in charge about one particular bin, which had a part for a Morgan that been out of production for decades: "How many parts does that bin hold?" "About a hundred." "How many do you sell?" "About one or two a year." "What do you do when the bin is running low or gets empty?" "We order a hundred and fill the bin up again." "So you've got 50-100 years supply on hand? Why?" "That's the way we've always done it." Mind-boggling blinkered stupidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory's Dad Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 "That's the way we've always done it." Mind-boggling blinkered stupidity. Otherwise known in some circles as 'heritage' Rory's Dad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Otherwise known in some circles as 'heritage' Rory's Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTR2Turbo Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 In fairness the factory has been reorganised alot and is much more efficient. At least the cars now flow down the factory rather than up and down like they did. Also complex shapes aren't hand formed but hand fitted and all the wood is made in a machining centre before hand assembly. I think the really strategy issues seem to be around where next. The general view is that the traditional car will become increasingly difficult to sell in most markets - no airbags, abs etc Charles has been keen to move Morgan more up market building limited numbers of almosr coach built and exotically styled cars like the Aeromax. But the problem is that the Wero cars have never made money even at £130k a pop due to the massive development costs being offset. So does they factory continue to produce the standard traditional cars and milk for as long as possible or take a risk on new higher end cars. Incidentally the lead time is now only 3 months for a trad and dealers have lots of stock. 3 wheeler is about a year though. Aero cars they can't shift. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickmaster Andy Lowe Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Mat, even if they did speed up production by a considerable amount I doubt they would sell more cars. In fact once the long waiting list is reduced it's possible the desire will be reduced. Things that are easy to get or cheap have little value. Agreed whole harted with Norman on this one Speed up this year Make it in china next year We have recently reduced stock levels in work and now get held up on a daily basis, maybe 50 years worth of stock is too much but you do have to be careful reducing to much If it's working don't fix it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 As a somewhat expert on parts stocking (we developed very sophisticated parts stocking programmes for dealers) the method above may be correct, although the reasons are wrong. Where low cost items are concerned it's sometimes more effective to buy at the best price which may be a pack of 100 and put them away once than pay higher prices for smaller quantities and put them away more frequently, One of the formula used in our parts stocking programme has bands of quantity pricing/total cost and the system may well order a pack of 100 if that's the best price without costing more than the banding. On the other hand it may refuse to order something which costs, say over £300 and only sells twice a year. Another formula uses a modified Least Squares Regression to predict the trend of a part and increases and decreases stock in anticipation. So much better than a parts manager we had pre-computer who wrote every part number sold on a pad and that was the stock order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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