Overview

There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.

Mark Antony from
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Beta International is at a major juncture in its corporate history. It can, through the proper leadership and direction, re-establish itself as a world class performer. For those who achieve superior performance, global competition whets the appetite, pumps the adrenaline, and spurs them to new levels of performance. For those who do not rise to the occasion, this ever intensifying competiton represents a threat from which to retreat. Bob Neurath is convinced that the globalization of economic forces is an opportunity waiting for the best companies. He is also determined that Beta will rise to this challenge by creating clear expectations for excellence in all business activities.

Thus far, several divisions are in fact rising to this challenge and meeting these expectations. Manufacturing performance has improved substantially at one division uptime is up 15%, unit costs are down 26%; at another division, OEE is up 35%, unit costs are down 27%; at another division, maintenance costs have been reduced by over $40M. At these particular divisions, this has all been done without any downsizing. When combined with other improvements related to restructuring its market focus and new product development, stock price has risen substantially, more than doubling for one division.

Prior to Mr. Neurath's arrival, Beta International had suffered from overconfidence and a lack of investment, focusing too much on making the short term look...