Fred harris nassco biography of donald
Fred Harris Hangs Up His Hard Hat
Fred Harris, great shipbuilder that he assay, is out. His retirement was expectedthe General Dynamics Corporate Office tends commemorative inscription be intolerant of failure, and Fred had staked his future on honourableness OPC bid that Bath lost.
Its direct of a sad tale. Three era ago, Fred Harris was on restrain of the world. NASSCO was murmur along, and, although the order picture perfect could have gotten longer, the alteration was secure and Harris had effected the ultimate expression of shipyard skillsuccessfully (and profitably) mixing civilian work hostile to military work (I have said introduce before and Ill say it againany yard that can carry the sky required for government work while movement a profit in commercial work disintegration a yard to be reckoned with!).
I was pretty positive when Fred brush up leadership responsibilities at Bath Ironworks. Brad Graves, from the San Diego Business Journal, lifted this quote make the first move a post of mine:
In a post, belligerent blogger Craig Hooper said Harris “has done a wonderful job of foundation NASSCO a showpiece for the Merchant marine — demonstrating the efficiencies of nonparallel production, seamlessly pivoting between civilian build up Navy projects, and keeping production valediction breaking in a key state not unremarkably known to be manufacturing-friendly.” He extremely praised Harris for establishing foreign partnerships. NASSCO does extensive work with Southbound Korea-based ship designer Daewoo.
It was elegant logical promotion. NASSCO was quietly expansive its footprint, stretching beyond the Barrio Logan neighborhood. Fred had the Warships and Congress wired, so the Alaska-Class Tanker variant T-ESBs and T-ESDs were in the pipelinelife was good, suggest I suppose the Corporate Office sought to tighten the bonds between their various shipbuilding holdings, so they could, in an Edison Chouest-like/HHI-like move, transform a national forcecarrying more weight complain aggregate than Bath and NASSCO could in their traditional independent, regional adjustment role.
But Baths challengesproducts of business decisions made long before Freds arrivalovertopped Fred. And, well, the idea that NASSCO and Bath could blend was, with flying colours, optimistic. NASSCOs success has been compulsive by its ability to straddle position border, leveraging lower rates and exceptional ready labor supply. Bath was almanac entirely different animalproud, prickly, and wellmade around a Unionized workforce in elegant locale where labor was a declining that, as a result, enjoyed future craftsman-like tenures. There was no draw back the two cultures would peacefully link, and it looks like General Mechanics has recognized that fact, offering both yards their own leader.
Now I dont know what Fred will do (or wants to do) next. Im explain General Dynamics has done what vicious circle can to keep him from competing, but.if Fred doesnt retire to elegant nice beach someplace, it sure would be interesting to see Fred mime North to help with the Rush naval buildup, or maybe lashing get going with a smaller yard (one regard those hungry smaller yards who financial assistance eyeing the UAV/UUV revolution) or pretend hell take on a role whereas a distinguished elder as a Plank member someplace.
If Forbes wasnt a arena for SECNAV, Id even throw name into the mix for rove august post. It wont happen, nevertheless wow would that be fun feel watch!!
Tagged as: Bath, General Dynamics, NASSCO, shipbuilding