Just talked to an employee who is trying to train some temps in the Houston bit plant. They are unmotivated, slow and don't want to be there. They are also getting paid more than he is to train them. They are more than 200 bits behind and not catching up. Poor quality is getting passed on just to try and meet schedule. No surprise there. It has been going on in Ponca for a few years. It takes a conscientious, experienced and dedicated employee to produce a top quality rock bit. Doesn't sound like they have that in the plant now. We always knew this move would fail and mean the end of Smith Bits. Looks like I coming true.
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You should see the junk that goes out of the Florence Kentucky plant. It's all about the money. Nothing else matters.
This sounds like a recipe for injury.
Strong odor of Kmart here
100% true
I've worked for Smith over 22 years and the degrade of quality, productivity, and moral started before the acquisition
Maybe if they would have offered the experienced guys some kind of raise when it was announced. Wouldn't be an issue. For all of you that don't know the first offer was you will make what you make now. And moving expenses. Houston is quite a bit higher cost living than Ponca city. (28% is what I read) Now they are scrambling offering $7-$10 an hour raises, and bonus incentives, but most of the guys that would have went have moved on. It's a shame really.
I watched plenty of you 30+ year guys over my career. If you're calling me management because I was raised to work my a$$ off all day until quitting time. Well I guess I'm management. Just got tired of see you 30+ year guys push a button and read your newspaper. Then when it comes time to make a change the company can't survive without your highly trained overpaid finger to push that button. But why do you care, you're probably setting back now eating that government cheese someone else is paying for
Why still Smith employees are there in SLB? Once we acquire a company we throw the employees out, that's our culture.
The guy who worked for Smith for 22 years must have been a manager. If not, he was definitely management material. I worked for them for over 30 years, and yes, at times there were some shady quality decisions, but none so blatant as those made after Little Caesar and Luigi took over. All Schlumberger cared about were the numbers. They didn't and still don't have a clue how to run a manufacturing business. As for any monkey can push a button, just look at how that's working for them at Rankin.
"and the work ethic prior to SLB dug Smiths grave"......"A monkey can builda the rock beets"....see the problem!
Nobody care about dis bit. Is just bull
Actually I did read all the previous posts and every other post in regards to SLB dismantling Smith. I've worked for Smith over 22 years and the degrade of quality, productivity, and moral started before the acquisition. You speak of building the best rock bits in the business which I agree is true to some degree. But I've had extensive first hand experience in manipulating tolerances to get a bit to pass QA. How much experience does it take to push a button. True the lathes and machining centers had their fare share of wear. How many legs did it take to really make one bit? Overall productivity associated with cost s---ed, no significant improvement in quality, and the work ethic prior to SLB dug Smiths grave. You can continue to blame on open forums or you can spend your time updating your resume.
Apparently you didn't read the prior posts.
These Ponca "we were the best" comments are getting old. If you were in fact the best why are you being closed?
Add the minor fact that the boy in charge never gave a flying one for quality. All about meeting his phony numbers and have somebody to blame for when the crap hits the fan. So far it worked very well for him, why change when the game is even more in his favor?
Smith is gone, done, vaporized.
People may not remember that it took a year for the Ponca bit quality to meet Irvine performance numbers. That was with a motivated Ponca workforce and hundreds of hours of Engineering time to assist in failure analysis. Imagine what will happens with less emphasis?
Just buy a Chinese company so we can save money.
Make da monkey the manager
We pay-a them mora so they no quit. A monkey can builda the rock beets.
Sour grapes. Pay trainee more and they make better bits.
What a shame.