"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ) Former prime minister of the U.K. | |
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| The Delaney E-Newsletter
FEBRUARY 2010 |
Greetings!
Throughout our great country, now is the time of year when many of us start to think about Spring. In some regions it's still only a fantasy. For both emotional and business reasons, the idea of warmer and brighter days is very appealing when we're in the middle of winter. I wish you warm and bright days in the near future.
Cheers!!!
Scott Wyatt
National Sales Manager
THE DELANEY CO. |
Bits and Pieces
NEW OLYMPIC SPORT?? - Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan. In buzkashi, a headless carcass of a calf or goat is placed in the center of a circle and surrounded by the players of two opposing teams. The object of the game is to grab the carcass bring it to the scoring area. The competition is fierce, and players must do everything possible, short of killing, to thwart scoring attempts. Though a goat is used when no calf is available, a calf is less likely to disintegrate during the game. Buzkashi is often compared to polo. Both games are played between people on horseback, both involve propelling an object toward a goal, and both get fairly rough. However, polo is played with a ball while Buzkashi is played with a dead animal. Haji Abdul Rashid, head of the government-sponsored Buzkashi Federation, dreams of having his sport accepted for the Olympic games. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Rashid said, "A buzkashi rider must be a real man. Not just in his body, but in his heart and his mind." Hmmmmm...
POLITICS - What a week for the GOP: Two big victories with long-lasting implications. The stunning upset in Massachusetts sent Democrats into disarray. The loss of a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate will force a change in strategy, with President Obama having no choice but to limit his legislative ambitions. The first casualty may be health care. Democratic leaders say they'll push ahead, but it's unclear how. Obama is already indicating he's open to a scaled back bill. And...the Supreme Court dealt a crucial winning hand to the GOP. Its 5-4 decision to let companies and unions spend freely on political campaigns will help Republicans more than Democrats, increasing the odds of GOP gains. Businesses will now have as loud a voice as they want in campaigns. Companies are likely to move cautiously, at least in the beginning. They won't want to offend shareholders or customers who are on the other side. But just the threat of action could have an influence on government decisions.
INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW - The Delaney Co. had a productive week exhibiting at the IBS in Las Vegas. While the attendance this year was estimated to be about 55,000 people (vs. 60,000 last year), the mood was significantly more upbeat than 12 months ago. Based on the hundreds of people we spoke with, the majority stated the following: 1) The building business is still fairly slow in most markets, and 2) they are optimistic about business conditions improving in 2010. While Delaney highlighted various products in our 20' x 30' booth, the star of the show was clearly the PRIVEX AP501 DIGITAL DEADBOLT. If you haven't yet been exposed to this state-of-the-art product, please click the underlined link above for a detailed overview.
CREDIT - One change in behavior that will outlast the recession: More debit card use. Almost 90% of those who switched from credit cards say they won't go back. That's a whopping 59 million consumers. Behind the change: Many feel that debit cards make it easier for them to control spending and live within their household budgets. Plus new regulations curtail overdraft fees, and many shoppers just can't get credit. Debit use by dollar value was up 4.5% in 2009 vs. a 12% fall in credit cards. By the end of 2010, purchases with debit cards will roughly equal charges on credit cards.
FORD'S TRIUMPH - Ford Motor Co., the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy last year, reported annual net income of $2.7 billion after a record 2008 loss. The full-year profit was the first for Chief Executive Office Alan Mulally since coming from Boeing in 2006. Ford gained U.S. market share for the first year since 1995 with new models such as the revamped Taurus sedan, while General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC reorganized with federal aid.
TOYOTA'S WOES - A continuing problem with accelerator pedals and record recalls led Toyota to abruptly stop sales of certain models on Tuesday, including the popular Camry and Corolla sedans. As Toyota management shrink the world's largest carmaker to regain control over quality, American carmakers now have a great opportunity to win back customers. Toyota's decision to stop U.S. production and sales of eight models may cost the company over one billion dollars in operating profit per month.
DEFENSE - On the horizon...more scrutiny for military contractors. Over the next five years, an army of inspectors and accountants...double the number today...will be built up. President Obama's 2011 budget will call for the increase, and Congress is likely to go along. Even defense hawks are for more oversight, saying it will mean savings that can be put to good use on other defense needs. Coming under the microscope: Ships and subs. Military transport planes. Air Force bomber programs and combat fighter jets. Advanced weapons development, including drones and smart bombs. Almost two in three major weapons programs run 30% over budget. Congress will insist on more accountability, requiring the Pentagon to inform lawmakers when procurement programs go 15% over cost. No surprise, considering the huge sums involved.
NFL FOOTBALL -As a fan of both Peyton Manning and Bret Favre, I was hoping to see two good championship games that would result in Manning and Favre going head-to-head in the Super Bowl on February 7th. What I got instead were two terrific, edge-of-your-seat performances by the Colts and the Vikings. Two performances - one triumphant and one just painful to watch. In the first game, the Jets continued their disciplined approach to winning a football game. Great defensive play coupled with Rex Ryan's conservative coaching of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, the Jets were once again in a position to make it to the Super Bowl. And then Peyton Manning's surgical precision kicked in...Manning throwing two second-half touchdown passes which rallied the Indianapolis Colts from an 11-point first-half deficit to a 30-17 victory. In game two, the New Orleans Saints looked good defensively, tentative offensively, and the Vikings were dominant for much of the game. But then the Vikings mistakes started, and continued, and continued right to the end of regulation. It is this fan's opinion that the Colts whipped the Jets and the Vikings beat the Vikings. But congratulations to the New Orleans Saints. They have had a superb season, they have a well rounded team, and quarterback Drew Brees has been simply amazing at times. It will be a terrific success story if the Saints walk away with the Lombardi trophy after Sunday's Super Bowl match-up. But if they're to have a chance to beat the Colts, they'll need to eliminate mistakes and apply consistent pressure to "Manning the Master." |
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Giving Back to the Community
This past Saturday, The Delaney Co. structured our annual company meeting to include participation in various community service projects. Projects included packing health kits to be sent to Haiti, creating greeting cards to be sent along with Girl Scout cookies to active military personnel, the landscaping of a local community center, and the cleaning of a local building to be used for adoptive and foster families. The primary goal of the Delaney annual company meetings has always been team-building --- members of our sales team, customer service department, warehouse, and management team working together as teams to accomplish various challenges and goals. With the added dimension of community service, this year's meeting has been most rewarding for all of us.
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