Noah and I recently had the opportunity to interview Mark Mohr of DMG/Mori Seiki USA and Jim King of Okuma America Corp. Both men replaced entrenched, almost iconic, leaders at their companies in Thomas R. Dillon at DMG/Mori Seiki USA and Larry Schwartz at Okuma America. Mohr came up through the ranks, while King was a corporate soldier who marched through many jobs before settling in Charlotte to be groomed for Okuma’s top job in the U.S. Both men said business was thriving and their firms had completely come back from the dark days of 2009.
Their approaches to IMTS are somewhat similar in that they respect the institution, but DMG/Mori Seiki USA is keeping the massive footprint of past shows while Okuma America is trying to be a standout without breaking the bank.
At Chicago’s IMTS 2012, to be held in early September, DMG/Mori Seiki USA will be proudly showing the first machines built at its new plant in Davis, California – horizontal machining centers. Okuma America, which used to build machine tools 25 years ago in Charlotte, N.C., has no plans to start constructing machines in the U.S.
******
Americans may think Europe is a basket case, but GE is investing heavily in Turkey, the fastest growing country on the continent. Turkey does not use the Euro as its national currency. One of its strengths is that it has not fallen into the debt-financed entitlements of its traditional enemy, Greece. Turkey benefited from the lure of Germany for many of its young men in the 1970s and ’80s, where they went and learned trades in manufacturing and then basically were kicked out after German unification.
Many returned to Turkey and started small businesses, often doing business with people they had worked for in Germany. If you want to do business in machining in Europe today, you go to Istanbul first.
******
I attended my 50th high school reunion a couple of weeks ago. The Class of 1962 at University High School on the South side of Chicago almost all participated in a Yahoo! Chat group for several months prior to the get-together – so the reunion had really occurred online, where people revealed more about their lives than they did back in high school. When we arrived in person we were more available to connect emotionally because the online preparation made people less likely to fall into the chitchat drivel that marked earlier reunions. Most of my classmates wrote personal essays about their lives, which were made into a remarkable and moving book that almost everybody had read before the Saturday night dinner. I found that many of my peers are beginning new ventures, whether literary, charitable or career toppers. I left the reunion inspired to do more with my life like so many of the extraordinary folks of the Class of 1962 at U-High.
Question: Should Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds go to the Hall of Fame?
7 Comments
NO!
I’ve met and talked with Harmon Killebrew a few years ago, and found out what a real hall of famer is like, I would hate to have to change my image of what the hall of fame represents to me. Harmon was a class act in EVERYTHING he did! Those boys new the rules, broke the rules, and now they need to suffer the consequences.
I don’t care one bit either way, but it does bother me when someone’s opinion overrides the facts.
WHO broke the rules? I thought Roger Clemens was found innocent. Did I miss something?
While I think they all are cheats, unless they are proven to have done something after MLB instituted strict policies, guidelines and banned the use of them, then they should be allowed to get in.
Many HOF’ers have admitted using amphetamines and other things to compete a grinding 162 game schedule before they may have been banned.
I can’t stand the thought that someone like Bonds broke Aaron’s record, but until proven guily…
Anyways, it’s in the hands of the voting sportwriters, not in ours. I think they’ll take care of things.
Just because both were found not guilty in a court of law doesn’t mean they weren’t juicers. Absolutely no to the HOF. The same goes for A-Rod.
Kinda like congress, the lawyer’s make or break the case, not the action of the defendent. Yes he was acquitted, but….
According to Bob Ryan, 6-20-12, “If anyone wants to get up to speed on the Clemens matter, it is necessary to read Jeff Pearlman’s book, “The Rocket That Fell To Earth And the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime.” This is not some hysterical screed. This is a well-researched book authored by a legitimate journalist. I just say, read it and see what you think. Ask yourself then if any juror who actually had read it might have been inclined to change his or her’s vote.
I believe Roger Clemens did what he is accused of doing and that he indeed perjured himself that fateful day in Washington. The thing about Roger Clemens is that he has sometimes proven himself capable of disbelieving things that actually happened, Exhibit A being the bat-toss incident in the 2000 World Series. I also believe that Roger Clemens did work out as hard as he says he did, and that his initial success came as a result of that hard work, which transformed him from being the No. 3 starter on a University of Texas staff to a stature as one of the great pitchers of all-time.
But I also believe that the spike in his performance beginning in 1997 was not simply the result of hard work and a renewed dedication. I believe he had extra help.
Yes, I’m a Hall of Fame voter and my position is the same as it is on the other prominent steroid-linked players. I don’t believe they belong in Cooperstown. There is, however a big “But.”
But I reserve the right to wake up some day feeling differently. It is not inconceivable I will fall in line some day with those who say that it is unfair and impossible to judge these people, that juiced pitchers were throwing to juiced batters, and who can be a proper judge and jury in that scenario? Just put them all in if they have the career accomplishments, the hallowed numbers, perhaps with some sort of disclaimer on the plaque to the effect that during their time the use of PEDs was rampant and their name was associated with its usage. Perhaps we voters should all get together and agree to do just that. As for Roger specifically, I think he’ll fall into Hall of Fame limbo. He’s not getting in, if ever, for several years.”
It’s a tough call. On one hand, they are a disgrace, and what’s worse is that they didn’t have to be – both (or at least Clemens) were hall-of-fame worthy based on their natural-born skill. Clemens was among the most talented there was and got greedy in his waning years (allegedly). Bonds lost respect not only because of his actions but his bravado and overall attitude behind them.
So should they be nominated/inducted because of their actual talent or should they NOT get in because of their actions used to try to prolong or enhance that talent?
As a side note, if they get in and Pete Rose remains out, it’s a travesty.
hello Lloyd,
Your remark about young people from Turkey , who went to Germany and learned trades in manufacturing and then ” basically were kicked out after German unification ” I find unfortunately phrased and it makes me feel uneasy.
I have not heard anything about German Comp. kicking out skilled workers but , on the contrary , everybody holds on to them and they are looking all over the world to attract young people to enter their apprentice system.
My brother back home dedicated countless, unpayed hours to such young people to get them up to speed in their trades .