[Elecraft] Re: build rate?

[Don Rasmussen]

When I give thanks each night, I have a special hope
that Elecraft stays
smarter than Dentron (also fine hams and good people),
they over expanded
then dissolved. Then there's MFJ - who seem to hang
around for ever, but
rest their business model on cost cutting alone. Yes I
own some of their
stuff but (being kind) they fill that niche quite
nicely. That a small
enterprise like Elecraft can exist along side a
relative giant like
Ten Tec is quite a testament to their efficiency. 

[Elecraft] Re: build rate?
Jim jdunbar28 at mchsi.com 
Tue Jan 22 19:03:36 EST 2008 

The folks at Elecraft are Smarter than anyone on this
reflector as far as
the reality of what it takes to conduct a successful
high technology
business model in the United States today, and the
reality of the overhead
and salary expenses of their high tech staff experts
and engineers. These
engineers and designers are not cheap (six figure
salaries are common place
in Today's engineering fields with highly experienced
software, hardware,
and systems engineers).

Elecraft is much better off with such a limited
Amateur Market to not hire a
large production staff for high volume production of
K3 radios just to make
Hams Happy.

It is business, and in order for K3 to have a
profitable business with a
small staff of experienced designers, engineers,
technicians, and support
staff, they are very business saavy to only have a
production rate that they
can physically support with their lean and mean
company, rather than have a
large production model and then have to layoff these
production personnel
when the Ham Bubble reaches its peak and then begins
to subside to a normal
delivery rate.

So, the reality is that it is more important for the
Elecraft business model
to look out for their viability rather than make a
small market of Amateurs
happy with immediate deliveries.

Elecraft is not ICOM America and they don't have a
Japanese base of workers
that they can draw on.......

It is no wonder that Motorola bought Yaesu / Vertex,
as even these
manufacturers have to be able to justify their bottom
line.

Lets face it the amateur market is very small,
therefore, the businesses
such as Elecraft, Flex Radio, and Ten Tec have to have
very innovative
business models in order to stay around.

Congratulations to the Elecraft staff for your
successful business model and
for allowing us to have the privilege to be able to
take advantage of the
finest in HF communications technology at the most
reasonable of prices
anywhere.

Bravo,

K4PV