[Test-Equipment] ALERT, WA State: Boeing Surplus Closing...

[John Parker]

Bruce,

Thanks for the info....I'm in shock!!!

That is a great place to get great stuff.


John KD7KFT



-----Original Message-----
From: test-equipment-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:test-equipment-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bruce Lane
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:34 PM
To: tekscopes at yahoogroups.com
Cc: time-nuts at febo.com; test-equipment at mailman.qth.net;
cctech at classiccmp.org
Subject: [Test-Equipment] ALERT, WA State: Boeing Surplus Closing...

	This is directed primarily at those in or near the Puget Sound
region.

Fellow techies,

	I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I have learned that
Boeing Surplus's retail store will be closing permanently at the end of this
year. The last day for retail operations will be Friday, December 21st. This
decision was revealed to the employees on July 13th. Boeing has, for unknown
reasons, made no apparent effort to publicize it.

	The news left me in shock when I first heard. Boeing's been
operating that store for at least 30 years, and it has become something of a
local icon for the region.

	I have spoken with some contacts I still have inside the company,
and have been told that the "official" word is that it was costing more to
run the store than it was bringing in. I'm not at all certain I believe this
-- If true, I think it would have happened a lot earlier on, and certainly
with more frequency. The surplus store is cyclical, just like the
manufacturing side, and I don't see how its possible that they could run
into a perpetual downward trend.

	The excuse was also made that the volume and variety of equipment
going through the retail level was falling too far off to justify
maintaining the store. There is, to my mind, a simple answer for that --
Simply route more equipment through retail, rather than selling it off in
bulk to the big-dollar wholesalers! This is especially true where test gear
is concerned.

	In short: I don't believe that this is a smart move by Boeing. Quite
the contrary! I think it's the dumbest stunt they've pulled since selling
off their commercial avionics unit to BAE.They have a very loyal customer
base, and a large core of 'regulars' for the surplus store, myself included,
and I for one do not intend to let this issue simply die off without a
fight.

	If you agree, and you want to make your voice heard on this issue, I
ask that you do two things.

	(1) SPREAD THE WORD!!!!    I have no clue why Boeing hasn't made
this more public, but my speculation is that they know, full well, how loyal
a following the store has and they're trying to avoid a public backlash. If
that is the case, I would like nothing better than to see that plan
backfire!

	(2) Make a POLITE contact with the office of Mr. Tim Copes,
president of Boeing's Shared Services Group (they're in charge of all
surplus programs, companywide), and ask that the decision to close the store
be reversed.

	Mr. Copes' office can be contacted at: (425) 865-7501

	If you wish to mail a letter, you can do so to this address:

Mr. Tim Copes
Boeing Shared Services Group
Mailstop 6R7-01
PO Box 3707
Seattle, WA  98124

	Will it work, if enough noise is made? Who knows? Honestly, I don't
think there's much chance of saving the current store in its current form,
given the time it has left. 

	HOWEVER -- If enough voices are raised, it may convince the company
to provide a meaningful alternative, or perhaps even open another store down
the road a stretch.

	Thanks for reading.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy,
Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com
kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech do/t c=o=m
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped with
surreal ports?"

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