[Info-vax] Memorabilia: Colleagues Share Pride, Accomplishments and Farewells as ZKO Closes

[Neil Rieck]

On Mar 31, 5:07 am, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spam... at vaxination.ca> wrote:
> Hidden away in HP's web site:
>
> http://h18024.www1.hp.com/us/newengland/zko_closure2.html?jumpid=reg_...
>
> More than 400 people turned out on a cold rainy day in June to celebrate
> the final employee event at the Spit Brook Road site in Nashua, N.H. The
> decidedly non-summer weather did not deter those who came to enjoy a
> picnic lunch and share memories of their years at the site known to most
> as ZKO.
>
> It was a bittersweet celebration, as people reminisced about their years
> at the Nashua site and shared plans for their future workplace. While
> many people are relocating to home offices, some are moving to HP's
> Marlborough, Mass., site at the end of June.
>
> A DJ added to the festivities, which were organized by the Employee
> Programs committee, under the leadership of Susan Benz and Sally McLellan.
>
> All attendees received souvenir towels and T-shirts, and a few lucky
> people won grander prizes, including iPAQs, iPods, PhotoSmart printers
> and restaurant gift certificates.
>
> Ann McQuaid, general manager of Open VMS/Alpha Systems division, served
> as host for the event. Noting that she has spent her entire 28-year
> career working at ZKO, she said, "We have worked together as teams for
> almost three decades, sharing ideas which we turned into products and
> services that continue to provide value to our customers. We should all
> be proud of what we accomplished over the years-hundreds of patents and
> many awards for quality and service excellence.
>
> "Today we exit New Hampshire a lot wiser and a little older as HP
> employees," she continued. She reminded those present that they are
> "part of a company ranked 14th in the US Fortune 500—ahead of IBM—and
> 41st in the Global Fortune 500—again ahead of IBM."
>
> 26 June 2008

Although this happened 9 months ago I still find it sad.

Twenty years ago you could drive around Massachusetts and smell
optimism in the air. (I had attended DEC training centers in Bedford,
Maynard, and Marlborough). A couple of years ago I drove past the old
mill in Maynard and the smell of optimism was gone. In all this we
must all remember that DEC's founders (people like Ken Olsen) had a
passion for this business. The same "was" true for the founders of
Compaq and HP. The resultant companies are all run by people who do
NOT share our passion for this industry.

This is true of many western businesses. When Rick Wagoner recent left
GM, he walked away with $28 million in bonuses. This was his reward
for being on deck while the company lost $28 Billion over 4 years.
I'll never understand how a person can get a reward for performing
badly but the fact that someone can even get a contract like this is
PROOF that we are living in the age of capitalistic feudalism.

Neil Rieck
Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge,
Ontario, Canada.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/OpenVMS.html