From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Sep 12 2002 - 17:33:58 MDT
--- Dehede011@aol.com wrote:
> Mike,
> After 35 years in that business it is a pleasure to find
> someone that
> has found a tweak or two that never occured to me -- thanks.
> But a question or two. In setting piece rates do they use a stop
> watch or pre-determined times? In this day and age where do they get
> their Industrial Engineers? Are they aware of the need to take their
> labor, etc., savings as increased production?
Bill Ruger was a brilliant man in many ways. He died this past July,
after compiling a record in American manufacturing that can only be
rivalled by such as Samuel Colt, Henry Ford, and a few others. He
pioneered the rejuvination of the art of investment casting and
advanced it to a scientific technology that can produce large
quantities of rugged parts to tight specs extremely cheaply, so that it
is now more than just a technique of jewellers.
The current staff of engineers at Ruger are all firearms enthusiasts
who love their work. They are generally paid significantly less than
market rates, because the intangibles are so apparently valuable to
such individuals (much like some people we know at XCOR). My father,
for example, though he never finished his engineering degree, has 40+
years of engineering experience, mostly in aerospace (Raytheon, Itek,
Atkins & Merril, Gillette), has had a few patents, including that floor
level pathway lighting you see in every airliner. He now looks at his
job at Ruger "like going to the shooting club 5 days a week" (gleeful
grin). I mean, where else can you work with a rack full of firearms
right next to your desk?
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