Fairly disgusted at a co-worker's question!

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Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
Every quarter the CEO of my Fortune 500 company has a big meeting to tell everyone how the early morning conf. call w/Wall Street went, how the company's doing, plans for the future, etc. At the end you can ask questions if you want. One guy goes "well I know it's kind of early in the post war thing, but what are we doing to take advantage of the situation and get more of our product into Iraq?"

I wanted to hit him in the head with the microphone. I didn't realize that invasion could be seen as a marketing opportunity. May as well have called it "Operation Iraqi Market Share".

 
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bolinger

Member
Apr 16, 2003
132
0
0
I wanted to hit him in the head with the microphone. I didn't realize that invasion could be seen as a marketing opportunity. May as well have called it "Operation Iraqi Market Share".
Click to expand...
That idea made it through the prelims at the Whitehouse, but the administration nixed it when they realized people might suspect their alterior motives for a war.
 
G

Gaard

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
8,911
1
0
Your CEO said...?

Edit: Let me rephrase. What answer did your CEO give the guy?
 
A

aznparty

Member
Aug 9, 2002
70
0
0
Originally posted by: PipBoy
Every quarter the CEO of my Fortune 500 company has a big meeting to tell everyone how the early morning conf. call w/Wall Street went, how the company's doing, plans for the future, etc. At the end you can ask questions if you want. One guy goes "well I know it's kind of early in the post war thing, but what are we doing to take advantage of the situation and get more of our product into Iraq?"

I wanted to hit him in the head with the microphone. I didn't realize that invasion could be seen as a marketing opportunity. May as well have called it "Operation Iraqi Market Share".
Click to expand...

Everything nice and moral and just until you get down to business.
 
H

Helenihi

Senior member
Dec 25, 2001
379
0
0
It's a perfectly legitimate question. It's not a huge market, pretty poor, kinda far away, so depending on your product you might not care, but depending on what you sell, another 20million people to sell to could be significant.

It's a little coldblooded perhaps, probably because its just so soon, but it would be stupid and pointless for companies not to inquire about new business opportunities in Iraq.
 
C

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
Originally posted by: Helenihi
It's a perfectly legitimate question. It's not a huge market, pretty poor, kinda far away, so depending on your product you might not care, but depending on what you sell, another 20million people to sell to could be significant.

It's a little coldblooded perhaps, probably because its just so soon, but it would be stupid and pointless for companies not to inquire about new business opportunities in Iraq.
Click to expand...

I am sure there is currently a huge market for water filters,generators and medical supplies right. A company that produces anything of these would be foolish to wait. These sales would not only help people, but make the company money as well.
 
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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
1
0
From Family Guy:

Brian: That joke was as lame as FDR's legs.

*Meg, Peter and Stewie all gasp*

Brian: What, too soon?

--------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously, it's what they do. I know it sounds wrong but in 6 months or so, some companies will be entering into the "new" Iraq with products. That stuff doesn't happen overnight. You have to plan for quite some time to get that rolling. I don't know what you sell so it's hard to make a judgement call, but if you sell medical supplies, then I agree with charrison.
 
Squisher

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
People profit from others misfortune. It is the way of the world. It always has been.

When first looked at, it seems evil. But, let say you are a home owner that has to pay twice the going rate for a piece of plywood after a hurricane? At first you feel cheated. But, would you even have been able to acquire that plywood if the price hadn't risen. It was the rise in price that caused wheels of industry to turn and everybody for miles around shipped their plywood to the area in hopes that they could realize an increase in profits.

So you are given the choice of having no plywood or paying twice the price. If I had a home I wished to protect from the elements. I would prefer the plywood.

Nature hates a vacumn. It tries its best to fill it.






 
C

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
Originally posted by: konichiwa
Nothing new...

$600m (or $7b?) contract to Halliburton...
Click to expand...

ok, Lets say the worst happened and every oil well in iraq was set on fire. Do we spend the normal 90-180days to go throught the normal contracting process, or do we just hire boots and coots(owned by haliburton) which are known worldwide for expertise and proven ability of putting out oil fires?


You decide.
 
H

Helenihi

Senior member
Dec 25, 2001
379
0
0
Originally posted by: Ilmater
From Family Guy:

Brian: That joke was as lame as FDR's legs.

*Meg, Peter and Stewie all gasp*

Brian: What, too soon?

.
Click to expand...

I miss that show so much. *cries*
 
C

cpumaster

Senior member
Dec 10, 2000
708
0
0
it's called taking care of bottom line,
Should we ban US (or British or Australia) companies from taking part in the bids for building Iraq? Yeah, let's show the world we not just powerful but we're also ethical (see Enron)

of course when the leader say something they have to be careful and become hypocrites, otherwise who will elect them?
Let's face it the blood of our soldiers have price tag on it, I'm not insulting the fallen heroes, just stating the sad fact...

For example, int he news: US wheat company has began the campaign to supply Iraqis people with their wheat and clashed with Australian wheat supplier who also wanted the Iraqis market
and Australia is one of the countries that send troops to support us...
 
zephyrprime

zephyrprime

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
7,512
2
81
I wanted to hit him in the head with the microphone. I didn't realize that invasion could be seen as a marketing opportunity. May as well have called it "Operation Iraqi Market Share".
Click to expand...
I'd be thinking the same thing. What's wrong with getting into Iraq? If you believe in capitalism, shouldn't you believe that Iraq will benefit by having many products available to them? Or should we leave them to their sand and oil? I was against the war but now that it's transpired, we have to think about the future for the Iraqis and that means (politics + production). A businessman has little control over politics but has some authority over production.
 
S

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: konichiwa
Nothing new...

$600m (or $7b?) contract to Halliburton...
Click to expand...

ok, Lets say the worst happened and every oil well in iraq was set on fire. Do we spend the normal 90-180days to go throught the normal contracting process, or do we just hire boots and coots(owned by haliburton) which are known worldwide for expertise and proven ability of putting out oil fires?


You decide.
Click to expand...

Because we all know how this war was suddenly thrust upon us, and we had no time to plan in ahead and take bids for putting out fires from companies other than the VP's former employer.
It's not like we had a whole year leading up to this war to do it.
rolleye.gif

 
L

LilBlinbBlahIce

Golden Member
Dec 31, 2001
1,837
0
0
Originally posted by: Ilmater
From Family Guy:

Brian: That joke was as lame as FDR's legs.

*Meg, Peter and Stewie all gasp*

Brian: What, too soon?

HAHAHAHA! Cheers.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously, it's what they do. I know it sounds wrong but in 6 months or so, some companies will be entering into the "new" Iraq with products. That stuff doesn't happen overnight. You have to plan for quite some time to get that rolling. I don't know what you sell so it's hard to make a judgement call, but if you sell medical supplies, then I agree with charrison.
Click to expand...

 
E

etech

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
10,597
0
0
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: konichiwa
Nothing new...

$600m (or $7b?) contract to Halliburton...
Click to expand...

ok, Lets say the worst happened and every oil well in iraq was set on fire. Do we spend the normal 90-180days to go throught the normal contracting process, or do we just hire boots and coots(owned by haliburton) which are known worldwide for expertise and proven ability of putting out oil fires?


You decide.
Click to expand...

Because we all know how this war was suddenly thrust upon us, and we had no time to plan in ahead and take bids for putting out fires from companies other than the VP's former employer.
It's not like we had a whole year leading up to this war to do it.
rolleye.gif
Click to expand...

Can you name another company besides Kellogg Brown & Root that is as well known or has as much experiance in extinguishing oil well fires? How many companies world-wide are in that business?
 
O

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
Hah! That "One guy" ought to be assigned to go make some sales there. That ought to be a fun assignment! :D

But really, there's an opportunity vacuum that's going to be filled by somebody. Might as well be our people. Our people or anybody who were part of the coalition. Hell anybody, so long as it isn't the French!
 
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